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Alexandria is a city in Virginia, USA. It covers 15.4 sq mi (39.9 sq km) and has a population of 140,000 people (2011 estimate). It is regarded as an independent city as it is not part of a county. The city is on the west bank of the Potomac River.
Guide to Alexandria Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Alexandria that you can book online, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.More on Alexandria
European settlement in Alexandria dates back to 1695, when it was part of the British Colony of Virginia. It was established in 1745 as a site for tobacco warehousing, but was found unsuitable for the purpose, and the warehouse was erected further upriver. The settlement at Alexandria remained.Alexandria was initially named Belhaven, after Scottish patriot John Hamilton, the 2nd Lord Belhaven and Stenton. When it was incorporated in 1779, Alexandria was renamed in honor of Captain Philip Alexander II and his family members, all regarded as the town's founder. By then the name Belhaven had fallen out of favor. They provided land from their estate for the establishment of the town.
Alexandria was part of the area earmarked by George Washington as the District of Columbia, and ceded to the Federal Government. However the Alexandria portion of the District felt like they were being treated as poor cousins and neglected by Congress. Also, as Alexandria had a a market for slave trading, its residents were afraid that abolitionists in Congress would ban slavery in Alexandria, affecting their source of income. So they petitioned Virginia to take back Alexandria, and it was retroceded to Virginia in 1846.
Visiting Alexandria
Highways leading towards the Greater Washington DC area, which includes Alexandria, are the I-270, I-66, I-95, US Highway 50 and US Highway 295. Take I-495, the Capital Beltway that forms a ring road around the metropolitan area. Alexandria is on the south side, accessed via Exit 177.Places of Interest in Alexandria
- Alexandria City Hall
Originally the site of a market, the city hall was built in 1871 and is today listed in the National Register of Historic Places. - Cameron Run Regional Park
Public park operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. It includes a water park with wave pool and toddlers pool. - Christ Church
Episcopal church in Alexandria completed in 1773. - Gadsby's Tavern Museum
Cultural history museum housed in the tavern built in 1785 and the city hotel built in 1792. - George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Masonic building completed in 1970 and dedicated to the memory of George Washington. - John Carlyle House
Historic mansion of Scottish merchant John Carlyle. It was completed in 1753. - Jones Point Light
A small river lighthouse on the Potomac River, built in 1855. - Lee-Fendall House
Urban plantation family home in Old Town Alexandria. It was completed in 1785. - Little Theatre of Alexandria
Community theater founded by Mary Lindsey in 1934. - Mount Vernon
George Washington's plantation estate, with stately buildings in the neoclassical Georgian style. - Pope-Leighey House
One of three suburban homes in Virginia designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. - River Farm
Landscaped property that was owned by George Washington until his death in 1799. - South Cornerstones of the Original District of Columbia
Boundary markers placed in 1791 and 92 to mark the original boundaries of the District of Columbia. - Torpedo Factory Art Center
Art center occupying the former torpedo factory and munitions storage site. - Virginia Theological Seminary
Formerly the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, this is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. It was founded in 1818. - Woodlawn
Historic home that was originally part of George Washington's plantation estate of Mount Vernon.
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