Fairfax

Fairfax, colloquially Central Fairfax, Downtown Fairfax, Fairfax City, Historic Fairfax, or City of Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The city of Fairfax is an enclave within Fairfax County.

Old Town Fairfax has undergone an extensive redevelopment which began in 2005. The redevelopment added a new City of Fairfax Regional Library, more than 45,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, more than 70,000 square feet of office condominiums and 85 upscale residential condominium units.

In May 2009, Fairfax was rated as No. 3 in the "Top 25 Places to Live Well" by Forbes Magazine. Forbes commended Fairfax for its strong public school system, high median salary, and a rate of sole proprietors per capita that ranks it in the top 1 percent nationwide.

The public schools in the City of Fairfax are owned by the city, but administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools system under contractual agreement with Fairfax County. U.S. News & World Report often ranks Fairfax County schools among the best in the country.