Named after Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Fairfax lies on the western outskirts of the United States capital, Washington, D.C. It was settled by European farmers in the early 18th century on land originally inhabited by the Siouan and Iroquoian people. In 1861, the Battle of Fairfax Court House took place here between Confederate and Union soldiers.
Things to do in Fairfax
Stroll through the historic heart of Fairfax to admire the Fairfax County Courthouse, which was constructed in 1799 and is now open to the public as a museum. You can get up close to Civil War-era documents and George Washington’s will before paying your respects to fallen soldiers at the War Memorial.
Occupying an 1873-built elementary school building is the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, which tells the history of the region and its Native American peoples. Browse the old photographs and learn about the local astronaut who participated in three Space Shuttle missions before shopping for history books, children’s toys and gifts in the on-site store.
Fairfax makes an ideal base for visiting the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a Smithsonian-run museum at Washington Dulles International Airport. It occupies two hangars and an observation tower from where you can watch planes taking off and landing at the adjacent runways. Highlights of the collection include the “Enola Gay” and the Space Shuttle Discovery, as well as a Concorde supersonic airliner.
Getting around Fairfax
Fairfax is around 20 minutes’ drive from Arlington and 30 minutes from Washington, D.C. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 25 minutes away and has flights to destinations across North America. Regular buses connect to Fairfax while Washington Metro’s Orange Line stops at Vienna station. The centre of Fairfax can easily be explored on foot.