Northern Virginia (or NoVA, as the locals call it) is generally considered to include Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Stafford, and Prince William counties, as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park. Nowadays, access to the labor market of a metropolitan area is the most important factor in shaping the population of a community. Therefore, consideration of the characteristics of displacement in the metropolitan area was a key element in determining the regions of Virginia. While some of Virginia's regions are essentially a single metropolitan area, such as Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads, others, such as the Midwest region, are a combination of multiple metropolitan areas.
In defining the regions of Virginia, non-metropolitan communities (those communities that normally have a higher proportion of their population living in rural areas) were compared with metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities in neighboring regions to determine the region to which they were most demographically similar. This analysis revealed that, with some exceptions (such as King George and Surry counties), most non-metropolitan communities were more similar to communities in neighboring, predominantly rural regions. Virginia's shift to a largely city-based population and economy has diminished demographic diversity not only among metropolitan communities, but also among communities in rural areas, such as Southwest Virginia. Fairfax County is a treasure trove of unique historic sites, museums, performance venues and natural wonders.
Visit and discover national treasures such as George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & gardens, the Smithsonian Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Workhouse Arts Center, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and Great Falls National Park. Much more history can be found in Northern Virginia. Arlington Pays Tribute to Our Nation's Soldiers and Military History at Arlington National Cemetery and the Women in Military Service Memorial for America.
A beautifully preserved historic district on the Potomac waterfront, Old Town Alexandria is the heart of the city that George Washington called home. Today, the cobblestone streets and red-brick sidewalks of the Old Town buzz with an energy that draws everyone from presidents to pet lovers, to some of the region's best restaurants, a vibrant art culture, including the nationally renowned Torpedo Factory Art Center; a thriving boutique scene; numerous boats, tours and water taxis; and creative cocktails and craft beers, including Alexandria's own Port City Brewing Company, recently named America's Best Small Brewery. This region is considered Horse Country with obstacle courses, horse shows and polo matches. One of the westernmost places to visit is Marriott Ranch in Hume, with horses to ride, shoot traps and homely hospitality.
If you're looking for an exclusive resort, try Landsdowne in Leesburg. The post-World War II period saw substantial growth of Virginia's suburban areas, especially in the Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads regions. Northern Virginia has several higher education institutions, including George Mason University; Virginia Tech — National Capital Region; Marymount University and Northern Virginia Community College. Northern Virginia makes up a significant portion of the population and number of jurisdictions that make up the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (MWCOG).
Northern Virginia has world-class public school systems, as well as some of the best private schools in the country. Harry White has called Northern Virginia home for the past twenty years and is currently taking up residence in Fairfax. As a result of the formation of West Virginia, part of Lord Fairfax's colonial land grant that defined Northern Virginia was ceded upon the establishment of that state in 1863. Other higher education institutions include Northern Virginia Community College (colloquially known as NOVA) in Annandale (with several branches throughout Northern Virginia), Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Patrick Henry College in western Loudoun County, and Marymount University in northern Arlington.
And living in the four largest counties in Northern Virginia, his birthplace by census region is 60.5 percent of the South, 21.0 percent of the Northeast, 11.5 percent of the Midwest, and 7.0 percent of the West. Although Northern Virginia contains a large part of the state's population, there are only a handful of colleges and universities in the region. Northern Virginia is the economic engine of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as the entire Washington metropolitan area. Considered largely exurban or undergoing suburban change, these counties include Clarke, Culpeper, Frederick, Madison, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Warren, and the independent city of Winchester.
With just 100 miles (160 km) separating the two capitals, northern Virginia found itself at the center of much of the conflict. Chatham Manor is located across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg and played an important role in the Civil War and in the history of Northern Virginia. On the other hand, I've heard people claim that Northern Virginia only consists of land within the ring road. In addition, Northern Virginia was the area of operations of the famous Confederate partisan, John Singleton Mosby, and several small skirmishes were fought throughout the region between his Rangers and the federal forces occupying northern Virginia.
One of the most prominent first mentions of Northern Virginia (without the word Neck) as a title was the name of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War (1861-186). . .
