Taken from Fairfax County's website in a section entitled, you guessed it, Fun Facts about Fairfax County. Link to original here:
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/opa/funfacts.htm
Lots of interesting stuff that I never knew.
Area Profile
* There are 395 square miles and 252,828 acres of land.
(Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, 2004)
* The average temperature is 54.2 degrees. (Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, 2004)
* The 2002 population was 991,000 and the average age was 37.3 years. (U.S. Census Bureau 2002 American Community Survey).
* The 2002 median monthly rent was $1,185 in Fairfax County. (U.S. Census Bureau 2002 American Community Survey )
* The county holds an Aaa from Moody's Investors Service, an AAA from Standard and Poor's Ratings Service and an AAA from Fitch Ratings. Fairfax County is one of only 7 states, 24 counties and 21 cities to hold a trip-A rating from all three services. (Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget, 2004)
An increasingly diverse population
* The 2002 racial/ethnic distribution of the population was 62.2 percent non-Hispanic whites, 7.8 percent non-Hispanic blacks, 15 percent non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, 12.3 percent Hispanics, and 2.6 percent others. (U.S. Census Bureau 2002 American Community Survey).
* Fairfax County has more residents than seven states: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. (Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, 2004)
* If Fairfax County were a city, it would rank 10th in population, larger than Boston, Atlanta, or Charlotte. (Fairfax County EDA - 2000 Census)
* Between 1990 and 2000 the fastest growing age group in Fairfax County was persons age 45 years and older while the number of persons age 20 to 29 years declined in number. (Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, 2004 )
Rich in history
* Fairfax County was created by the Virginia Assembly from the northern part of Prince William County in 1742.
* Fairfax County originally included all of what are now Loudoun County, Arlington County, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.
* Fairfax County was named for the English nobleman Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax.
* In 1742, the population of Fairfax County was only about 4,000 people, and about 1,000 of these were black slaves.
* In 1790, the population of Fairfax County was only about 12,000 people; in 1870 the population remained at about 12,000 people; as late as 1930, the population of all of Fairfax County was still only about 25,000 people.
* In 1861, Fairfax County voted 1,231 to 289 in favor of Virginia seceding from the Union.
* Fairfax County overwhelmingly supported the ratification of the new federal constitution in 1788.
* George Mason of Fairfax County is often regarded as the father of our federal Bill of Rights.
* The first Fairfax County courthouse was near what is now Tysons Corner.
* From 1752 until 1800, the Fairfax County Courthouse was in the town of Alexandria.
* In the 1950s, three Nike anti-aircraft missile batteries were built in Fairfax County to help protect the city of Washington.
* The name Reston comes from the initials of Robert E. Simon, who developed the new "town" in the 1960s.
* From 1742 until 1870, Fairfax, like other Virginia counties, was governed by its County Court.
* The first Board of Supervisors to govern Fairfax County was elected in 1870.
* In the early 20th century there were four small local airports in Fairfax County. One was where the Skyline Towers is currently located at Bailey’s Crossroads; another was at the site of the present Loehmans Plaza shopping center, and two others were in southern Fairfax County along Route-1 -- one at Hybla Valley and another at Beacon Hill.
* The George Washington Memorial Parkway, which runs along the river in Fairfax County from the 14th street bridge to Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, was built in 1932 to commemorate Washington’s 200th birthday.
* The Fairfax County Police Department was first authorized by the Board of Supervisors in 1941.
* The first Fairfax County Library opened in 1939.
A nationally ranked public library
* The Fairfax County Public Library is ranked in the top 10 of U.S. libraries of its size.
(Fairfax County Public Libraries, 2004)
* The Library has 21 branches.
(Fairfax County Public Libraries, 2004)
* There are more than 650,000 registered users.
(Fairfax County Public Libraries, 2004)
* There are more than five million visits annually to its branches.
