City of Falls Church
Falls Church, Virginia
A two-square-mile independent city between Arlington and Fairfax County, with its own small school division, a walkable commercial strip along Broad Street, and a much larger area of Fairfax County sharing its mailing address.
Falls Church is one of the smallest independent cities in Virginia — about two square miles, roughly 15,000 people — sitting between Arlington and Fairfax County. It has its own government, its own tax rate, and, unusually for a place its size, its own school division. It also lends its name to a much larger area of Fairfax County that is not part of the city at all.
The city
Broad Street (Route 7) and Washington Street (Route 29) cross at the center, and the blocks around them hold the city’s restaurants, shops, the State Theatre, and a growing set of mixed-use buildings with condominiums above ground-floor retail. That new construction supplies most of the city’s lower-maintenance housing.
The residential streets — Broadmont, Virginia Forest, Cherry Hill, Winter Hill — are early- and mid-century single-family neighborhoods on modest lots, many within walking distance of downtown. As in Vienna and McLean, older houses on good lots are regularly rebuilt larger, so vintages vary block to block.
On the western edge, a large mixed-use redevelopment near the West Falls Church Metro station and the former high school site is adding housing, retail, and office space in phases — the biggest change to that side of the city in decades.
Its own schools
Falls Church City Public Schools is a small division with one high school, Meridian High School, renamed from George Mason High School in 2021. For many buyers it is the reason to be inside the city. It stops at the city line: Falls Church-addressed homes in Fairfax County attend FCPS, with entirely different boundaries.
The address, again
A great deal of Fairfax County uses Falls Church addresses — Lake Barcroft, a private community of about a thousand homes around a 135-acre lake with its own beaches; the neighborhoods around Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads; and much of the Route 7 corridor east of the city. All are Fairfax County for taxes and schools. Checking the jurisdiction is the first step on any Falls Church listing.
Getting around
Route 7 and Route 29 cross downtown, with I-66 and the Beltway close. Both Metro stations named for the city sit outside it: East Falls Church in Arlington, West Falls Church in Fairfax County. The W&OD Trail passes through, connecting to Arlington one way and Vienna the other.
Buying or selling here
Inside the city, inventory is limited, the school division drives demand, and well-located homes move quickly. Outside it, the market behaves like the rest of eastern Fairfax County. As with Alexandria, the single most useful question on a Falls Church listing is which side of the line it is on.
Communities in Falls Church
- Downtown Falls Church
- The Broad Street and Washington Street corridor — restaurants, shops, the State Theatre, and newer mixed-use buildings with condominiums above.
- Cherry Hill and Winter Hill
- Established neighborhoods near Cherry Hill Park and the city’s historic Cherry Hill Farmhouse, walkable to downtown.
- Broadmont and Virginia Forest
- Early- and mid-century single-family neighborhoods on tree-lined streets inside the city limits.
- West Falls Church
- The city’s western edge near Route 7 and the West Falls Church Metro station, where a large mixed-use redevelopment is underway.
- Lake Barcroft (Fairfax County)
- A well-known Falls Church-addressed community in Fairfax County built around a private 135-acre lake, with its own association and beaches — outside the city.
Schools
The City of Falls Church runs its own school division, Falls Church City Public Schools, with a single high school, Meridian High School (renamed from George Mason High School in 2021). This applies only inside the city limits; the much larger area of Fairfax County with Falls Church mailing addresses is served by Fairfax County Public Schools. Confirm the jurisdiction first, then the boundary.
Commuting
Route 7 (Broad Street) and Route 29 (Washington Street) cross in the middle of the city, with I-66 and the Beltway close by. Two Orange and Silver Line stations carry the Falls Church name — East Falls Church, in Arlington, and West Falls Church, in Fairfax County — but neither is inside the city limits, though both are within a short drive or bus ride. The W&OD Trail passes through the city.
Market
The city is a small, tightly held market: early- and mid-century single-family homes on modest lots, a growing supply of condominiums and townhouses in the mixed-use buildings along Broad Street, and steady teardown-and-rebuild activity. Its own school division is a significant driver of demand, and the city sets its own tax rate. Falls Church-addressed homes in Fairfax County — including Lake Barcroft and the neighborhoods around Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads — are a separate and much larger market with different taxes and schools.
Common questions
Is Falls Church part of Fairfax County or Arlington?
Neither. The City of Falls Church is an independent city of roughly two square miles with its own government, tax rate, police, and school division, wedged between Arlington County and Fairfax County. A far larger area of Fairfax County uses Falls Church mailing addresses but is not in the city.
What schools serve the City of Falls Church?
Falls Church City Public Schools, a small division with one high school — Meridian High School, renamed from George Mason High School in 2021 — plus its middle and elementary schools. Homes with Falls Church addresses in Fairfax County attend Fairfax County Public Schools instead.
Are the Falls Church Metro stations in Falls Church?
No, and this surprises people. East Falls Church station is in Arlington County and West Falls Church station is in Fairfax County; neither lies within the city limits. Both are close enough to be practical, and the city runs bus connections, but no station sits inside the city itself.
What is Lake Barcroft?
A private community of about 1,000 homes in Fairfax County, built around a 135-acre lake with its own beaches and association, using a Falls Church mailing address. It is outside the city, pays Fairfax County taxes, and attends Fairfax County schools — a frequent point of confusion.
What is happening in West Falls Church?
A large mixed-use redevelopment near the West Falls Church Metro station and the former high school site, adding housing, retail, and office space over several phases. It is the biggest change to the city’s western edge in decades and is reshaping that part of the market.
Current Falls Church listings are available through my search site.
Last updated 2026-09-07.