Alexandria, Virginia
Country: United States
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 139,988, and in 2020, the population was estimated to be at 159,200. The city's estimated population has grown by 1% percent annually since 2010 on average. Located along the western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. Like the rest of Northern Virginia, as well as Central Maryland, modern Alexandria has been influenced by its proximity to the U.S. capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, in the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government. One of Alexandria's largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Another is the Institute for Defense Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved to Alexandria, and in 2017, so did the headquarters of the National Science Foundation.