Loudoun County, Virginia
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Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the
Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Leesburg. Loudoun County is part of the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2023, Loudoun County had a
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
of $156,821, the highest of any county or county equivalent in the nation. __TOC__


History


18th century

Loudoun County was established in 1757 from Fairfax County. The county is named for John Campbell, Fourth Earl of Loudoun and governor general of Virginia from 1756 to 1759. Western settlement began in the 1720s and 1730s with
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
, Scots-Irish,
Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
and others moving south from
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, and also by English and enslaved Africans moving upriver from Tidewater. By the time of the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, Loudoun County was Virginia's most populous county. It was also rich in agriculture, and the county's contributions of grain to
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
's
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
earned it the nickname " Breadbasket of the Revolution."


19th century

During the War of 1812, important federal documents and government archives were evacuated from Washington and stored at Leesburg. Local tradition holds that these documents were stored at Rokeby House. U.S. president James Monroe treated Oak Hill Plantation as a primary residence from 1823 until his death on July 4, 1831. The Loudoun County coat of arms and flag, granted by the English
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
, memorialize the special relationship between Britain and the United States that developed through his Monroe Doctrine. The
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
divided the county, which also saw fighting because of its strategic location (for a more in-depth account of the history of Loudoun County during the Civil War, see Loudoun County in the American Civil War). Both of Loudoun County's representatives to the Virginia Secession Convention in April 1861 favored continued Union. Moreover, fellow delegates elected John Janney, a former Quaker and slave owner, to preside over that assembly, which ultimately voted to secede, as would Loudoun voters. In addition to Confederate cavalry and infantry units formed within the county, other Loudoun residents traveled to Maryland to join federal-oriented cavalry and border guard units. The Battle of Ball's Bluff took place near Leesburg on October 21, 1861. Future jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was critically wounded in that battle along the
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
. Leesburg was occupied by Union troops in the spring of 1862 and months later recaptured by Confederates after the federals withdrew. Confederate partisan John S. Mosby based his operations in Loudoun and adjoining Fauquier County. During the Gettysburg Campaign in June 1863, Confederate major general J.E.B. Stuart and Union
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
clashed in the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. By December 1863, Loudoun was held by Union forces, and was among the nine counties which elected delegates to the Virginia General Assembly at Alexandria. Loudoun voters elected and re-elected John J. Henshaw and J. Madison Downey as their representatives to that body, and fellow delegates elected Downey as their Speaker. Loudoun voters elected and re-elected William F. Mercer to the upper body of that version of the Virginia General Assembly, and elected him to the Virginia Senate in the 1865-1867 session. They elected former delegates R.M. Bentley and William Hill Gray as their (part-time) delegates in the lower house in that session.


20th century

During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Loudoun County was a major breadbasket for supplying provisions to soldiers in Europe. Loudoun farmers implemented new agricultural innovations such as
vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
of
livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
, seed inoculations and ensilage. The county experienced a boom in agricultural output, outputting an annual
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
output of 1.04 million bushels in 1917, the largest of any county in Virginia that year. 1.2 million units of home produce were produced at home, much of which went to training sites across the state such as Camp Lee. The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 established increased agricultural education in Virginia counties, increasing agricultural yields. After the war, a plaque was dedicated to the "30 glorious dead" from the county who died in the Great War. Five of the thirty died on the front, while the other twenty five died while in training or in other locations inside the United States. In 1962, Washington Dulles International Airport was built in southeastern Loudoun County in Sterling. Since then, Loudoun County has experienced a high-tech boom and rapid growth. Accordingly, many have moved to eastern Loudoun and become residents of planned communities such as Sterling Park, Sugarland Run, Cascades, Ashburn Village, and Ashburn Farm, making that section a veritable part of the Washington suburbs. Others have moved to the county seat or to the small towns and rural communities of the Loudoun Valley, which makes up the majority of the county's area.


