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Springfield, Virginia

 

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Springfield, Virginia



 
 
Springfield is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a County in Northern Virginia Virginia, in the United States. , the estimated population of the county is 1,077,000, making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and is a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 Within Springfield are three census-designated place
Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a type of Place identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as city, towns and villages....
s (CDPs): Springfield CDP, West Springfield CDP
West Springfield, Virginia

West Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 28,378 at the 2000 census....
, and North Springfield CDP
North Springfield, Virginia

North Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,173 at the 2000census....
, plus a substantial portion of Newington CDP
Newington, Virginia

Newington is a census-designated place in affluent, suburban Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 19,784 at the 2000 census....
. All are officially titled Springfield by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
.

The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 with a population of 30,417 as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
.

ngfield is located at (38.779238, -77.184636).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the CDP has a total area of 9.8 square mile
Square mile

The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....
s (25.4 kmē), of which, 9.8 square miles (25.3 kmē) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 kmē) of it (0.31%) is water.

The area is dominated by the interchange of I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia

In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, Virginia, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg, Virginia....
, I-395
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)

Interstate 395 in Virginia is a 13 mile long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Virginia in Springfield, Virginia and ends in Washington, D.C....
, and the Capital Beltway (I-495)
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)

Interstate 495 is an Interstate Highway that circles Washington, D.C. and its inner suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C....
, known as the Springfield Interchange
Springfield Interchange

The Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95 in Virginia, Interstate 395 , and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.....
.






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Encyclopedia


Springfield is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a County in Northern Virginia Virginia, in the United States. , the estimated population of the county is 1,077,000, making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and is a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 Within Springfield are three census-designated place
Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a type of Place identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as city, towns and villages....
s (CDPs): Springfield CDP, West Springfield CDP
West Springfield, Virginia

West Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 28,378 at the 2000 census....
, and North Springfield CDP
North Springfield, Virginia

North Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,173 at the 2000census....
, plus a substantial portion of Newington CDP
Newington, Virginia

Newington is a census-designated place in affluent, suburban Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 19,784 at the 2000 census....
. All are officially titled Springfield by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
.

The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 with a population of 30,417 as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
.

Geography

Springfield is located at (38.779238, -77.184636).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the CDP has a total area of 9.8 square mile
Square mile

The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....
s (25.4 kmē), of which, 9.8 square miles (25.3 kmē) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 kmē) of it (0.31%) is water.

The area is dominated by the interchange of I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia

In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, Virginia, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg, Virginia....
, I-395
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)

Interstate 395 in Virginia is a 13 mile long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Virginia in Springfield, Virginia and ends in Washington, D.C....
, and the Capital Beltway (I-495)
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)

Interstate 495 is an Interstate Highway that circles Washington, D.C. and its inner suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C....
, known as the Springfield Interchange
Springfield Interchange

The Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95 in Virginia, Interstate 395 , and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.....
. The center of the town is at the intersection of Route 644
Virginia State Route 644 (Fairfax County)

State Route 644 is a secondary state highway in southern Fairfax County, Virginia. It is the closest main east-west road that is south of the Beltway....
 (Old Keene Mill Road / Franconia Road) and Route 617 (Backlick Road) adjacent to the interchange. A significant commercial district exists around the interchange area, but the rest of the community is primarily residential in character.

According to U.S. Postal Service, Springfield has four ZIP code
ZIP Code

File:UseZipCode.JPGThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the code....
s:

  • 22150 (often unofficially referred to as "Central Springfield")
  • 22151 ("North Springfield")
  • 22152 ("West Springfield")
  • 22153 (often referred to as "Burkefield" due to its relative proximity to both Burke, Virginia
    Burke, Virginia

    Burke is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area community in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. As of the 2000 census, Burke had a total population of 57,737....
     and "Central Springfield")


The following are total area, water area, and land area statistics (in square miles) for the four Springfield zip codes:

Zip codeTotal areaWater areaLand area
221508.70 sq mi.0.01 sq mi.8.70 sq mi.
221515.28 sq mi.0.17 sq mi.5.11 sq mi.
221526.16 sq mi.0.00 sq mi.6.16 sq mi.
221538.36 sq mi.0.06 sq mi.8.30 sq mi.
Total28.50 sq mi.0.24 sq mi.28.27 sq mi.


