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Springfield is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Recognized as a census designated place by the U.S. Census Bureau, the community population was 30,417 as of the 2000 census.
Geography
Springfield is located at 38°47′19″N 77°10′46″W / 38.78861°N 77.17944°W / 38.78861; -77.17944Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (38.788713, -77.179363)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 25.4 km² (9.8 mi²). 25.3 km² (9.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.31%) is water.
The area is centered around the interchange of I-95, I-395, and the Capital Beltway, known as the Springfield Interchange. This massive highway complex has been undergoing reconstruction and expansion for the past several years. Springfield Interchange Project A significant commercial district exists around the interchange area, although the rest of the community is primarily residential in character.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 30,417 people, 10,495 households, and 7,472 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,203.3/km² (3,117.9/mi²). There were 10,832 housing units at an average density of 428.5/km² (1,110.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 57.77% White, 8.95% African American, 0.30% Native American, 20.55% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.75% from other races, and 4.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.66% of the population.
There were 10,495 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,640, and the median income for a family was $73,903. Males had a median income of $45,679 versus $36,075 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,807. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
As a suburb with a particularly transient population, there is little local culture in Springfield's brief history. It is characterized by a genuine wealth of strip malls and plazas. Some of them are quite old and have been remodelled repeatedly over the decades due to their continuing economic viability. Springfield is popular for its affordable multi-ethnic cuisine, including Chinese, Mexican, Afghani, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indian eateries.
Springfield is also well-known throughout the area for Fischer's Hardware, a large local hardware store with an almost anachronistic atmosphere that thrives by providing ubiquitous and highly knowledgeable customer service, informal referral relationships with other stores (including Home Depot), and by filling underserved niches. Other businesses indigenous to the area include Skirmisher Publishing LLC, a small game development and publishing company with offices in Springfield. A well known restaurant is the Mike's American Grill behind Springfield Plaza.
Currently (as of 2005), central Springfield is dominated by the over half-billion dollar Springfield Interchange highway project. The interchange is popularly known as The Mixing Bowl since it involves three interstates, has two exits less than a half mile away, has two unconnected roads going over or under one of the interstates less than a half mile away, and is further complicated by the presence of a separate, reversible HOV lane passing through the center of two of the interstates.
Springfield's emblematic destination point is Springfield Mall, a large indoor shopping mall. It is typical of American shopping malls in its variety of stores, along with several "anchor" stores such as Macy's, two movie theaters, and a food court. Springfield Mall is particularly popular with teenagers and the local Hispanic community.
In recent years, the mall has fallen behind other area malls in asthetics. The mall experienced two gang-related stabbings in 2005 and has seen other violent crimes over the years.
Springfield remains a conservative stronghold in increasingly left-leaning Northern Virginia. This may be due in part to the prevalence of military families living near Fort Belvoir and The Pentagon and the highly commercial nature of the area.