Government and politics

Between 1952 and 2008, Loudoun was a Republican-leaning county. However, this has changed in recent years with Democrats winning Loudoun in all statewide campaigns after Republicans narrowly carried it in
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
. As of the 2023 elections, Democrats hold a 7 to 2 majority on the Board of Supervisors and a 6 to 3 majority on the School Board, but Republicans hold all five countywide elected constitutional offices (Clerk of the Circuit Court, Commissioner of the Revenue, Commonwealth's Attorney,
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
, and Treasurer). This makes Loudoun County a reliable state
bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...
, having voted for every statewide presidential election winner since 1932. The county's official motto, ''I Byde My Time'', is borrowed from the
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of the Earl of Loudoun. In the mid to late 20th century, as northerners gradually migrated to Southern suburbs, Loudoun County increasingly shifted to the Republican Party in supporting presidential candidates, and more local ones. Before the 2008 election of
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, county voters had not supported a Democratic president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In recent years, the county's rapid suburban growth in its eastern portion, settled by educated professionals working in or near Washington, D.C., has changed the demographics of the county, and the Democratic Party has become increasingly competitive. After giving Senator
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
nearly 54% of its presidential vote in 2008, the county supported Republican Bob McDonnell in 2009, who received 61% of the gubernatorial vote. Voters also replaced two incumbent Democratic delegates, making Loudoun's state House delegation all Republican. In 2012 county voters again supported Obama, who took 51.5% of the vote, with Republican challenger Mitt Romney garnering 47%. Democrats have won the county in every presidential election since 2008. In 2020,
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
won 61.5% to
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's 36.5%, the best result in the county's history since 1964. A year later, in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election, Democratic nominee and former Governor Terry McAuliffe won the county with 55.3% to now Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's 44.2%. Loudoun was one of ten counties that was won by McAuliffe, though it was his smallest margin of victory in Northern Virginia. In 2024,
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
won 56% to Donald Trump's 40%.


County Board of Supervisors

Like many counties in Virginia, Loudoun is locally governed by a board of supervisors, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The chairman of the board is elected by county voters
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
while the remaining supervisors are elected from eight single-member districts roughly equal in population. All nine members serve concurrent terms of four years. The board handles policy and land use issues and sets the budget; it appoints a county administrator to handle the county government's day-to-day operations. As of the 2023 elections, the chairman of the board and six district supervisors are Democrats; the remaining two supervisors are Republicans. The Board's current Chair, Phyllis Randall, became the first person of color in Virginia's history to be an elected chair of a county board when she was elected Chair-at-Large in 2015. In November 2019, Democrats took over the Board of Supervisors. Voters elected Juli E. Briskman (D) in Algonkian District, with 6,763 votes (54.09%) replacing incumbent Suzanne M. Volpe (R) who polled 5,719 votes (45.74%). Juli Briskman had been fired from her job as a marketing analyst for a
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
and
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
subcontractor, after an AFP photo of her flipping off the motorcade of Donald Trump went viral on social media in 2017.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Loudoun County has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. It is bounded on the north by the
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
; across the river are Frederick, Washington and Montgomery counties in Maryland; it is bounded on the south by Prince William and Fauquier counties, on the west by the watershed of the Blue Ridge Mountain across which are Jefferson County,
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
and Clarke County, and on the east by Fairfax County. The Bull Run Mountains and
Catoctin Mountain Catoctin Mountain, along with the geologically associated Bull Run Mountains, forms the easternmost mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountains range. The ridge runs northeast–southwest for ...
bisect the county. To the west of the range is the Loudoun Valley. Bisecting the Loudoun Valley from Hillsboro to the
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
is Short Hill Mountain.


Adjacent counties


National protected area

* Harpers Ferry National Historical Park


Economy

Traditionally a
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
county, Loudoun's population has grown dramatically since the 1980s. Having undergone heavy suburbanization since 1990, Loudoun has a full-fledged service economy. It is home to world headquarters for several Internet-related and
high tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the state of the art, cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the ...
companies, including Verizon Business, Telos Corporation, and Orbital Sciences Corporation. Like Fairfax County's Dulles Corridor, Loudoun County has economically benefited from Washington Dulles International Airport, the majority of which is in the county along its border with Fairfax. Loudoun County retains a strong rural economy. The equine industry has an estimated revenue of $78 million. It is home to the Morven Park International Equestrian Center which hosts national horse trials. In addition, a growing wine industry has produced several internationally recognized wines. Loudoun County now has 40 wineries and over 25 active farms. Loudoun has rich soil and was in the mid-19th century a top
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
-producing county in the fourth largest wheat-producing state. MCI, Inc. (formerly WorldCom), a
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...
of Verizon Communications, is headquartered in Ashburn, Loudoun County. It announced it would move its headquarters to Ashburn in 2003. AOL had its headquarters at 22000 AOL Way in Dulles in unincorporated Loudoun County. In 2007 AOL announced it would move its headquarters from Loudoun County to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
; it would continue to operate its Virginia offices. Orbital Sciences Corporation has its headquarters in Dulles. Loudoun County houses over 60 massive data centers, many of which correspond to
Amazon Web Services Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon that provides Software as a service, on-demand cloud computing computing platform, platforms and Application programming interface, APIs to individuals, companies, and gover ...
's (AWS) us-east-1 region. These data centers are estimated to carry 70 percent of global web traffic. Loudoun County's "Data Center Ally" is the world's largest concentration of data centers with over 25 million square feet of data centers.
Before its dissolution, Independence Air (originally Atlantic Coast Airlines) was headquartered in Dulles. At one time Atlantic Coast Airlines had its headquarters in Sterling. Before its dissolution, MAXjet Airways was headquartered on the grounds of Washington-Dulles International Airport.


