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is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.
The population was 40,745 according to the 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the county seat of Albemarle County though the two are separate legal entities. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes, bringing the total population to 118,398. The city is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area which includes Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties.
In 2004, Charlottesville was ranked the best place to live in the United States in the book
by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander. Sperling and Sander ranked the cities based on cost of living, climate, and quality of life. Charlottesville is best known as the home to three U.S. Presidents (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe), as well as the home of the University of Virginia. The city is also known for Jefferson's Monticello, his renowned mountain-top home which attracts approximately half a million tourists every year.
Charlottesville is served by the Charlottesville City Public Schools. The school system operates six elementary schools, Buford Middle School, and Charlottesville High School. It operated Lane High School jointly with Albemarle County from 1940-1974, when it was replaced by Charlottesville High School.
Charlottesville also has the following private schools, some attended by students from Albemarle county and surrounding areas:
City children also attend several private schools in the surrounding county.