In 1946 Realtor Edward R. Carr conceived the master plan for the Springfield area. He had studied maps of Northern Virginia and discovered that Springfield had the last sizable accessible tract of undeveloped land within a 12-mile zone around Washington D.C. It was 1952 before the sewer and water lines were installed and plans were approved to build the first houses; 2,000 houses were completed by 1955. Springfield’s indistinct boundaries make it difficult to define its population.
Springfield is located in the southeast portion of Fairfax County, about 13 miles from the nation's capital. Kingstowne, Franconia, Burke and Newington are neighboring communities considered to be part of Greater Springfield. The U.S. Army's Fort Belvoir is just south of town, and Alexandria, with its historic Old Town, is northeast.
There is a central highway hub notorious for rush hour, called “The Mixing Bowl.” There is housing stock ranging from postwar to currently under construction. Lake Accotink is a 70-acre lake on over 400 acres of parkland.
Source: Springfield Chamber of Commerce