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B−History
History · Fairfax

Fairfax dates to 1805, and 6 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 53% of U.S. towns · #84 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it

Most of Fairfax was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1967. 6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 28 buildings. Below: 14 old photos and papers, maps from 1915 on, and the census since 1880.

1805founded
6on the National Register
0.3%homes built before 1940
14old photos & papers
45famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Fairfax’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Fairfax began

When was Fairfax founded?

1805

Fairfax dates its founding to 1805 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 376 in 18802020 census: 24,146221 years

How historic is Fairfax?

B−

More historic than 53% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1800.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Fairfax’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fairfax is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #84 of 253 in Virginia. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fairfax’s overall grade.
Founding era1805, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19400.3% of homes (±0.3) · typical VA town 1.9% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register6 listings, 33 historic buildings, 13.2 per 10,000 residents · typical VA town 3.6 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 53%
NewerOlder
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 67%

Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Virginia town has 3.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fairfax’s 13.2 sits near the middle of its state (58% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 33 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1805.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Fairfax’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Fairfax, and 16 old place names are still on the map.A historic districtThe City of Fairfax Historic District takes in 28 historic buildings.Famous sons and daughtersJason Sudeikis, Ariel Winter and 43 more were born here.A town in old photos14 old photos, postcards and papers, 1860–1981.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Fairfax’s post office has been open since 1893. Another post office, Fairfax Courthouse, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Fairfax Courthouse
1800–1893
Fairfax
1893–today
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ArdmoreCobbdaleCountry Club HillsFair OaksFairchesterFairfax WoodsFairviewGreen AcresGreenway HillsHalemhurstJermantownJoyce HeightsLittle River HillsLord Fairfax EstatesMaple HillsMosby Woods
Gone or out of use
Baliwick Shopping CenterlocaleEleven Oakes CenterschoolJermantown SchoolschoolJohn C. Wood SchoolschoolLayton Hall SchoolschoolWillard Schoolschool
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Fairfax
FairfaxFairfax CountyJermantownRatcliffe Family

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the National Register

6 listings protect 33 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
33
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House
Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison HouseFairfax County CourthouseCity of Fairfax Historic DistrictFairfax Public School29 DinerBlenheim
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Vernacular2
Greek Revival2
Italianate2
Colonial1
Roman Revival1
Federal1
Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison HouseVernacular
Fairfax County CourthouseColonial
City of Fairfax Historic DistrictVernacular
Fairfax Public SchoolItalianate
29 DinerModerne
BlenheimGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

45 famous people were born in Fairfax

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Jason SudeikisAmerican actor and comedian · b. 1975
Ariel WinterAmerican actress · b. 1998
I
Ilia MalininAmerican figure skater · b. 2004
Brian KendrickAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1979
Alex RileyAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1981
Joey MercuryAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1979
The story

How Fairfax came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Fairfax.

Read it all →

Both the City and County of Fairfax take their names from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, a Scottish nobleman and colonial landowner. In the 18th century, Lord Fairfax held the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast land grant of more than five million acres between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers.

The area now known as the City of Fairfax began as the Town of Providence, a rural crossroads and the administrative seat of Fairfax County in the early 19th century. The town grew around the courthouse and developed as a local center for governance and commerce. In 1874, the town changed its name to Fairfax.

ChaptersEarly history19th century20th century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Fairfax in 1907

Passages that mention Fairfax, cut from the printed page as they were published.

litiilnnral Fairfax County was founded in 1742, and named in honor of Lord Fairfax. It is situated in the northeastern portion of Virginia, seventy-eight miles from Richmond, and lies on the western bank of the Potomac River, in close proximity to the cities of Washington, D. C, and Alexandria, Va.
Industrial and historical sketch of Fairfax County, Virginia1907 · page 35Read the page →
Read the text

litiilnnral Fairfax County was founded in 1742, and named in honor of Lord Fairfax. It is situated in the northeastern portion of Virginia, seventy-eight miles from Richmond, and lies on the western bank of the Potomac River, in close proximity to the cities of Washington, D. C, and Alexandria, Va.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
West End, a suburb of Alexandria, in point of population, is one of the most important villages in Fairfax County. It was named for the West family, who held, under regal grant, the land on which the village was first projected. It is a community of four or five hundred inhabitants, having a church…
Industrial and historical sketch of Fairfax County, Virginia1907 · page 18Read the page →
Read the text

West End, a suburb of Alexandria, in point of population, is one of the most important villages in Fairfax County. It was named for the West family, who held, under regal grant, the land on which the village was first projected. It is a community of four or five hundred inhabitants, having a church, a graded school, the union depot of all the railroads touching Alexandria, a glass factory, distillery, several stores, the Alexandria Water Company's plant, and the old Cameron Run Mills. The old Cameron Run Mills, now owned by the Roberts family, is an enterprise of great age. When

