Just seven miles south of the nation’s capital, Washington, the peaceful, old town of Alexandria welcomes visitors to explore its many neighborhoods that are steeped in history. Alexandria is significant because it was the site of one of the very first European settlements in the United States. The area was settled in the 17th century, and Alexandria itself was incorporated as a city in 1779, just a few short years after the country gained independence from the British Empire. The city of Alexandria is unique because it exists as its own independent city with no county claiming it. Originally, George Washington intended for it to be part of the capital region, but after the War of 1812, the territory encompassing Alexandria was retroceded back to the Commonwealth of Virginia.