Centreville is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 73,518 as of the 2020 census.
Centreville is approximately west of Washington, D.C.
History
Colonial period
Beginning in the 1760s, the area was known as Newgate due to the popularity of the conveniently located Newgate tavern. William Carr Lane operated the tavern and was co-proprietor of a nearby store with James Lane, Jr. The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a
London prison. The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association. Another reason for it being named Newgate, was the fact that it was a "new gate" to the western territories.
Federal period
The town of Centerville (shortly thereafter spelled Centreville) was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...
in response to petitions by local landowners. The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
and centrally located to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
,
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
,
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
,
Middleburg, George Town (later
Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later
Warrenton), and
Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children. At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. Loudoun County's seat is Leesburg. Loudoun C ...
, and became part of
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
, in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.
Town development established a pattern of mixed residential and commercial use. Frame houses, several taverns, stores, blacksmith shops, tanyards, and a school house were constructed on the 1/2-acre town lots.
American Civil War
In the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, several battles were fought nearby including the
First Battle of Manassas
The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas , the
Second Battle of Manassas
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
, and the
Battle of Chantilly
The Battle of Chantilly (or Ox Hill, the Confederate name) took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's corps ...
. During the winter of 1861 and early 1862 the town was significantly fortified by the Confederacy and served as a supply depot for both sides at various points in the war, and is famous for being the site of the construction of the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use, the
Centreville Military Railroad
The Centreville Military Railroad was a spur running from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad east of Manassas Junction across Bull Run and up the south side of the Centreville Plateau. Built by the Confederate States Army between November 1861 ...
. Centreville was of significant strategic value due to its proximity to several important roads, while its position atop a high ridge provided a commanding view of the surrounding area. The town was frequently associated with
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
John S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby (December 6, 1833 – May 30, 1916), also known by his nickname "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate army cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War. His command, the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, known as Mosby's ...
, whose partisan rangers used its hillsides and farms as a base of operations, leading to the sobriquet "Mosby's Confederacy".
Modern
In 1943, Centreville was a small town. As in much of Northern Virginia, Centreville experienced sustained population growth in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2021, the town has grown significantly. There are numerous shopping centers built around the town center.
Geography
Centreville is located at (38.842470, −77.442621).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
(2010), the CDP has a total area of 12.04 square miles (31.2 km
2), 99% of it land.
Climate
Like Washington D.C., Centreville features a mid-latitude, four seasons version of the
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfa''), typical of the
Mid-Atlantic region, including strong
hot-summer humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Dfa'') influences under the
Köppen system. Winters are chilly and damp, with frost at night and some snow, while summers are hot and wet, with subtropical temperatures although these temperatures are hardly more bearable than in
the south.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census,
there is a population of 71,135 people and 25,516 households in the CDP. The population density was 5,908/sq mi people per square mile (2,281/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 57.0% White, 25.7% Asian, 13.4% Non-White Hispanic, 7.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 4.4% from
two or more races
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...
.
According to the 2000 census, there were 21,789 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 43.7% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $87,932, and the median income for a family was $105,803. Males had a median income of $70,123 versus $41,117 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $40,878. About 2.0% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Centreville is served by three major roads.
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington me ...
, the main artery through the town, enters Centreville from the west.
Virginia Route 28
State Route 28 (SR 28) in the U.S. state of Virginia is a primary state highway that traverses the counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier in the U.S. state of Virginia. The route serves as a major artery in the Northern Vir ...
enters from the south and interchanges with U.S. Route 29 in between Centreville's two main shopping centers.
SR 620 (Braddock Road) has several stretches of pavement in Centreville.
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 (I-66) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It runs from an interchange with I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its western end to an interchange with U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Washingt ...
comes from the south-west and interchanges with both routes before heading toward Washington, D.C. in the east or western Virginia. The three roads are part of an interesting, if not frustrating traffic pattern. Drivers heading north on SR 28 are able to exit onto Interstate 66 eastbound, but they must use a one-mile (1.6 km) stretch of US 29 to access the westbound side of the Interstate. Likewise, eastbound Interstate 66's Exit 53 only provides access to SR 28 northbound; one must use Exit 52 and the same stretch of US 29 to reach SR 28 south.
The area is served by several Fairfax Connector bus routes connecting to the Metrorail system: 640, 641, 642.
Notable people
*
Corbyn Besson
Why Don't We, shortened to WDW, are an American boy band consisting of Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron. They were formed in 2016 and have released two studio albums and six extended plays.
History 2016–2 ...
, Popular singer, member of the band Why Don't We, graduate of Centreville High School.
*
Chris Beatty
Christopher Beatty (born June 19, 1973) is an American football assistant coach. Beatty is currently the wide receivers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers football team. Beatty was formerly a professional football player in the Canadian Footb ...
, American football coach
*
Jayson Blair
Jayson Thomas Blair (born March 23, 1976) is an American former journalist who worked for ''The New York Times''. He resigned from the newspaper in May 2003 in the wake of the discovery of fabrication and plagiarism in his stories.
Blair publis ...
, former ''New York Times'' journalist accused of plagiarism; attended
Centreville High School
*
David L. Brewer III, retired U.S. Navy admiral and former superintendent of the
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...
*
Adam Cullen
Adam Frederick Cullen (9 October 1965 – 28 July 2012) was an Australian artist, most known for winning the Archibald Prize in 2000 with a portrait of actor David Wenham. He was also known for his controversial subjects and his distincti ...
