Fairfax City Launches New Website to Improve User Experience

Published on July 21, 2025

Website launch news announcement image with previews of desktop and mobile view.

(July 21, 2025) The City of Fairfax has launched its newly redesigned website, featuring a modern layout and improved structure to better serve residents, businesses, and visitors. The mobile-friendly site remains available at fairfaxva.gov.

While the web address remains the same, the updated site is easier to read and navigate, and information is organized to help people complete tasks quickly.

Website mobile preview

The redesign is the result of more than a year of research, staff collaboration, and community input. Beginning in 2023, the city studied website analytics, heatmaps, user behavior, and community survey responses. This research revealed key challenges, such as difficulty finding information, outdated content, and inconsistent formatting.

Common Complaints Included:

  • Very clunky. Lots of link-clicking to get to what you are looking for. Needs to be streamlined.
  • Some items are buried, and it takes a long time to find details.
  • Website navigation is not very intuitive for users unless they are very familiar with how city departments are organized.
  • Search results aren’t always reliable.

In response, the city consolidated hundreds of pages, improved search functionality, and reorganized content to reflect how web visitors use the site.

Key Features

  • Find What You Need on the Streamlined Homepage  
    • Make payments online.
    • Apply for permits.
    • Find events, activities, and meetings.
    • Explore current and upcoming projects.
    • Report issues through Fairfax City Resolve (Ready311).
    • Read city news.
    • Find CUE Bus routes and schedules.
  • Predictive Search Bar
    • If what you need is not on the homepage, use the search bar to find it fast. 
  • Responsive Design
    • Because more than half of city website visits occur on mobile devices, the new site was designed to work optimally on both desktop computers and smartphones. 

What You Should Know

  • Update your bookmarks. Some links may have changed due to restructured navigation. Please update your bookmarks to saved webpages. If you manage a website that links to the city website, please check your site for possible broken links.
  • We want to hear from you. Staff will continue to refine content and features based on user needs and feedback. If you have comments, suggestions, or need help, please email We.Care@fairfaxva.gov with the subject line “New Website.” 
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