Awards and Accomplishments

The City of Alexandria is proud to present our awards and accomplishments in our efforts for service excellence.
Page updated on December 11, 2023 at 8:47 AM
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City of Alexandria Awards: 2009-Present

2016

  • "Top 14 Best Places to Live in Virginia" - Smart Travel Tips
  • American Planning Association's  2016 Excellence in Sustainability Award for the best sustainable urban design plan or project in the country given to the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan. - American Planning Association
  • #1 Top 10 Best Downtowns - Livability 
  • "2015's Best Cities for Women Entrepreneurs" - GoodCall
  • #1 Digital City of our population in the United States -  The Center for Digital Government 
  • "Top 100 Best Places to Live" -  -Livability (2016)
  • Alexandria's Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program was recognized by the Water Environment Federation's (WEF) National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards Program as a Gold-level community and winner in the Innovation category.
  • #8 "Most Festive City in the US this Christmas Season" - Amazon

2015

  • "Top 10 Towns for Craft Lovers" –American Craft Week 
  • "Top 10 Most Romantic Cities" -ProFlowers
  • # 6 "Top 10 Downtowns" -Livability 
  • #4 Most Romantic City - CBS News
  • America's Top 10 Towns for Craft Lovers - American Craft Week
  • "Best Mid-Sized City for Veterans to Live In" -Military Times 
  • "Bicycle Friendly Community" Silver Level -League of American Bicyclists 
  • "Best Cities for Millennials in 2015" -Forbes
  • "Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in the US" -Amazon.com 
  • "Best Mid-Sized Cities for Education In America" -Movoto Real Estate 
  • # 1 "Best for Vets" Place to Live - Military Times 

2014

  • "Top 10 Best Downtowns 2014"-Livability.com
  • "Top 10 Safest Places in Virginia"-Movoto Real Estate
  • #1 "Top 10 Most Generous Cities" - Forbes
  • "Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities"-Bicycling magazine
  • # 1 "The Most Well-Read City in America"- Amazon.com
  • # 9 "Top 10 Digital City of our population in the United States" - Government Technology

  •  Alexandria Health Department (AHD) was recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and awarded Project Public Health Readiness acknowledgment through 2019 (AHD was previously recognized 2009-2014).

2013

  • America's Top ArtPlaces -  ArtPlace 
  • Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) wins Outstanding Program Award & Outstanding Public Transportation Marketing Award from the Virginia Transit Association.
  • The Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities won the Best Promotional Effort Award for its Summer of Smiles! Summer Fun Guide from the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society.  

2012

  • Alexandria achieves Platinum Level Certification for the fifth straight year by the Virginia Municipal League (VML) Green Government Challenge
  • Alexandria's Department of Real Estate Assessments Wins Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration from the International Association of Assessing Officers
  • The National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association Awards Alexandria the "Distinguished Leadership Award for an Elected Official" for its commitments to the Capital Area Bikeshare Programs
  • Alexandria wins the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY 2013 Budget by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  •  November 2012 -- Alexandria wins Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting Award from the Salt Institute for excellence in environmental consciousness and effective management in the storage of winter road salt
  • October 2012 – Alexandria named one of ten " Top 10 Downtowns" by Livability.com
  •  November 2012-- Alexandria's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program received an excellence in service award from the Washington Baltimore HIDTA program
  • September 2012 – Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) received the 2012 Alexandria Beautification Awards
  • June 2012 – Alexandria, as host jurisdiction, and its regional partners were awarded "Best Government Initiative" by the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) for establishment of the first ever Northern Virginia Housing Expo
  • June 2012 -- The Alexandria Community Services Board (of DCHS) received the Unsung Heroes Award from the Virginia Health Care Foundation for their collaboration with Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services and the Arlington Community Services Board in New Lease on Life, an initiative that provides basic medical care and related prescriptions to uninsured persons with serious mental illness
  • May 2012 – Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the City's FY 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  • May 2012 – Bookseller Amazon.com named Alexandria the most well-read City in America.
  • January 2012-- For the fifth consecutive year, the City of Alexandria was named one of the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" by the America's Promise Alliance
  • January 2012 – Alexandria is recognized by the Center for Digital Government's Digital Cities Awards as the eighth place "Top Digital City" of its size. The City was named first place "Top Digital City" of its size in 2006; third place in 2007 and 2011; fourth place in 2005, 2008, and 2009; and sixth place in 2010.

2011

  • Alexandria wins the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the Fiscal Year 2012 budget by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  • The City of Alexandria is named a "Tree City USA" community by the National Arbor Day Foundation, an honor that the City has received consecutively since 1982
  • Alexandria Wins American Council of Engineering Companies' Virginia Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the City's program to reduce inflow and infiltration in its sewer systems
  • Alexandria was named as finalist for the 2011 Capital Financing and Debt Administration Excellence Award, Government Finance Officials Association
  • October 2011 -- City of Alexandria's King Street named one of 10 "Great Streets" of 2011 by American Planning Association
  • October 2011-- Alexandria's Opioid Treatment Program received a 3-year accreditation from CARF with no recommendations, a distinction achieved by only 3% of the programs that CARF surveys annually
  • October 2011 -- City of Alexandria awarded Virginia Municipal League Platinum Level Green Government Certification for 2011
  • September 2011 -- City of Alexandria recognized at the Silver Level as a Walk Friendly Community, by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
  • July 2011 ­-- City of Alexandria and other members of a Northern Virginia partnership received a Special Achievement in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Award from the Environmental Systems Research Institute
  • June 2011 – Alexandria Health Department awarded the annual Dr. Neil Lowry Memorial Award by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals for the best aquatic health program in the United States
  • June 2011 -- City of Alexandria received Honorable Mention in U.S. Conference of Mayors' City Livability Awards for its Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria Initiative
  • May 2011 – Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the City's FY 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  • February 2011 -- Alexandria selected as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
  • March 2011 -- Alexandria honored with "Sunny Award" for one of the best local government websites, which exceeds transparency standards
  • January 2011 - Alexandria is named the most generous city for the third year in a row, according to Convio's "Most Generous Online Cities" report
  • January 2011 – Alexandria named third place "Top Digital City" of its size by the Center for Digital Government.

