Lincolnia, VA

Lincolnia’s name preserves a Black community that predates the surrounding suburban road network. Formed after the Civil War by formerly enslaved residents, it remained one of Fairfax County’s established African American communities for more than a century. Present-day Lincolnia is a census-designated area between Alexandria, Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Springfield, with 22,922 residents in 2020. Virginia Route 236, known locally as Little River Turnpike, crosses its center, while Interstate 395 passes through the south; the two corridors place parts of the community about ten miles from Washington and six miles from Old Town Alexandria. Census data for 2020–2024 add useful current context: 38.0 percent of residents were born outside the United States, and 22.9 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino. The Lincolnia Regional Senior Center gives an older public building a continuing community role.

The original portion opened as Lincolnia Elementary School in 1942, became a county training center for students with disabilities in 1964, and was converted and expanded as a senior center in the late 1980s. The current complex combines recreation with adult day services and housing. Its June–August 2026 calendar included current-events discussions, adaptive yoga, quilting, music groups, dance and instrument classes, technology help, billiards, and organized shopping trips. Transportation follows the same regional orientation as the roads: Fairfax Connector route 834 runs along Little River Turnpike to Pentagon Metro, while route 835 provides weekday express service from the Annandale area along Little River Turnpike and Interstate 395. County planning has designated the turnpike and Beauregard Street commercial area as Lincolnia’s Community Business Center, with adopted guidance favoring mixed-use, pedestrian-scaled redevelopment there.