The historic district
Old Town's historic core lies in the Old and Historic Alexandria District, one of the City's two local historic districts. According to the City's historic preservation office, it generally runs from Hunting Creek at the city's southern edge north to Bashford Lane, and from the Potomac west to near the King Street Metro. Its boundaries differ from those of the National Register district of a similar name.
The City's Board of Architectural Review must approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for new construction and for exterior changes to buildings visible from a public way, and a Permit to Demolish for taking down more than 25 square feet of material, visible or not. The City's Historic Preservation map viewer shows whether a property is under the Board's review, and the historic preservation pages hold the design guidelines, which the City is updating chapter by chapter in 2026, and the application forms.
Parking where you live
The City Council created residential permit parking districts in 1979, particularly for Old Town and the residential areas near Metrorail stations, according to the City's permit parking page. On signed blocks, cars without the district's permit may park for only two or three hours during the posted times. Only people who live within a district can get its permits, and a car must be registered for the City's personal property tax first. The City lists the fee as $55 for the first car, $75 for the second and $250 for each one after that. Guest permits, for visits under 24 hours, are free, and so are visitor permits for stays of seven days or less. Permit holders are still bound by the citywide rule against leaving a car in the same spot for more than 72 hours.
Some residential blocks near the shops also charge cars without the district's permit to park, Sundays included, according to the City's Parking in Old Town page, which also lists the garages and lots the City runs. Our parking guide covers garages and street parking.
The waterfront and flooding
Nearly every year, the City says, properties are threatened by tidal, wind-driven and storm-surge flooding from the Potomac, and about 20 percent of Alexandria is mapped as floodplain; its flood map pages show the federal Flood Insurance Rate Maps. When the risk of coastal flooding is high, the City often makes sandbags available to residents and businesses.
The City's Waterfront Flood Mitigation Project is meant to reduce that flooding in the historic waterfront district. Its plans include a new bulkhead and a continuous promenade from Duke Street to King Street, a larger storm sewer network, and an automated pump station that sends collected stormwater into the river, along with rebuilt parks and a new pedestrian plaza on Prince Street.
Getting around
The King St–Old Town Metro station is on the Blue and Yellow lines. DASH, Alexandria's local bus system, is fare-free, and its free King Street Trolley runs between the Metro and City Hall every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every day of the year. The City also points to several Capital Bikeshare stations in Old Town.
Which schools serve an address
Alexandria City Public Schools' Attendance Zone Locator gives the assigned elementary, middle and high school for a street address, and whether the address is eligible for school bus service. New school boundaries took effect on July 1, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year; ACPS asks users to toggle between the 2025-26 and 2026-27 results in the locator. The school system is the place to confirm an assignment.
Property assessments and the real estate tax
Each year the City's Office of Real Estate Assessments appraises every parcel at its estimated fair market value, effective January 1, and the real estate tax is billed in two halves. The office's Real Estate Assessment Search shows any property's assessment. The City says the real estate tax is 58 percent of its annual revenue.
Everyday places
- The Old Town Farmers' Market runs every Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon, on the 100 block of N. Royal Street and in the Tavern Square courtyard while Market Square is renovated (City of Alexandria).
- The Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, at 717 Queen Street, holds the Alexandria Library's Local History and Special Collections and offers passport services (Alexandria Library).
- Alex311, at 703.746.4311, is the City's line for service requests and questions.
Homes and the market
Our housing tracker shows the City of Alexandria's monthly listing figures from Realtor.com via FRED, whose series cover the whole city rather than 22314 alone.