Prince William County, Virginia

Prince William County is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area and is located on the Potomac River in Virginia. With a population of 402,202 according to the 2010 census, it is the second-most populous county in Virginia. Prince Williams County has 348 square miles, 336 of which are land and 12 of which are water. It includes the towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan and Quantico.

Prince William County has a long and interesting history. It was formed as an act of the General Assembly of the Colony of Virginia in 1731. The area encompassed by the act initially included the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudon, and the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park. The County was named after Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the third son of King George II. Prince William County was created by an act of the General Assembly of the Colony of Virginia in 1731 from the Western section of Stafford County and King George County.

The area of Prince William County was mostly rural until the 1930s, when a large population started to develop around the existing population centers, especially in Manassas. As early as the late 1960s, the County experienced dramatic growth to the extent that by the end of the 20th century, it was the third most populous jurisdiction in Virginia. The majority of this expansion took place within the last two decades, and the County has recently benefitted from the construction of the Marine Corps Heritage Museum and Hylton Performing Arts Center.

The top employers in Prince William County are its public school system, the U.S. Department of Defense, the County itself, Walmart, Morale Welfare and Recreation, Wegmans Food Markets, Target Corporation, Northern Virginia Community College, and Minnieland Private Day School, among others.

Prince Williams County has a Fair Employment Practices Agency (FEPA) located in Woodbridge. Known as its Human Rights Office, the agency’s primary objective is “to eliminate discrimination through civil and human rights law enforcement and to establish equal opportunity for all persons within the county through advocacy and education.” The PWC Human Rights Commission has authority over employment disputes that occur within the territory of the County, which surrounds but does not include the independent Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

If you are a government employee, you have certain rights and protections, based upon your individual position. You might have appeal rights to the Merit Services Protection Board or other substantive rights if you are the victim of misconduct. You also have a specific process to follow to file a discrimination complaint with federal sector EEO that differs from the way that the private sector Equal Employment Opportunity Commission takes and investigates charges. If you are a federal employee who needs help, please contact us and we would be happy to assist you.

Our office is centrally located at 1550 Wilson Blvd #700, Arlington, VA 22209, right on top of the Courthouse Metro Station on the Orange Line and just across the street from the Arlington County Courthouse. Call us at (703) 791-9087 or contact us through our website for directions to the office or a consultation.