This study aims to explore an evolutionary path of the IT service industry in Fairfax County using the Cluster Adaptive Cycle model in economic geography. The analysis is based on detailed historical and industrial information obtained through a variety of data sources including local archival materials, economic census, and interviews. This study also performs a shift-share analysis during the period of 1990 to 2011. Using the adaptive cycle model, the local IT service industry is indicated by a trajectory of constant cluster mutation. The evolution of the local IT service industry has been closely related to federal government policy due to the regional specificity of the National Capital Region and the proximity of the Department of Defense. Although the economic downturn of the late 2000s, the local IT service industry has been notable resilience and adapted to a changing market and technological environment. This constant mutation of the local industry is resulted from not only high resilience which is based on the large government procurement market, the reinforcement of adaptive capacity of the local firms and the network of economic agents such as firm and supporting institutions, but also high flexibility of the knowledge-based service industry to a changing business environment.