Vienna, Virginia, United States

🇺🇸 Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses, bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to the north, and Hunter Mill Road to the west, than in the town itself.

History Non-native settlement in the region dates to c. 1740. In 1754, prominent soldier and land owner Colonel Charles Broadwater settled within the town boundaries. Broadwater's son-in-law, John Hunter built the first recorded house there in 1767, naming it Ayr Hill to recall his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland. That name was then applied to the tiny developing community. The name of the town was changed in the 1850s, when a doctor, William Hendrick, settled there if the town renamed itself after his hometown, Phelps, New York, which was then known as Vienna.

On June 17, 1861, a relatively-minor but widely noted military engagement occurred there, the Battle of Vienna, one of the earliest armed clashes of the American Civil War. A would-be Union occupation unit under Brigadier General Robert C. Schenck approached Vienna from the east by train but was ambushed and forced to retreat by a superior Confederate force led by Colonel Maxcy Gregg. Today, several historical markers in Vienna detail its Civil War history. In addition, in the centre of town lies the well preserved Freeman House; which, in 1861, was the polling place for the secession vote and was used during the war by both sides as a hospital. The house has been turned into a museum and gift shop.

The First Baptist Church of Vienna was founded in 1867, and the original church structure was built using Union Army barracks lumber obtained through the Freedmen's Bureau. This church building was also the town's first black public school. The first white public school was built in 1872. A permanent black elementary school was built, which was later named for its long-time principal, Louise Archer. Fairfax County Schools were completely desegregated by the Fall of 1965.

Geography Vienna is located at an elevation of 358 feet (109 meters). It lies in the Piedmont approximately 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-west of the Potomac River. Wolftrap Creek, a tributary of nearby Difficult Run, flows north from its source in the eastern part of town. The Bear Branch of Accotink Creek, a Potomac tributary, flows south from its source in the southern part of town. Located in Northern Virginia on Interstate 66, Vienna is 12 miles (19 km) west of Washington, D.C., and 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Fairfax, the county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11 km²), all of it land. As a suburb of Washington, D.C., Vienna is a part of both the Washington metropolitan area and the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. It is bordered on all sides by other Washington suburbs, including: Wolf Trap to the north, Tysons Corner to the north-east, Dunn Loring to the east, Merrifield to the south, and Oakton to the west. These communities are unincorporated, and portions of them lie in ZIP codes with Vienna postal addresses despite lying outside the town's borders.

Public libraries Fairfax County Public Library operates the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.

Transport Interstate 66 is the main highway serving Vienna. Access is provided via Exit 62 and Virginia State Route 243. In addition, Virginia State Route 123 runs through downtown Vienna.

Economy MAE-East is located within the Vienna postal area in Tysons Corner CDP. This served as one of two locations (in addition to MAE-West) where all Internet traffic was exchanged between one ISP and other private, government, and academic Internet networks and served as a magnet for telecom and other high-tech companies focused on the Internet. In 1995 America Online (AOL) was headquartered at 8619 Westwood Center Drive in Tysons Corner CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, near Vienna.

The global corporate headquarters of Navy Federal Credit Union is located in Vienna.

Economy: Top employers According to the Town's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the town are: 1 Navy Federal Credit Union; 2 Fairfax County Public Schools; 3 Town of Vienna 100–249

4 Whole Foods Market Group; 5 Westwood Country Club; 6 Vienna Woods Swim and Tennis Club; 7 Chick-Fil-A Vienna on Maple; 8 The Fresh Market, Inc.; 9 U.S. Postal Service; 10 Bazins on Church.

Recreation The W&OD Trail crosses through downtown Vienna. Several parks are located near the town, including Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The town green and Jammin' Java coffeehouse and music club serve as areas for theatre and musical performances.

Points of interest • Freeman Store and Museum (Vienna, Virginia) • Jammin' Java coffeehouse and music club • Meadowlark Botanical Gardens • Terrorist Screening Center • Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (located in the CDP of Wolf Trap, Virginia).