In 1789, Alexandria and a portion of Fairfax County were ceded by the State of Virginia to become a part of the new 10 mile square District of Columbia. Formally accepted by Congress in 1801, Alexandria remained under the aegis of the new federal government until it was retroceded to Virginia in 1847. Currently, the city of Alexandria is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax, County.
In 2005, the United States Trademark and Patent Office moved their headquarters to Alexandria, Virignia. Soon after, in 2017, the National Science Foundation also moved their headquarters to Alexandria.
