Fauquier County
ABOUT FAUQUIER COUNTY
Fauquier County is located in the Virginia Piedmont along the western edge of the Washington D.C. metro area, approximately 40 miles southwest of the nation’s capital. The County, with an estimated population of 68,782 (2015), has a unique geography that provides a rural landscape within reasonable driving distance from Washington D.C. and its surrounding urban localities.
Once part of the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast English land grant held by the 6th Lord Fairfax, Fauquier County was created in 1759 from a part of Prince William County and named for the Colonial Lieutenant Governor at that time, Sir Francis Fauquier. The County was originally settled by German and English immigrants. During the American Revolution, many County citizens served in the Continental Army, including Captain John Marshall who would later serve the country as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Fauquier County is approximately 651 square miles in size and is on average 50 miles long, from north to south, and 15 miles wide, from east to west. Elevations range from a low of 160 feet above sea level in the rolling hills found in the southern portion of the County to 2,388 feet above sea level in the northern section that includes portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Interstate 66, Route 15/29, Route 17, and Route 211 provide the principal road access to the County. Norfolk Southern provides freight rail service to the County while the WarrentonFauquier Airport provides aviation services to the local community. A growing network of trails provides safe access for bicyclists and pedestrians, particularly in the service districts.
Fauquier County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, representing the County’s five Magisterial Districts. A County Administrator oversees the daily operation of the county. Fauquier County has a long-standing planning goal of channeling development into its nine service districts. These districts are spread throughout the County and serve as the primary areas of growth for future commercial, industrial, and residential development. The County actively seeks to encourage the continuation of farming in its rural areas, which make up over 90% of the county. The County has adopted a number of measures to aid in this effort including a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.
Fauquier County is located in the Virginia Piedmont along the western edge of the Washington D.C. metro area, approximately 40 miles southwest of the nation’s capital. The County, with an estimated population of 68,782 (2015), has a unique geography that provides a rural landscape within reasonable driving distance from Washington D.C. and its surrounding urban localities.Once part of the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast English land grant held by the 6th Lord Fairfax, Fauquier County was created in 1759 from a part of Prince William County and named for the Colonial Lieutenant Governor at that time, Sir Francis Fauquier. The County was originally settled by German and English immigrants. During the American Revolution, many County citizens served in the Continental Army, including Captain John Marshall who would later serve the country as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Fauquier County is approximately 651 square miles in size and is on average 50 miles long, from north to south, and 15 miles wide, from east to west. Elevations range from a low of 160 feet above sea level in the rolling hills found in the southern portion of the County to 2,388 feet above sea level in the northern section that includes portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Interstate 66, Route 15/29, Route 17, and Route 211 provide the principal road access to the County. Norfolk Southern provides freight rail service to the County while the WarrentonFauquier Airport provides aviation services to the local community. A growing network of trails provides safe access for bicyclists and pedestrians, particularly in the service districts.
Fauquier County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, representing the County’s five Magisterial Districts. A County Administrator oversees the daily operation of the county. Fauquier County has a long-standing planning goal of channeling development into its nine service districts. These districts are spread throughout the County and serve as the primary areas of growth for future commercial, industrial, and residential development. The County actively seeks to encourage the continuation of farming in its rural areas, which make up over 90% of the county. The County has adopted a number of measures to aid in this effort including a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.