City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria is an independent city in Virginia.

History
The city was originally part of Fairfax County, but was incorporated as a town in 1779. The town and additional portion of Fairfax County were ceded by Virginia to form part of the District of Columbia.

In the 1840's, fearing that profitable slave trade would be banned in the District, the residents petitioned Congress for the land to be returned to Virginia, which was accomplished with the retrocession of the area to Virginia in 1846. The City of Alexandria was chartered in 1852.

In 1930, Alexandria annexed the entire incorporated town of Potomac from Arlington County.

In 1950, Alexandria began an annexation suit to acquire another 7.65 square miles of Fairfax County. The case made its way through the Virginia court system until it was finally approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia on December 3, 1951. Alexandria, nearly doubled in size, took control of its new territory on January 1, 1952.

Surroundings
The city of Alexandria is bordered by Arlington County to the north, by the Potomac River to the east, and by Fairfax County to the south and west.