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Fairfax, 1800 to 2004

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1800Post officeThe Fairfax Courthouse post office opens
  3. 1805
    FoundingFairfax is established
  4. 1860In the archiveFairfax Seminary now General Hospital Headquarters for the Army of the Potomac
  5. 1893Post officeThe Fairfax Courthouse post office closes
  6. 1893Post officeThe Fairfax post office opens
  7. 20th century
  8. 1915On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1918In the archiveFairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia]
  10. 1921In the archiveFairfax Seminary, Va
  11. 1930In the archiveHouse beyond Fairfax Court on Route 50
  12. 1974In the archiveFord A0604 NLGRF photo contact sheet (1974-09-06)(Gerald Ford Library)
  13. 1975Born hereJason Sudeikis is born here
  14. 1979Born hereBrian Kendrick is born here
  15. 1981In the archiveThe Cincinnati Enquirer 1981-03-15 page K-4
  16. 1998Born hereAriel Winter is born here
  17. 21st century
  18. 2004Born hereIlia Malinin is born here
By decade

Fairfax, decade by decade

6 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s5 items
Fairfax Seminary now General Hospital Headquarters for the Army of the Potomac1860Fairfax Seminary now General Hospital Headquarters fo…The Civil War in America, Carolinian Pickets flying before the Advance of the Federal Troops on1861The Civil War in America, Carolinian Pickets flying b…Illustrations from The Illustrated London News, 17 August 18611861Illustrations from The Illustrated London News, 17 Au…Ferdinand von Zeppelin in June 1863 detail- Virginia, Fairfax, a group of officers at Headquarters, Army of the Potomac…1863Ferdinand von Zeppelin in June 1863 detail- Virginia,…Virginia, Fairfax, a group of officers at Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, Fairfax Courthouse. Studying the art of...…1863Virginia, Fairfax, a group of officers at Headquarter…
1910s–1920s6 items
Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia]1918Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia]Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia]1918Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia]Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia] interior1918Fairfax Court House, [Fairfax, Virginia] interiorFairfax Courthouse, [Virginia]1918Fairfax Courthouse, [Virginia]Fairfax Seminary, Va1921Fairfax Seminary, VaFairfax Seminary, Va1921Fairfax Seminary, Va
1930s1 item
House beyond Fairfax Court on Route 501930House beyond Fairfax Court on Route 50
1940s–1960snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1970s–1980s2 items
Ford A0604 NLGRF photo contact sheet (1974-09-06)(Gerald Ford Library)1974Ford A0604 NLGRF photo contact sheet (1974-09-06)(Ger…The Cincinnati Enquirer 1981-03-15 page K-41981The Cincinnati Enquirer 1981-03-15 page K-4
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Exacum affine 5zz2006Exacum affine 5zzExacum affine 4zz2006Exacum affine 4zzEranthemum nigrum Ebony 1zz2006Eranthemum nigrum Ebony 1zzCyanotis somaliensis 5zz2006Cyanotis somaliensis 5zzColeus Color Pride 3zz2006Coleus Color Pride 3zzChrysanthemum Cesaro 2zz2006Chrysanthemum Cesaro 2zzChamaecyparis obtusa Lougheed 1zz2006Chamaecyparis obtusa Lougheed 1zzAjuga x Chocolate Chip 0zz2006Ajuga x Chocolate Chip 0zzAjuga Catlins Giant 0zz2006Ajuga Catlins Giant 0zzBunnyman Hatchet2004Bunnyman Hatchet
On the map

Fairfax on the map, 1915 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fairfax. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Fairfax on the 1915 USGS mapFairfax on the 1944 USGS mapFairfax on the 1951 USGS mapFairfax on the 1966 USGS mapFairfax on the 1971 USGS mapFairfax on the 1984 USGS mapFairfax on the 1994 USGS map1915Fairfax sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Fairfax.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Fairfax Seminary now General Hospital Headquarters for the Army of the Potomac
Retake this viewFairfax Seminary now General Hospital Headquarters for the Army of the Potomac, 1860

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fairfax’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Fairfax, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,0001880190019201940196019802000202024,146

Grew from 376 people in 1880 to 24,146 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fairfax’s Wikipedia page.

Help out

Finish Fairfax’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
5 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFairfax Seminary now General Hospital H…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

George MasonIts storyDOakton1 historic placeC−MantuaIts storyD−Long BranchIts storyD−Fair OaksIts storyD−MerrifieldIts storyD

Questions about Fairfax’s history

What year was Fairfax founded?

In 1805, according to Wikidata. Fairfax’s post office opened in 1800, and the census of 1880 counted 376 people here.

How does Fairfax rank for history?

Fairfax is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #84 of 253 in Virginia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Fairfax?

6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House (listed 1973, the first), and 1 historic district, the City of Fairfax Historic District, with 28 contributing buildings. 33 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Fairfax?

0.3% of Fairfax’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1967.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (19), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.