From George Washington and the battlefields of the American Revolution to Noah Lyles and the competitive fields of sporting events, Alexandria has been home to those making history over its 275 years of existence.

First settled in 1695 and formally founded in 1749, Alexandria has grown from a sleepy town along the Potomac River to one of the most desirable suburbs of our nation’s capital.

Boasting the nation’s third oldest historic district, Alexandria is nationally recognized for its rich history and preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture. Among many accolades, the city was voted one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S. 2024 and a Condé Nast Traveler Best Small City in the U.S. 2023.

But there is also the city’s more complicated history as home to Robert E. Lee, slavery and the slave trade, segregation, and the fight for Civil Rights. Thanks to the work of city historians and dedicated volunteers, a fuller narrative is now being told of the pivotal role Alexandria played in America’s history.

During the colonial era, it was a major trading port, making it a key site during the American Revolution and the Civil War. The city was even part of the District of Columbia from 1801 until it was retroceded to Virginia in 1846.

Once known as a thriving slave trading port, thousands of African Americans flocked to the city during the Civil War to flee the bondage of slavery in the south. The city was also one of the principal campsites for Union soldiers sent to defend Washington D.C. Its role in treating wounded soldiers during this time was portrayed in the fictional PBS series Mercy Street, which ran from 2016-2017.

In 1864, after hundreds had perished, the Superintendent of Contrabands, as the free African Americans were known, ordered that a property on the southern edge of town be confiscated for use as a cemetery and an estimated 1,800 African Americans were laid to rest before the last burial took place in January of 1869. Today, the Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial is a significant site as part of the African American Civil Rights Network.

Also founded during the Civil War is Alexandria National Cemetery, one of the original 14 national cemeteries established in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. By 1864, the cemetery was nearly filled to capacity, which eventually led to the construction of Arlington National Cemetery.

With a population of just under 13,000 in 1860, Alexandria is now home to more than 160,000. King Street in Old Town and Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray serve as the shopping and dining hubs of the city. King Street is lined with more than 200 locally owned boutiques and restaurants while Del Ray is home to signature events like Art on the Avenue, the Halloween parade and the annual Turkey Trot.

But off the tourist shopping paths are attractions such as the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier and the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Located in front of the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, the plaza honors the 68 Alexandrians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

Versace, still considered missing in action, is one of three Medal of Honor recipients from Alexandria. Francis C. Hammond posthumously received the honor for his actions in the Korean War and Paris Davis, one of the Army’s first African American Special Forces officers, was honored in 2023 for heroism on the battlefields of Vietnam.

City landmarks include the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, where President Calvin Coolidge helped lay the cornerstone in 1923. 

The Torpedo Factory Art Center, once a munitions plant, is now home to numerous artist studios and galleries. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum and the Friendship Firehouse Museum offer glimpses into the city’s colonial past.

History buffs will know that U.S. president Gerald Ford was a longtime resident, and that U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers lived here after he was released from a Soviet prison in 1962. And Earl Lloyd, who grew up in a segregated Alexandria, was the first African American to break the color barrier in the NBA in 1950.

NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath made his pro football debut on Aug. 7, 1965, in Alexandria when the New York Jets took on the Houston Oilers in a preseason game at what was then George Washington High School. Having just signed the richest contract in pro football history, Namath led the Jets to 13 points and threw for 110 yards. The performance inspired Gazette reporter Lloyd Groves to write that Namath, “no doubt, made believers out of most of the fans who witnessed his pro football baptism.” In the end, however, “Broadway” Joe wasn’t enough to knock off the Oilers, who took home a 21-16 victory.

Six years later it was Alexandria’s high school football team that made national headlines when the 1971 Titans went 13-0 and were ranked second in the nation. They dominated almost every game that they played, shutting out their opponents in nine of their 13 games and outscoring them by a margin of 338-38 enroute to the state championship. The storybook season was depicted in the Disney film Remember the Titans.

The Alexandria Aces took home the championship of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in 2022 and most recently Noah Lyles, who grew up in Alexandria, took home the gold in the men’s 100-meters in the 2024 Paris Olympics, crowning him the “fastest man in the world.”

Whether you’re exploring historical sites or enjoying the vibrant arts scene, the city offers a rich tapestry of experiences that celebrates its storied past while embracing a sense of community for those who call Alexandria home.

A rainbow crosswalk in front of City Hall on King Street welcomes visitors to Alexandria.

Alexandria National Cemetery is one of the original national cemeteries established during the Civil War in 1862.

President Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge, standing, attend the laying of the cornerstone of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in 1923.

Noted Civil War photographer Matthew Brady captures an image of African American laborers at the Coal Wharf in Alexandria, ca. 1860-1865. The site is near Tide Lock Park in North Old Town.

The Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the service and sacrifice of the 68 men from Alexandria who either died in Vietnam and the surrounding area or remain missing in action.

Jim Morrison, standing rear second from right, and The Doors pose with DJ Jack Alix, holding a copy of GO Magazine between his teeth, before The Doors’ show at the Alexandria Roller Rink (now the site of the Sheraton Suites) on Aug. 18, 1967. The show is believed to be the only time that Morrison, who graduated from George Washington High School, played in Alexandria.

Joe Namath talks with New York Jets coach Weeb Ewbank during Namath's professional NFL debut in Alexandria on Aug. 7, 1965. The Jets played their first preseason game against the Houston Oilers at what was then George Washington High School.

The 1971 Titans football team went undefeated to take home the state championship. The storybook season was depicted in the film Remember the Titans.

Fireworks over the Potomac River are a tradition of First Night Alexandria.