History

Springfield was founded as a station of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in 1847. The station was named for the estate of Henry Daingerfield on whose land the station was built. Daingerfield was an Alexandria businessman and sat on the board of directors of the railroad. Springfield originally denoted an area to the north of the current center near what is now the Backlick Road Virginia Railway Express station
Backlick Road (VRE station)

The Backlick Road is located at 6900 Hechinger Drive in Springfield, Virginia. The station serves the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line, and shares the right-of-way with Amtrak's Cardinal and Crescent trains, however, no Amtrak trains stop here....
 off Route 617 (Backlick Road) where the station and later a post office was established as Springfield Depot August 28, 1866. This post office closed in 1868.

In 1877, Richard Moore petitioned for a post office, which he named Moor, located about a little over a mile south of the station near the intersection of Fairfax (now Old Keene Mill) and Backlick roads. The post office name was changed in 1881 to Garfield to honor the late President James Garfield, who had been assassinated that year. In 1907, the Garfield post office closed and a new postal station named Corbett (for the current landowner) opened back near the railroad station. Finally the name returned to Springfield on June 27, 1910, and has remained since that time.

Springfield remained a rural crossroads until Edward Carr decided to subdivide the area for suburban development in 1946 along the recently opened Henry Shirley Highway (now I-95/I-395). Carr, a realtor, believed this to be the last easily accessible tract within 12 miles of Washington, D.C. Ready access to Washington, via the Shirley Highway spurred tremendous growth in the area in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1950, the area had an estimated population of 1,000. Growth led to the building of Robert E. Lee High School in 1957. By 1960 the population was reported as over 10,000 and grew to more than 25,000 by 1970 with the North and West Springfield neighborhoods.

The opening of the Springfield Mall
Springfield Mall (Virginia)

Springfield Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Springfield, Virginia, located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Virginia State Route 644 ....
 in 1973–1975 (the second regional shopping center in Northern Virginia after Tysons Corner), as well as the Springfield and Brookfield shopping centers, made Springfield a major retail destination. The area through the 1980s and 1990s until the Franconia-Springfield Parkway in 1996, and the Franconia-Springfield Metro and Virginia Rail Express Station in 1997, led to the expansion of retail and high-density housing in the area. Plans now are to revamp the mall from an indoor facility into a town center with a mixture of shopping, office, and residential development.

The center of Springfield is at Route 644 (Old Keene Mill Road / Franconia Road) and Route 617. The old "Garfield" name still survives in the nearby Garfield Elementary School
Fairfax County Public Schools

The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County, Virginia government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the Fairfax, Virginia....
.

Demographics

As of the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 30,417 people, 10,495 households, and 7,472 families residing in the Springfield CDP. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was 3,117.9 people per square mile (1,203.3/kmē). There were 10,832 housing units at an average density of 1,110.3/sq mi (428.5/kmē). The racial makeup of the CDP was 57.77% White, 8.95% African American, 0.30% Native American, 20.55% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.75% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 4.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.66% of the population.

There were 10,495 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the Springfield CDP, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the Springfield CDP was $69,640, and the median income for a family was $73,903; as of a 2007 estimate, these figures had risen to $77,188 and $87,619, respectively. Males had a median income of $45,679 versus $36,075 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the CDP was $27,807. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

The zip code population totals for the entire Springfield community (as defined by USPS) are as follows:

  • 22150: 22,208
  • 22151: 16,587
  • 22152: 28,236
  • 22153: 33,177
  • Total: 100,208


Shopping

Springfield Mall
Springfield Mall (Virginia)

Springfield Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Springfield, Virginia, located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Virginia State Route 644 ....
 is a large indoor shopping mall
Shopping mall

File:Nordstrom wing , Pentagon City Mall.jpgA shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit....
 located at the intersections of Interstate highways I-95 and I-495 (also known as the Springfield Interchange
Springfield Interchange

The Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95 in Virginia, Interstate 395 , and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.....
). It contains several anchor store
Anchor store

In retail an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant, is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s (including a Macy's
Macy's

Macy's is a chain of mid to high range United States department stores. Its flagship store in Herald Square, New York City has been billed as the "world's largest store" since 1924, although today it ties with London's Harrods in vastness of selling space....
) and a food court. This mall's DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles

In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a U.S. state government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver's license....
 office was where Hani Hanjour
Hani Hanjour

A pilot who had lived intermittently in the United States for ten years, Hani Saleh Hanjour, was one of five men named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as Organizers of the September 11 attacks of American Airlines flight 77 in the September 11 attacks....
 and Khalid al-Mihdhar
Khalid al-Mihdhar

