Falls Church, officially the City of Falls Church, is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. Falls Church is included in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within Fairfax County in 1875. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status. It is also referred to as Falls Church City.