Comprehensive Plan

The Comprehensive Plan is the City's official policy guide for future development-related decisions. It is general and long-range in nature and provides a picture of how the community wishes to develop over the next 15 to 20 years. As a policy document, the plan provides a framework for residents and decision makers to conceptualize how the city should look and function, as well as the best methods and strategies for achieving those goals.

Efforts towards achieving the goals from the Comprehensive Plan as well as the Small Area Plans for each of the five Activity Centers can be tracked in the Long-Range Planning Efforts' Implementation map.

 

Plan Components

• Cover and Table of Contents(PDF, 2MB)
• Chapter 1: Introduction(PDF, 5MB)
• Chapter 2: Land Use(PDF, 19MB)
• Chapter 3: Multimodal Transportation(PDF, 11MB)
• Chapter 4: Environment and Sustainability(PDF, 15MB)
• Chapter 5: Economic Vitality(PDF, 2MB)
• Chapter 6: Community Services(PDF, 11MB)
• Appendix A: Chesapeake Bay Preservation Plan(PDF, 14MB)
• Appendix B: Transportation Practices and Policy(PDF, 2MB)
• Index(PDF, 83KB)
• (PDF, 1MB)2035 Comprehensive Plan Implementation Guide (Last updated July 2025)(PDF, 614KB)

You may also download the entire Comprehensive Plan(PDF, 18MB).

• City Council Resolution No, R-19-03 Approving and Adopting the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan
• Planning Commission Resolution No. PC-18-02 Approving and Recommending Adoption of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Fairfax(PDF, 384KB)

Small Area Plans

Small Area Plans are neighborhood-level plans intended to provide the City with guidance on each of its five Activity Centers defined in the 2035 Comprehensive Plan: Old Town Fairfax, Northfax, Kamp Washington, Fairfax Circle, and Pickett & Main. As each Small Area Plan is completed and adopted, its recommendations will supersede the pre-existing guidance in the Comprehensive Plan for its respective Activity Center. On June 23, 2020, City Council adopted the first two Small Area Plans for Old Town Fairfax and Northfax. On October 25, 2022, City Council adopted the Small Area Plan for Kamp Washington. On July 23, 2024, City Council adopted the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan.

For additional information on Small Area Plans, including news on upcoming plans and how to get updates on the Small Area Plans' processes, please visit the Small Area Plans page.

Completed Studies, Projects & Plans

Past studies, projects, and plans that helped guide formation of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan can be found in our project archive.