(Fairfax County Public Libraries, 2004)
* Users check out more than 11 million books and other items annually. (Fairfax County Public Libraries, 2004)
A diverse and dynamic economy
* Seven Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Fairfax County, including Freddie Mac, General Dynamics, Nextel Communications, Capital One Financial, Sallie Mae, Gannett and NVR. (Fairfax County EDA Facts, December 2003)
* More than 28,700 Fairfax County businesses employed nearly 543,000 workers. (Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, 2003)
* An estimated 223 foreign-owned firms operate businesses in Fairfax County employing more than 18,640 people. (Fairfax County EDA Facts, December 2003)
* Fairfax County leads Virginia in the number of companies owned by Asians and Pacific Islanders, African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indian and Alaska natives, and women. (Fairfax County EDA Profile, September 2003)
* Fairfax County is home to more than 4,800 technology firms, ranging from high-profile publicly held companies to entrepreneurial startups. (Fairfax County EDA Facts, December 2003)
* More than 300 trade associations and professional societies are headquartered in Fairfax County. (Fairfax County EDA Facts, December 2003)
Home of the Internet
* Through the county’s Web site, citizens can pay taxes, reserve or renew a library book, report a lost pet, print a map, access county information, schedule an inspection, or apply for a job.
* More than 78 percent of homes in Fairfax County-Falls Church have computers linked to the Internet, compared to 41.5 percent nationwide.(Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, July 2004)
Recreation opportunities abound
* Fairfax County has over 30,000 acres of public parkland and operates more than 400 facilities, including bike trails, athletic fields, golf courses and lakes. County parks provide an endless variety of outdoor fun just minutes from home or the office.
(Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, July 2004)
* America’s only national park for the performing arts, Wolf Trap, is located in Fairfax County and offers a full range of world-class entertainment, including country, jazz and folk music, opera and theater. Fairfax County is also a short distance from The Kennedy
Center, the Smithsonian Institution and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
* Fairfax County is also home to George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall Plantation in Mason Neck, and the latest draw, the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space Museum on the grounds of Dulles International Airport.
* More than 1,800 restaurants and food establishments are located in Fairfax County boasting every flavor and cuisine from around the U.S. and the world. (Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration, July 2004)
Getting around
* MetroAccess provides curb-to-curb transportation services for individuals unable to use traditional fixed transit routes due to a disability.
(Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services, July 2004)
* Fastran provides door-to-door transportation services for human service agency clients who are unable to use traditional fixed transit routes or provide their own transportation to reach needed programs and services. (Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services, July 2004)
A well-educated citizenry
* Campuses of three major universities (George Mason University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech) and the largest community college in the state (Northern Virginia Community College) are located in Fairfax County.
(Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services, 2004)
* Fifty-six percent of county residents age 25 and older had achieved a bachelor's degree or higher. The national average was 26 percent.
(U.S. Census Bureau 2002 American Community Survey)
* Fairfax County Public Schools own and maintain some 225 schools, centers and administrative buildings, which total more than 24.5 million square feet of space, equivalent to three Pentagons.
(Fairfax County Public Schools, July 2004)
* Last school year, more than 77,000 citizens donated their time and expertise to Fairfax County Public Schools as volunteers. If they all were paid entry-level instructional assistant salaries of $11.45 per hour, the bill for fiscal year 2002 would total $13.5 million.
(Fairfax County Public Schools, July 2004)
* Nearly 25,000 students are taking English as a Second Language classes in Fairfax County Public Schools. Students come from some 100 nations across the world, and speak about 150 languages.
(Fairfax County Public Schools, July 2004)
Caring for our community
* More than 3,300 physicians practice in Fairfax County and more than 5,000 doctors in all of Northern Virginia. Approximately 635 dentists are in the county. (Doctor and Lawyer Search Engine and Database
Services, May 2004)
* Nearly 1,100 community and faith-based nonprofit programs also provide services to residents of Fairfax County and the greater Washington, D.C. area.
(Fairfax County EDA, 2003)
* The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) provides a national award winning treatment program. Staff provide emergency services, alcohol and drug and mental health assessments, and education and treatment services to youth detained in the Juvenile Detention Center and their families. The CSB provides mental health, mental retardation and alcohol and drug treatment services to residents of Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
(Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, July 2004)
* In FY 2005, the School Age Child Care (SACC) program will provide child care for approximately 14,000 children at 131 SACC sites. In the past 25 years, the SACC program has grown from 15 centers to 131 centers, providing working families with before and after school child care and winter, spring and summer programs. (Fairfax County Office for Children, July 2004)