Braddock Road in the City of Alexandria

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

 runs northwestward from West Street near the Braddock Road Metro station

Braddock Road (Washington Metro)

Braddock Road is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on December 17, 1983, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, the station is located at...

 to the Alexandria campus of the Northern Virginia Community College

Northern Virginia Community College

Northern Virginia Community College, often abbreviated NVCC and colloquially as NOVA, comprises several locations in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., and is both the second largest multi-campus community college in the United States and the largest educational institution in the...

, just beyond Beauregard Street. About 2 miles (3.2 km) west, unconnected, another Braddock Road (SR 620) begins in Fairfax County

Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...

 at Columbia Pike near Lake Barcroft

Lake Barcroft, Virginia

Lake Barcroft is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,906 at the 2000 census. It is also the name of the privately-owned lake around which this population is located. The lake is named for Dr. John W...

.

History

Braddock Road was originally composed of paths established by the Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 inhabitants of Northern Virginia. Later, British colonialists and Virginian governments developed and improved the paths into what became known as "Braddock's Road."

Civil War

During the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

troops traversed Braddock Road during various battles in Fairfax County and other parts of Northern Virginia.

External links

• The Many Lives of Braddock Road, from The Roads of Northern Virginia