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Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
in the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of
Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manas ...
, although the two are separate jurisdictions. Manassas borders the independent city of
Manassas Park, Virginia Manassas Park is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. Manassas Park is bordered by the city of Manassas and Prince William County. Manassas Park is a part of the Washington-Arli ...
. The
Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce is a U.S. government agency that provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United ...
includes both Manassas and Manassas Park with Prince William County for statistical purposes. Manassas contains several historic sites dating from 1850 to 1870. Manassas surrounds the county courthouse, which is located on county property. Manassas is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area and is in the Northern Virginia region.


History

In July 1861, the
First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas
—also known as the Battle of First Manassas —was fought nearby, the first major land battle of the American Civil War. Manassas commemorated its 150th anniversary on July 21–24, 2011. The
Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...
(or the Battle of Second Manassas) was fought near Manassas on August 28–30, 1862. At that time, Manassas Junction was little more than a railroad crossing, but a strategic one, with rails leading to Richmond, Virginia,
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, and the
Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge ...
. Despite these two Confederate victories, Manassas Junction was in
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...
hands for most of the war. Following the war, the crossroads grew into the town of Manassas, which was incorporated in 1873. In 1894, Manassas was designated the county seat of Prince William County, replacing Brentsville. In 1975, Manassas was incorporated as an independent city, and as per Virginia law, was separated from Prince William County. Manassas is home to Annaburg, built in 1892 by Robert Portner as a summer home. It is believed to be one of the first homes in the United States to have mechanical air conditioning. Annaburg was purchased by the City of Manassas in July 2019 to be restored and preserved as a public park. The Manassas Historic District; Liberia, a plantation house; the Manassas Water Tower; the Cannon Branch Fort; the Mayfield Fortification; the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth; and Annaburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Geography

Manassas is mainly served by
I-66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It runs from an interchange with I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its western end to an interchange with U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Washingt ...
, U.S. 29, Virginia State Route 234 Business and
Virginia State Route 28 State Route 28 (SR 28) in the U.S. state of Virginia is a primary state highway that traverses the counties of Loudoun County, Virginia, Loudoun, Fairfax County, Virginia, Fairfax, Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William, and Fauquier Cou ...
. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Manassas has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Average monthly temperatures range from in January to in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a.


Demographics


2020 census

According to the census of 2020, the population of the City of Manassas was 42,772 which represented a 13.1% growth in population since the last census in 2010. The racial breakdown per the 2020 Census for the city is as follows: * 51.1% White (34.6% Non-Hispanic White) * 14.2% Black (11.5% non-Hispanic Black) * 7.8% Asian *3.2% Native American (Including Alaska, Hawaii and Pacific Islands) * 24% Other 42.9% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin. This can be broken up ethnically as follows (
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A ...
numbers): * 9.9% Mexican * 1.1% Puerto Rican * 0.2% Cuban * 20.2% other Hispanic or Latino The population density for the city is 3,782.1 people per square mile, and there are an estimated 13,103 housing units in the city with an average housing density of 1,310.3 per square mile.American Community Survey (ACS) The greatest percentage of housing values of owner-occupied homes (34.8%) is $300,000 to $499,999, with a median owner-occupied housing value of $259,100. The city's highest period of growth was from 1980 to 1989, when 35% of the city's housing stock was constructed. The ACS estimated median household income for the city in 2020 was $86,227. 36% of the population has a college degree. Almost as many people commute into the City of Manassas for work (13,316) as out (13,666), with the majority of out commuters traveling to Fairfax and Prince William counties for their jobs. Unemployment in the city as of February, 2022 was 2.5%, which was below that of the United States at 3.8%. Of the 21,221 working age residents, 20,620 were employed. City residents are primarily employed in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance.


Economy

The Manassas Regional Airport has 26 businesses operating out of the airport property. There are 415 based airplanes and two fixed-base operators, APP Jet Center and Dulles Aviation. The Manassas Regional Airport has land available for development. The city's third-largest employer is
Micron Technology Micron Technology, Inc. is an American producer of computer memory and computer data storage including dynamic random-access memory, flash memory, and USB flash drives. It is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Its consumer products, includin ...
. Headquartered in
Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area ...
, this manufacturer of semiconductors operates its wafer factory in Manassas, where it employs 1,650 people directly, and several hundred others through vendor contracts. In December 2018, Micron began a $3 billion-dollar expansion project at the Manassas site, and it's expected to create 1,100 jobs by 2030. Other major employers include Lockheed Martin (1500 employees) and the Novant Prince William Health System (1400 employees). In 2019 High Purity Systems, a locally based high-tech contracting company, announced plans to invest $8.5 million in new facilities to triple production capability, marking the continued expansion of high-tech firms in the area. 11% of people working in Manassas live in the city, while 89% commute in. 36% commute from Prince William County and 18% commute from Fairfax. Additionally 16,700 people commute from Manassas to the surrounding areas. In 2016, 3.3% of Manassas residents were unemployed. In 2017 the city created new "streetscape standards" and announced plans for the Mathis Avenue Streetscape Project, aimed at developing Mathis Avenue from Sudley Road to Liberia Avenue into a more pedestrian-friendly, walkable area with significantly improved traffic congestion. The plan is estimated to cost the city $7.3 million and to be completed by 2024.


