HISTORY
Located across the Potomac River from Washington, DC is the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Building on its past and poised for its future, Alexandria is rich in history. Established in 1749 as a seaport for nearby plantations, Alexandria was surveyed with the assistance of young George Washington. In the 18^th century, the City flourished as a port, and in the 19^th century became an important railroad center. By the early 20^th century, Alexandria became a manufacturing and commercial center. During the 1930's and 40's the City became a bedroom community for commuters working in Washington. Following the Second World War, Alexandria continued to grow with a revival of the colonial portion of the city, where offices and housing replaced industrial uses. Today, the City continues to flourish as an international business and technology center within the region.

LOCATION

THE LAND & CLIMATE

EDUCATION
54.3% of Alexandria's adults have a college degree, placing Alexandria in the top 10 most educated jurisdictions in the nation.

UNIVERSITIES IN & NEAR ALEXANDRIA

ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The public school system is made up of approximately 11,000 students served in 13 elementary schools, two middle schools, a unique ninth grade school, a high school, and an alternative high school.

Teachers receive salaries that are quite competitive within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and benefits that rank among the best. And with an average class size ranging between 20 and 23 students, teachers and students enjoy a high quality classroom setting. More Fast Facts

GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES
The City of Alexandria operates under a Mayor/Council/City Manager form of government.

URBAN AMBIANCE
Alexandria offers many activities for the business community and other guests, such as Potomac River dinner cruises, meeting space at one of the City's historic buildings or a night for a business dinner, dessert and theater. Many companies relocating to Alexandria comment on how the urban ambiance makes them feel part of the community. The concentration and diversity of restaurants, shops, hotels and parks in the City create a sense of community and appeal unlike any other area in the metropolitan region.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

CULTURAL FACILITIES
Alexandria African American Heritage Park, Archaeology Museum, Black History Resource Center, Friendship Firehouse, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Torpedo Factory Art Center, The Athenaeum and The Lyceum

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Cameron Run Regional Park, Chinquapin Park, Daingerfield Island & Washington Sailing Marina, Fort Ward Park, Founders Park, Four Mile Run Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway Trail, Jones Point Lighthouse & Park and Mark Center Botanical Reserve

UTILITIES
Electricity - Dominion Virginia Power
Natural Gas - Washington Gas
Water - Supplied by Virginia American Water Co. purchasing from Fairfax County Water Authority. Average daily demand is 16.1 million gallons; peak day demand is 23.7 million gallons per day; maximum capacity is 26.3 million gallons per day.
Telephone - Verizon, Comcast
Fibre Optic Cable - Verizon, Comcast
Sewer - Service provided by the Alexandria Sanitation Authority. Average daily use is 38 million gallons per day; maximum capacity is 54 million gallons per day.
Solid Waste Disposal - City of Alexandria provides residential service. Commercial and industrial waste disposal by private contractors.

HOTELS
Ther are currently 23 hotels in the City with over 4,000 rooms. The average occupancy rate for FY'05 was 71.9% while the average daily rate over that same period was $107.86.
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*Figures collected and provided by the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association (ACVA)

MEDICAL FACILITIES

TRANSPORTATION
Roads - Alexandria is minutes from anywhere in the Washington Metropolitan area via the Capital Beltway (I-495), Interstates 66, 95 & 395. The City is also served by U.S. Route 1 and State Routes 7, 236, 241 and 401.

Air - Domestic and international service is provided by: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, located at the northern edge of the City on the Potomac River, just 5 minutes from downtown Alexandria; Washington Dulles International Airport, located approximately 33 miles from the City of Alexandria; and Baltimore/Washington International Airport located 38.5 miles from downtown Alexandria.

Railroads - Passenger service is provided by Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express at the Alexandria station. Freight service is provided by Norfolk-Southern.

Public Transportation - DASH, Alexandrias bus service; METRO Bus, providing bus service to other jurisdictions in the metro area; METRO Rail Service (4 stations & 2 lines - Yellow & Blue), Virginia Railway Express (VRE) to Washington, DC and other area jurisdictions.

Waterways - The Potomac River is navigable at the City of Alexandria (20' channel).

A QUALITY OFFICE MARKET
The Alexandria office market offers products suitable to many different needs. These range from small commercial townhouses in Old Town to brand new build-to-suit opportunities on Eisenhower Avenue and the West End. The affordable costs of these projects and of Alexandria's corporate tax rates make the City extremely competitive. The variety of office product is unmatched in the region. Alexandria offers several incentives for firms. The Potomac West Enterprise Zone is the only state-designated Enterprise Zone in Northern Virginia and offers tax credits for job creation and capital investment. R&D firms located anywhere in the City of Alexandria can have a portion of their gross receipts tax exempted. Non-profit organizations can access low cost industrial development bonds for new construction, refinancing or equipment purchases. In addition, Alexandria also offers rapid review processing for tenant build-out and is committed to providing the most accelerated development review process in the region. Read More

LOCAL ECONOMY
The City of Alexandria's premier location "inside the Beltway" has been essential to its emergence as an important business center. Alexandria businesses are only minutes away from Capitol Hill, federal agencies and the rest of the Northern Virginia Technology Corridor. Additionally, Alexandria maintains its identity as an important business location - over 350 technology-oriented companies and over 400 associations call Alexandria home. Alexandria is ranked 4^th in the nation behind Washington, DC, New York City, and Chicago in the number of associations headquartered in the City.

Alexandria's economy has historically been dominated by the service sector, employing almost 50,000 people.