n.
City (pop., 2000: 128,283), northern Virginia, U.S., on the Potomac River .
The site was settled in 1695, and in 1749 it was named for John Alexander, the land's original grantee. It was part of Washington, D.C., from 1791 to 1847, after which it was ceded back to Virginia. Many colonial buildings survive in "Old Alexandria"; George Washington 's estate, Mount Vernon , is nearby.