Alexandria’s ideal location "inside the Beltway" has been essential to its emergence as a vital business center along the Eastern Seaboard.  The City is located in the northeastern tip of Virginia on the banks of the Potomac River across from Washington, D.C. The City is bounded by the Capital Beltway (I-495) to the south and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to the north. Interstate 395 bisects the City's west end and provides a direct link to downtown Washington, D.C.

Alexandria was established in 1749 as a seaport for nearby plantations and was surveyed by a young George Washington.  Progressing toward a railroad center in the 19th century, Alexandria continued evolving into a manufacturing and commercial center in the 20th century.  Following the Second World War, Alexandria grew with a revival of the colonial portion of the city, where offices and housing replaced industrial uses.