Arts and culture

First Friday festivals occur on the first Friday of every month, when the city showcases local art and organizes themed activities. The city museum opened in 1973 in preparation for the city's centennial and is currently undergoing a renovation and expansion to be completed in Fall 2023.


Parks and recreation

* Sumner Lake Community Clubhouse & Pool * Annaburg Historic Site * Liberia House Historic Site * Central Park Aquatic Center * Cannon Branch Fort * Baldwin Park * Vertical Rock Climbing & Fitness Center * Dean Park


Government

Manassas has a council-manager system of government. As of October 2021 the city manager is William Patrick Pate; the mayor is Michelle Davis-Younger; and the vice mayor is Pamela J. Sebesky.


Education

The City of Manassas is served by the Manassas City Public Schools. There are five elementary schools in Manassas, two intermediate schools, a middle school, and a high school. In 2006, Mayfield Intermediate School opened, serving students in fifth and sixth grade. Due to growth, Baldwin Intermediate School opened in September 2017, also serving 5th and 6th graders. Some schools in the
Prince William County Public Schools Prince William County Public Schools is a Virginian school division with its headquarters in the Kelly Leadership Center in unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population of the county was 402,002. Prince ...
district have Manassas addresses, though they are located, and serve areas, outside the Manassas city limits. Seton School, a private Roman Catholic junior and senior high school affiliated with the
Diocese of Arlington The Diocese of Arlington ( la, Dioecesis Arlingtonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 70 parishes across 21 counties and se ...
, provides Catholic education from its Manassas location. The All Saints Catholic School at the All Saints Parish provides Catholic Education from pre-K through 8th grade. The All Saints Catholic School was a Presidential Blue Ribbon Award winner in 2009. Also in the vicinity of Manassas are branch campuses of
American Public University System American Public University System (APUS) is a private, for-profit, online university system with its headquarters in Charles Town, West Virginia. It is composed of American Military University and American Public University (APU). APUS is who ...
, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, ECPI College of Technology and
Strayer University Strayer University is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College and later became Strayer College, before being granted university status in 1998. Strayer Unive ...
. Though some of these are just outside the city limits in Prince William County, NVCC and Strayer call these branches their Manassas Campuses. Public schools in Manassas:Manassas City Public Schools
- MCPS Home">
* Baldwin Elementary School * Jennie Dean Elementary School * Richard C. Haydon Elementary School * George C. Round Elementary School * Weems Elementary School * Baldwin Intermediate School * Mayfield Intermediate School * Grace E. Metz Middle School * Osbourn High School


Infrastructure


Transportation


Major highways

The major roads into and out of Manassas are
Virginia State Route 28 State Route 28 (SR 28) in the U.S. state of Virginia is a primary state highway that traverses the counties of Loudoun County, Virginia, Loudoun, Fairfax County, Virginia, Fairfax, Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William, and Fauquier Cou ...
,
Virginia State Route 234 Virginia State Route 234 (SR 234) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from U.S. Route 1 near Dumfries via Independent Hill as Dumfries Road, a bypass of Manassas as Prince William Parkway, has a brief concurrency ...
and Virginia State Route 234 Business.
I-66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It runs from an interchange with I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its western end to an interchange with U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Washingt ...
and US-29 service Manassas, but neither passes through the city itself.


Airports

Manassas Regional Airport Manassas Regional Airport (Harry P. Davis Field) is five miles southwest of the center of Manassas. Manassas Regional Airport is the largest regional airport in Virginia, and it is located from Washington, D.C. History An airport for Manassas ...
is within the city limits. It is the busiest general aviation airport in Virginia, with more than 415 aircraft and 26 businesses based onsite, including charter companies, avionics, maintenance, flight schools and aircraft services. Between 2019 and 2021 APP Jet Center, a jet servicing company, built three new hangars fit for larger private planes along with extensive renovations to their existing hangars.


Rail transportation

Manassas began life as Manassas Junction, so named for the railroad junction between the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia, United States. Chartered in 1848, it eventually extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial rol ...
and the
Manassas Gap Railroad The Manassas Gap Railroad (MGRR) ran from Mount Jackson, Virginia, to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad's Manassas Junction, which later became the city of Manassas, Virginia. Chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1850, the MGRR was a n ...
. The O&A owned the railway from Alexandria through Manassas to points south, ending in Orange, Virginia, while the MGRR was an independent line constructed from Manassas Junction through the
Manassas Gap Manassas Gap is a wind gap of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Fauquier County and Warren County in Virginia. At an elevation of 887 feet above sea level, it is the lowest crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state. "The origins o ...
westward. In addition Manassas was the site of the first large scale military use of railroad transportation. These original routes are now owned by the
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
railroad.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
and the
Virginia Railway Express Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksburg Line from ...
(VRE) provide regular inter-city and commuter service to the city and surrounding area on the tracks owned by NS.
Manassas station Manassas station is a train station in Manassas, Virginia. It was originally built by the Southern Railway in 1914. Today it serves as a station along the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line, as well as a stop on Amtrak's , , and train rout ...
is served by VRE and three Amtrak routes: the New York City to Chicago ''Cardinal'',
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
to Roanoke '' Northeast Regional'', and New York to New Orleans ''Crescent''. The train station was also used for the cover photo of Stephen Stills' album '' Manassas''.