Khalid al-Mihdhar was one of five Organizers of the September 11 attacks of American Airlines Flight 77, which was flown into the The Pentagon as part of a coordinated suicide attack on September 11 attacks....
, two of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks, illegally obtained state identification. The mall also experienced two gang-related stabbings in 2005, and a fatal shooting in December 2007. The mall was purchased by Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust

Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's....
 in 2005, who are planning massive renovations to revive the mall. It is expected to be renamed the "Springfield Town Center", incorporating retail, specialty restaurants, housing, and office buildings. , many of the stores (including most of the restaurants and the AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres

AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America and one of only five of the 12 largest on the continent that did not go bankrupt during the Early 2000s recession, due in part to the fact that its theaters often dominate lists of the top 50 most profitable theaters in North...
) have closed or relocated in preparation for the upcoming renovations. The remodeled mall is slated to reopen in 2010.

Infrastructure


Transportation


Roads
Central Springfield is dominated by the over half-billion dollar Springfield Interchange
Springfield Interchange

The Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95 in Virginia, Interstate 395 , and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.....
 highway project, which was completed in 2007. Due to its complexity, the interchange is popularly known as the "Mixing Bowl", a name taken from an earlier interchange near the Pentagon
The Pentagon

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia, Virginia. As a symbol of the Military of the United States, "the Pentagon" is often used Metonymy to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself....
. It includes three Interstates
Interstate Highway System

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a list of highway systems with full control of access and no cross traffic in the United States that is named for United States President Dwight D....
 (I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia

In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, Virginia, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg, Virginia....
, I-395
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)

Interstate 395 in Virginia is a 13 mile long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Virginia in Springfield, Virginia and ends in Washington, D.C....
, and I-495
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)

Interstate 495 is an Interstate Highway that circles Washington, D.C. and its inner suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C....
), has two exits less than a half mile away, has two unconnected roads (Commerce Street and Route 644
Virginia State Route 644 (Fairfax County)

State Route 644 is a secondary state highway in southern Fairfax County, Virginia. It is the closest main east-west road that is south of the Beltway....
 (Old Keene Mill Road / Franconia Road) going over or under the Interstates less than a half mile away, and is further complicated by the presence of a separate, reversible high-occupancy vehicle lane
High-occupancy vehicle lane

In transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers....
 passing through the center of two of the Interstates. This project was dedicated on July 18, 2007 by Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine. The eight-year, $676 million Springfield Interchange Improvement Project was finished on time and on budget, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation

The Virginia Department of Transportation is the government agency responsible for building, maintaining and operating Virginia's roads, bridges and tunnels....
.

Mass transit

Rail
  • Washington Metro
    Washington Metro

    The Washington Metro is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding suburbs. The system is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ....
    's Blue Line
    Blue Line (Washington Metro)

    The Blue Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 rapid transit metro station from Franconia?Springfield to Largo Town Center . It has stations in Fairfax County, Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia and Arlington County, Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland, Maryland....
     at the Franconia-Springfield
    Franconia-Springfield (Washington Metro)

    Franconia-Springfield is a Washington Metro metro station in Springfield, Virginia, Virginia, on the Blue Line . It is the southwestern train station#terminus stations of the Blue Line....
     station
  • Virginia Railway Express
    Virginia Railway Express

    The Virginia Railway Express is a Regional rail service that connects the Northern Virginia area with Washington, DC. VRE is a transportation partnership of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission ....
     commuter rail
    Commuter rail in North America

    Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis primarily for short-distance travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and regional travel between cities of a conurbat...
     at the Backlick Road station
    Backlick Road (VRE station)

    The Backlick Road is located at 6900 Hechinger Drive in Springfield, Virginia. The station serves the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line, and shares the right-of-way with Amtrak's Cardinal and Crescent trains, however, no Amtrak trains stop here....
  • Amtrak
    Amtrak

    The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide Inter-city rail train#Passenger trains service in the United States....
     (regional service only)


Bus
  • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
    Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

    The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency authorized by United States Congress, that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C....
     bus
  • Fairfax Connector
    Fairfax Connector

    Fairfax Connector is a public bus service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, and operated under contract by Veolia Transportation. The first buses rolled out in September 1985 as a lower-cost alternative to the Metrobus service of the regional Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority....
     bus


External links