Located in the heart of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Alexandria lies across the river from the National Harbor and close to three major airports. Residents enjoy stress-free travel with four convenient Metro stops. Alexandria's bus service, Water Taxi and Free King Street Trolley provide residents with easy access to major interstate highways – making travel in the city very convenient. The average January temperature is 35.6 degrees and the average July temperature is 78.7 degrees. Winter snows are generally mild but ice storms occasionally hit during January and February, with summer temperatures generally humid from July through early September. Alexandria, Virginia is a great place for active individuals and has been named as a "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists. More than 150,000 residents call this city home, and the number continues to grow with more people moving to Alexandria.
Economy:
Alexandria is home to over 8,000 thriving businesses and organizations, including a large concentration of technology companies, the fourth-largest concentration of professional associations in the country, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a tourism industry that hosts nearly three million visitors each year. The leading industries in the area are computer services, education, government and public administration. The Department of Defense, the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Naval Analyses are major employers in the area. On top of all of that, the average commute time for professionals is only 28 minutes. Professionals using Alexandria moving companies to relocate to the city will have exciting employment opportunities to look forward to.
History:
Alexandria's history reaches back more than 13,000 years. From the first Native Americans in the area to the bustling city it is today, the timeline of Alexandria's history is filled with events that helped shape the United States into the country it is today. In 1669, Scotsman John Alexander purchased the land of present-day Alexandria from an English ship captain for 6,000 pounds of tobacco. By the 18th century, this area had become a prominent center for the export of the profitable crop tobacco. In the fall of 1748, several area landholders and businessmen petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to establish a town in order to increase the amount of tobacco being shipped from the area. By the spring the landowners, led by Scotsmen William Ramsay and John Carlyle, succeeded in establishing the town. It was named Alexandria, in honor of John Alexander.
Tourism:
Alexandria is recognized around the nation as one of America's most historic and dog-friendly destinations. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Alexandria combines a rich history with cutting-edge attractions. The city is nationally recognized for its early-American architecture, and a recommended visit is to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial that is patterned after a lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt with a 17-foot bronze statue of George Washington and an outstanding collection of Washington artifacts. The Lyceum, Alexandria's History Museum, is a Greek revival building with an ongoing exhibition telling the story of Alexandria, once one of the busiest ports in America.