Falls Church is an independent city six miles from the nation's capital. This proximity has been a major influence on its development, especially over the last century. Falls Church City is small in area (2.2 square miles) and population (14,000), but its heritage dates back to the late 1600's when it was an early colonial settlement. Falls Church was incorporated as a town in 1875 and as an independent City in 1948, led by parents determined to improve the quality of local schools. Today the City operates under the Council-Manager form of government expressed within the provisions of the City Charter adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1950.