Best Web Design in Manassas, VA (2026)

Web Design for Manassas, Virginia

Manassas is an independent city in Northern Virginia about 30 miles from Washington, D.C., that grew from a Civil War railroad junction into a diverse tech and aviation hub. It was the site of two pivotal Civil War battles, the First and Second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run), and today balances a preserved Old Town with semiconductor and aerospace industry. Its motto, 'Historic Heart, Modern Beat,' captures the contrast.

AppWT works with Manassas, VA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Manassas

Also known as. Manassas Junction (historic railroad name). Historic Heart, Modern Beat (official motto).

History. The settlement grew around Manassas Junction, where the Orange & Alexandria Railroad met the Manassas Gap Railroad; a post office and railroad stop were established around 1851-1852. The First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) on July 21, 1861 was the first major land battle of the Civil War, where Thomas J. Jackson earned the nickname 'Stonewall'; the Second Battle followed in August 1862. Incorporated as a town in 1873, Manassas became the seat of Prince William County in 1894 and achieved independent-city status in 1975. In 1911 the town hosted a Peace Jubilee reuniting Union and Confederate veterans, at which President William Howard Taft delivered a commemorative address. The city grew from just 361 residents in 1880 to 42,772 by 2020.

Local economy. Micron Technology operates a major semiconductor manufacturing plant employing roughly 1,650 people, backed by a multibillion-dollar expansion announced in 2018. Lockheed Martin employs about 1,500 people in the city. Novant / Prince William health system is a major employer with roughly 1,400 workers. Manassas Regional Airport is the busiest general-aviation airport in Virginia, home to hundreds of aircraft and dozens of aviation businesses. The city is a net employment importer: a large majority of its workers commute in from surrounding areas.

Culture and community. First Friday festivals bring art, music, and themed events to Old Town on the first Friday of each month. The Harris Pavilion in Old Town hosts free summer concerts, a Thursday farmers market, and winter ice skating. The ARTfactory arts center occupies the historic Hopkins Candy Factory building, offering galleries, theater, and classes. The city is highly diverse, with roughly 43% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino as of 2020. Notable people connected to Manassas include Danica Roem (the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a U.S. state legislature) and NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, who attended Osbourn Park High School. Stephen Stills named his 1972 band and album 'Manassas' after the town, and its train station appeared on the album cover.

What makes Manassas distinct. The city is almost entirely a post-Civil War creation; there was little there before the railroad, and the famous battles took their name from the junction rather than an established town. The origin of the name 'Manassas' is disputed, with one tradition attributing it to a Jewish innkeeper named Manasseh at nearby Manassas Gap, and another tracing it to Native American roots. Although Manassas is the seat of Prince William County, as an independent city it is not actually part of the county government. Annaburg Manor is credited with pioneering mechanical air conditioning decades before it became common.

Manassas Landmarks and Local Life

• Manassas National Battlefield Park - established in 1940, preserving the two Bull Run battlefields
• The Manassas Museum and historic Old Town district.
• Liberia House - a Federal-style brick plantation home built in 1825
• Mayfield Fort - one of the surviving Civil War earthwork forts built to defend the rail junction
• Annaburg Manor - an 1892 mansion believed to have had one of America's earliest mechanical air-conditioning systems
• The Jennie Dean Memorial on the site of the former Manassas Industrial School - honoring the formerly enslaved woman who founded it