Notable people

* Wilmer McLean (1814-1882), Wholesale
grocer A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, an ...
, owner of the McLean House * Jim Bucher (1911–2004),
infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
and outfielder in Major League Baseball *
Ryan Burroughs Ryan Burroughs (born August 26, 1991) is an American professional rugby football player who has played primarily rugby league he has represented the United States National Rugby League team in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, as well as the 2019 ...
, professional rugby league footballer currently playing for
Toronto Wolfpack The Toronto Wolfpack are a Canadian professional rugby league club based in Toronto, Ontario, who compete in the North American Rugby League. The club originally competed in the British rugby league system but withdrew in the 2020 Super Leag ...
*
Mason Diaz Mason A. Diaz (born May 16, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes for Ferrier-McClure Racing, driving their No. 44 Toyota part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. Racing ...
, NASCAR driver * Danny Doyle, Irish folk singer *
Wilmer Fields Wilmer Leon Fields (August 2, 1922 – June 4, 2004) was an American baseball player who was a household name in the Negro leagues and other baseball circuits between the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Manassas, Virginia, Fields was a versatile two-wa ...
, pitcher and third baseman in Negro league baseball *
Brandon Hogan Brandon Hogan (born April 1, 1988) is a former American football player. He played college football at West Virginia University. Early life Brandon Hogan played football at Osbourn High School, where he began to earn respect on the collegiate r ...
, football player * Elizabeth Friench Johnson (1890–1979), college professor *
Chaney Kley Chaney Kley Minnis (August 20, 1972 – July 24, 2007) was an American actor. During his career he was best known for his recurring role as Officer Asher on the FX drama ''The Shield'' and as the lead in the horror movie '' Darkness Falls''. E ...
(1972–2007), American film and television actor * Jon Knott, Major League Baseball outfielder * Jeremy Linn, 1996 Summer Olympics swimmer and current swimming coach *
Mike O'Meara Michael Sean Patrick O'Meara (born June 22, 1959 in Glastonbury, Connecticut) is a podcast personality, the host of '' The Mike O'Meara Show'', previously a nationally syndicated radio show that returned as a podcast. Previously he was the co-ho ...
,
radio personality A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a radi ...
* Harry J. Parrish (1922–2006), longtime member of the Virginia House of Delegates * Leven Powell, also Levin, (1737–1810), U.S. Representative from Virginia *
Jason Richardson Jason Anthoney Richardson (born January 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Richardson was taken by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall pic ...
, American guitarist * Kevin Ricks, convicted sex offender *
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
, American
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player *
Danica Roem Danica Anthony Roem ( ; born September 30, 1984) is an American journalist and politician of the Democratic Party. In the 2017 Virginia elections she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, winning the Democratic primary for the 13th di ...
, the first ever openly transgender woman to be elected to a US legislature * Ravi Shankar, American poet * Joanna Mary Berry Shields, teacher and founder of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is the first intercollegiate List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the Historically black ...
Sorority, Inc. * C. J. Sapong, American soccer player currently playing for Sporting Kansas City *
Leeann Tweeden Leeann Tweeden is an American radio broadcaster, model and sports commentator. She is co-host of ''Dr. Drew Midday Live'' on Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles. Early life Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia, to Bill Tweeden, a retired Air For ...
,
model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...
*
Lucky Whitehead Rodney Darnell "Lucky" Whitehead Jr. (born June 2, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played high school football at Osbourn High School in Manassas, Virginia. He ...
, former National Football League wide receiver * Ryan Williams, running back for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
* George Zimmerman, shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a minor, and later acquitted in Florida


In popular culture

* A season 6 episode of the Discovery Channel series ''
A Haunting ''A Haunting'' is an American paranormal drama anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of alleged possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. The program features narrations, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments based on ...
'', called ''Marked by Evil'', takes place in Manassas in 2008-2011. * Portions of the music video for the Steve Winwood song "
Back in the High Life Again "Back in the High Life Again" is a song with music by English artist Steve Winwood and lyrics by American songwriter Will Jennings. It was performed by Winwood, and included backing vocals by James Taylor and a prominent mandolin played by Winwo ...
" were filmed at the train station in Manassas. *In episode three of Marvel’s “What if…?” Manassas, Virginia is featured as Natasha Romanoff travels to a library. *In crime drama
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
, BAU profiler Aaron Hotchner (
Thomas Gibson Thomas Ellis Gibson (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his television roles as Daniel Nyland on ''Chicago Hope'' (1994–1997), Greg Montgomery on ''Dharma & Greg'' (1997–2002) and Aaron Hotchner on '' ...
) is from Manassas.


See also

* Manassas Police Department * National Register of Historic Places listings in Manassas, Virginia


Notes


References

{{authority control Manassas Northern Virginia Washington metropolitan area County seats in Virginia Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Virginia