2010

  • Alexandria wins the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY 2011 Budget by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  • The City of Alexandria is named a "Tree City USA" community by the National Arbor Day Foundation, an honor that the City has received consecutively since 1982.
  • November 2010 -- National League of Cities, Center for Digital Government, and Government Technology Magazine Rank City of Alexandria 6th of the Top 10 Digital Cities (Population 125,000 - 249,999)  
  • October 2010 -- City of Alexandria was honored by ICLEI--Local Governments for Sustainability with a milestone award for completing a GHG Emissions Inventory and Setting Sustainability Improvement Goals
  • October 2010 -- City of Alexandria's Station at Potomac Yard receives an Achievement Award (for cities with a population over 90,000) from the Virginia Municipal League
  • October 2010 -- The City's mentoring program for girls, A Space of Her Own ( SOHO) receives an NAACP Community Service Award from the organization's Alexandria branch
  • October 2010 – Alexandria was recognized by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for being the first Virginia locality to complete the acquisition, rehabilitation and resale process of a home through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program
  • September 2010 -- Alexandria named one of the Nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People  
  • August 2010 – Money magazine ranked Alexandria one of the Best Places to Live among small cities
  • June 2010 -- City of Alexandria receives Honorable Mention in U.S. Conference of Mayors' City Livability Awards for its Eco-City Alexandria Initiative
  • June 2010 – Alexandria Wins Housing and Non Profit Developers 2010 Achievement Award for Innovation
  • May 2010 -- City of Alexandria voted Third Best Arts Destination Among Mid-Size Cities by AmericanStyle magazine readers, up from 11th place in 2009. Alexandria is consistently ranked among the Top 25 Arts Destinations in AmericanStyle's annual poll
  • May 2010 – City Earns Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the FY 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
  • February 2010 -- City of Alexandria Ranked #1 for Online Charitable Giving in 2009  
  • January 2010 – Alexandria places sixth for the ranking of "Top Digital City" of its size by the Center for Digital Government.
  • January 2010 – Alexandria's Uptown-Parker-Gray Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

2009

  • New Geography.com Names the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division) One of the Nation's Best Cities for Job Growth (ranked #76)
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Area Named One of the Top 361 U.S. Metropolitan Areas by Kiplinger Personal Finance in Best Cities: It's All About Jobs  
  • The City of Alexandria is named a "Tree City USA" community by the National Arbor Day Foundation, an honor that the City has received consecutively since 1982.
  • Alexandria is a finalist in Affordable Housing Finance 2009 Reader's Choice Award in the Master Planned/Mixed Use category
  • December 2009 -- City of Alexandria recognized as American City and County Crown Community for Charles Houston Recreation Center Project  
  • November 2009 -- National League of Cities, Center for Digital Government, and Government Technology Magazine Rank City of Alexandria 4th of the Top 10 Digital Cities (Population 125,000 - 249,999)  
  • October 2009 -- City of Alexandria Achieves Platinum Certification in the Virginia Municipal League's Go Green Government Challenge  
  • October 2009 – Fire Chief magazine Selects the City of Alexandria's Fire Station #209 for Bronze Award Recognizing Achievement in Fire Station Design
  • October 2009 – City of Alexandria Named a Co-Recipient of Freedom of Information Award Sponsored by Virginia Coalition for Open Government  
  • October 2009 – City of Alexandria Wins Virginia Municipal League's Communications Achievement Award
  • July 2009 – Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy Wins National Health Information Award  
  • July 2009 – Alexandria Receives Top Honor as "America's Most Improved Driving City" from the Allstate Insurance Company
  • July 2009 – City of Alexandria Receives Green Innovation Award from Virginia Sustainable Building Network  
  • May 2009 – Alexandria Named as a Bicycle-Friendly Community (Bronze Level) by the League of American Bicyclists  
  • May 2009 – "Priorities for a Growing Region," a survey conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, indicated that 91% of Alexandria residents rated the Washington D.C. region as an "excellent" or "good" place to live
  • April 2009 -- City of Alexandria was named as a finalist in the National Organization on Disability's (NOD) Accessible America Competition, recognizing communities that made extraordinary efforts to create an accessible environment for people with disabilities
  • April 2009 – Bureau of Economic Analysis Ranks City of Alexandria 12th in Per Capita Personal Income  
  • February 2009 - American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Names Washington-Arlington-Alexandria #2 of the Mega Metros Top Ten Heart Friendly Cities  
  • January 2009 – Alexandria Named Second Among the Top 10 Cities for Single Women by SingleMindedWomen.com.  
  • January 2009 – Alexandria is recognized by the Center for Digital Government as the fourth place "Top Digital City" of its size.