, aka "Library James," beloved
librarian
A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users.
The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...
with only half his life left to live. Founder of the original ghet.
*
Mike Glennon
Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...
, American football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
*
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon (born September 5, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Glennon, was named the starter following the dismissal of Marcus Vick and held that job until being replaced by Tyrod T ...
, former American football player for Virginia Tech
*
Abul Hussam
Abul Hussam is the inventor of the Sono arsenic filter. He is a chemistry professor at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia, and a member of advisory board at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
Life and career
Huss ...
, inventor of the
SONO™ arsenic filter and winner of the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
2007
Grainger Challenge The Grainger challenge is a scientific competition to find an economical way to remove arsenic from arsenic-contaminated groundwater. This competition is being funded by the United States National Academy of Engineering and the Grainger Foundation ...
Prize Gold Award
*
George Juskalian, decorated U.S. Army officer and veteran of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War
*
S.C. Megale
S. C. Megale (born Shea Coline Megale; June 13, 1995) is an American novelist and screenwriter, who frequently works in the young adult fiction, science fiction, and fantasy genres. She is best known for the novel ''This Is Not a Love Scene''.
...
, author and screenwriter
*
Will Montgomery
Will Montgomery (born February 13, 1983) is a former American football center that played ten seasons in National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
football player; graduate of Centreville High School
*
Dustin Pague
Dustin William Pague (born August 5, 1987) is a former American mixed martial artist who most recently fought in the Bantamweight division of the UFC. He was a competitor on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, and h ...
, professional mixed martial artist
*
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, American rapper and actor; attended Centreville High School for one year.
*
Eddie Royal
William Edward "Eddie" Royal (born May 21, 1986) is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist . He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech ...
, wide receiver for the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
; graduated from Westfield High School
*
Scott Secules
Thomas Wescott Secules (born November 8, 1964) is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He played college football at t ...
, NFL football player
*
Brandon Snyder
Brandon Roger Snyder (born November 23, 1986) is an American professional baseball coach and former utility player. Since August 2021, he has been the bullpen catcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously pla ...
,
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
1st round draft pick in 2005 by the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
; attended Westfield High School
*
Ormond Stone
Ormond Stone (January 11, 1847 – January 17, 1933), was an American astronomer, mathematician and educator. He was the director of Cincinnati Observatory and subsequently the first director of the McCormick Observatory at the University ...
, astronomer, mathematician, and educator who founded the
Fairfax County Public Library
The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is a public library system headquartered in Suite 324 of The Fairfax County Government Center in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings ...
*
Richard Taylor, professional American football player
*
William J. Thaler, experimental physicist
*
Don Warren
Donald James Warren (born May 5, 1956) is a retired American football scout and former tight end who played his entire 14-year career with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by them in the fourth round ...
, former professional American football player
*
Sebra Yen, figure skater
*
Helon Habila
Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November 1967) is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in 2001. He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in 2002 to England, where he was a C ...
, professor and author
*
Megan Ambuhl
Megan Ambuhl (born ), is a former United States Army Reserve soldier who was convicted of dereliction of duty for her role in the prisoner abuse that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison, a notorious prison in Baghdad during the United States' occupatio ...
, corrupt US Army soldier
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Residents of Centreville are zoned to schools in the
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system (FCPS) is a school division in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. FCPS's headqu ...
.
Centreville has two middle schools,
Liberty Middle School and
Ormond Stone Middle School. Some Centreville middle school students also go to
Rocky Run Middle School
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...
.
Centreville High School, which is located within the postal boundaries of
Clifton
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
* Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
*Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
*Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
*Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
, serves much of Centreville. Some of Centreville is served by
Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School is a public high school in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.
History
Chantilly was originally built in 1972 with open c ...
and by
Westfield High School Westfield High School may refer to:
* The Westfield School, Perry, Georgia
* Westfield High School (Westfield, Indiana)
* Westfield High School (Massachusetts), Westfield, Massachusetts
* Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield, Massachusetts
* West ...
, the latter opening in 2000. Both Chantilly High School and Westfield High School are located in
Chantilly
Chantilly may refer to:
Places
France
*Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department
**US Chantilly, a football club
*Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly
United States
* Chantilly, Missou ...
.
The only high school still within Centreville proper is
Mountain View Alternative High School
Mountain View Alternative High School is a public alternative high school in the unincorporated community of Centreville, Virginia, United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools.
Mountain View is one of two alternative high schools o ...
. It occupies the building formerly used by Centreville Elementary School.
Although a
Loudoun County school, Cardinal Ridge Elementary has a Centreville address.
Public libraries
Fairfax County Public Library
The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is a public library system headquartered in Suite 324 of The Fairfax County Government Center in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings ...
operates the Centreville Regional Library in the CDP.
[Centreville CDP, Virginia]
" U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
Nearby towns, communities, etc.
*
Chantilly
Chantilly may refer to:
Places
France
*Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department
**US Chantilly, a football club
*Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly
United States
* Chantilly, Missou ...
-
South Riding (1 mile NW)
*
Clifton
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
* Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
*Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
*Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
*Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
(5 miles SE)
* Oakton
*
Fair Lakes (4.5 miles E)
*
Manassas (6 miles S)
Notes
External links
Why is it named Centreville?
References
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Fairfax County, Virginia
Census-designated places in Virginia
Washington metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1792
1792 establishments in Virginia