Northern Virginia: Long Life and Prosperity
Just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC is a land rich in history, filled with idyllic landscapes, golf courses, Civil War battlefields, excellent shopping and countless other activities. Northern Virginia is the most diverse and highest-income region within Virginia, including six of the twenty highest-income counties in the nation. It consists of several counties including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction in the Washington Area, providing a thriving environment in which to live, work, and play. There are about 50 square miles of public parks, nearly 4,000 restaurants, and about 300 cultural organizations in the county. Forbes 2009 article titled "America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well", ranked Fairfax at no. 3. Also, Money magazine’s 2007 Best Places to Live, Vienna, located in Fairfax, was ranked in the top 100 cities. Located only minutes from Georgetown, the National Mall, memorials and Smithsonian museum, Arlington bridges the gateway for DC and Northern Virginia. Close to all major transportation routes and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, residents of Arlington can walk, bike, run, or metro around the city. Arlington boasts 36 miles of off-street multi-use trails for bicycling, walking and jogging and is served by 11 Metrorail stations, which is more than any other Washington area suburban community.
This county is home to many visitor attractions and historical national landmarks like the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima), Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon Memorial and the U.S. Air Force Memorial. Loudoun County, the 4th largest region in the nation, is famous for its wineries and unique 
equine activities. It is also happens to be one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Loudoun was ranked 5th for Quality-of-Life among all U.S. counties in a national study conducted by American City Business Journals. Not be outdone, Prince William County, home to the first major battle of the Civil War, is also a county rich in history and resources. Regional landmarks and museums include the Manassas National Battlefield Park, The National Museum of the Marine Corps, Prince William Forest Park (the largest protected natural area in the Washington, D.C), Nissan Pavilion, Old Dominion Speedway, and Potomac Mills, the 10th most popular tourist destination in Virginia and largest outlet mall in the region.
Schools in Northern Virginia are constantly receiving awards and recognition in from national programs and popular magazines. Fairfax County Public Schools received a gold rating out of 2,800 school districts nationwide from Expansion Management magazine. While the national average participation in the talented and gifted programs is 10%, Fairfax County boasts about 25% participation. Forbes Magazine named Arlington
County’s Public Schools as the top school district in the nation in 2008. Due to Loudoun’s rapidly expanding population, the number of children in public schools has tripled, and in the last six years the population grew by nearly 60 percent, there has been new school construction nearly every year for the last decade. Forbes magazine ranked them 11th in a nationwide survey of which school systems deliver high performance at low cost. A growing population and economy has made the Prince William County Public Schools the second largest in Virginia. And according to Newsweek's annual Challenge Index of 2009, all 10 Prince William County high schools are in the top 6 percent of schools nationwide.
The award winning school systems, beautiful landscapes and proximity to DC have attracted some of the best companies and employees alike. According the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Fairfax County is the largest county not only in population, but also in the number of employed residents and number of jobs. Of the 50 largest tech companies in the Washington area, thirty are based in Fairfax County and thousands of others do business here creating numerous employment opportunities. There is a higher concentration of high-tech workers in Fairfax County than in Silicon Valley. And Ballston, one of Arlington’s neighborhoods often called "Urban Villages,” has the nation’s largest concentration of scientific research. It also happens to be the birthplace of the internet. Surrounded by successful businesses and located near major government areas such as Quantico Marine base and Fort Belvoir, Prince William County companies are on the cutting edge of biotechnology research and development. Loudoun’s economic outlook has been progressing at a similar rate. Corporate giants like AOL, Verizon, Orbital, and Telos have large facilities in Loudoun County and bring numerous employment opportunities. The Economic Development Authority has projected employment rates to grow by 53 percent between 2006 and 2016.