Manassas Park is an

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. Manassas Park is bordered by the city of Manassas and Prince William County. Manassas Park is a part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the Manassas Park area was used as a campsite by the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during both the First and Second Battles of Bull Run. Manassas Park was created as a subdivision of Prince William County, with the first houses being constructed in 1955. In 1957, Manassas Park was incorporated as a town. Approximately 600 acres of land was annexed by the town of Manassas Park in 1974, and the town was incorporated as a city independent from the county the next year in 1975. Since then, it has been Virginia's newest city.

Geography

Manassas Park is located at (38.771944, -77.45250). It is roughly dumbbell-shaped and lies to the south of Bull Run. It is longest NW–SE along Manassas Drive, and is bisected by Virginia State Route 28 at its narrowest section. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Adjacent county / Independent city

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County lies beside the Potomac River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 482,204, making it Virginia's second most populous county. The county seat is the independent city of Manassas. A part ...

- north, east, south *

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of ...

- west, southwest

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 10,290 people, 3,254 households and 2,557 families in the city. The population density was . There were 3,365 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.79% White, 11.17% African American, 0.44% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.14% from other races, and 3.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.00%. Of the 3,254 households 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 14.4% of households were one person and 2.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.16 and the average family size was 3.47. The age distribution was 31.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 40.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median household income was $60,794 and the median family income was $61,075. Males had a median income of $38,643 versus $30,942 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,048. About 4.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. In June 2021, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Manassas Park with the fifth best life expectancy in the United States at 92.5 years old.

Education

The city is served by Manassas Park City Schools, with a total of 4 schools: Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park Middle, and Manassas Park High School. There are also Private Schools.

Transportation

Virginia State Route 28 is the main highway serving the city. From Manassas Park, SR 28 extends north to

Interstate 66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is a 76.32 mile east–west Interstate Highway in the East Coast of the United States, eastern United States. The highway runs from an interchange with Interstate 81 in Virginia, I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its w ...

and south to

Virginia State Route 234 Virginia State Route 234 (SR 234) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from U.S. Route 1 in Virginia, U.S. Route 1 near Dumfries, Virginia, Dumfries via Independent Hill, Virginia, Independent Hill as Dumfries Road, ...

, providing connections to major cities through the region. Virginia State Route 213 follows Manassas Drive, serving as a main roadway within Manassas Park. However, the route designation is unsigned. The city is home to Manassas Park station located on the Manassas Line of the

Virginia Railway Express Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksbur ...

Government

Manassas Park has supported every Democratic nominee since 2008. It voted for every Republican nominee between 1980 and 2004 while voting for the Democratic nominee in 1976, which was the first election held under independent city status.

Notable people

* Johnny Micheal Spann (1969–2001), was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the first American killed in combat after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

References

External links

City of Manassas Park

Virginia Railway Express
{{authority control Cities in Virginia Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Virginia Populated places established in 1955 1955 establishments in Virginia