Top employers

According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers in the county are:


Demographics

From 1890 to 1940, the county had a decline in population as people moved to cities for more opportunities. The decline was likely highest among
African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...
, who had worked in an agricultural economy that was becoming increasingly mechanized. During the first half of the 20th century, African Americans moved out of rural areas to cities in the Great Migration. In the 21st century, African Americans now form a proportionally much smaller portion of the county's population than they once did, and the
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
and Asian populations of the county outnumber them significantly.


2020 census


2000 to 2019

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 312,311 people, 104,583 households, and 80,494 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 109,442 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was: * 68.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
* 14.7% Asian (7.90% Indian, 1.74% Filipino, 1.61% Chinese, 1.34% Korean, 1.22% Vietnamese, 1.09%
Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
) * 7.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
* 0.3% Native American * 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
* 4.9% of some other race * 4.0% of two or more races * 12.4% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race (3.4% Salvadoran, 1.8% Mexican, 1.3% Peruvian, 0.9% Puerto Rican, 0.6% Honduran, 0.6% Bolivian, 0.5% Guatemalan, 0.5% Colombian) According to the 2010 census, 10.5% of residents reported being of German ancestry, while 9.1% reported Irish, 7.7% English, 5.4% Italian and 5.2% American ancestry. The most spoken languages other than English in Loudoun County as of 2018 were Spanish, spoken by 10.8% of the population, and Telugu, spoken by 2.8% of the population. Almost 25% of Loudoun County residents were born outside of the United States, with the largest number of foreign-born residents being from
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, and
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. As of 2000, there were 59,900 households, out of which 43.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.30% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 18.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.24. In the county, 29.80% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.70% was from 18 to 24, 38.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 5.60% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males. In 2011, census survey data concluded that Loudoun County had the highest median income in the country at $119,134. From 1980 to 2014, deaths from
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
in Loudoun County decreased by 46 percent, the largest such decrease of any county in the United States. From 2017 to 2018, Loudoun County saw an increase of 18.5% of households experiencing homelessness, a 21% increase for single adults, and a 36% increase for families. Homelessness for veterans in the county decreased by 16% from 2017 to 2018.


Government and infrastructure

The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Ashburn Aviation Field Office in Ashburn, an
unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
of Loudoun County. The
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
's Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, the second-busiest facility of its kind in the nation, is located in Leesburg. Emergency services are provided by the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System with the Office of Emergency Management. LC-CFRS is a combination system that utilizes some 500 volunteers and over 600 career firefighters, EMT/paramedics, dispatchers, and support staff. LCFR is one of the largest fire and rescue systems in Virginia. Law enforcement in Loudoun County is provided by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, which is Virginia's largest sheriff's office, as well as three town police departments: Leesburg Police Department, Leesburg Police, Purcellville, Virginia, Purcellville Police, and Middleburg, Virginia, Middleburg Police. The county's Highway, highways are also patrolled by Virginia State Police troopers. Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport and the Virginia State Route 267, Dulles Toll Road are patrolled by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department. The Loudoun County Public Library System has eleven branches in the county. The library's Outreach Department of the Loudoun County Public Library is a resource for those who cannot easily access branch services. The public library system has won several awards, including 10th place for libraries serving a comparably sized population in 2006 Loudoun County is one of the counties in Virginia that elects to cover their employees in the Virginia Mortgage Assistance Program (VMAP). The program is designed to make housing more affordable for civil service workers in Virginia.


Transportation


Airports

Loudoun County has two airports: Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington Dulles International and Leesburg Executive Airport, Leesburg Executive.


Bus

Loudoun County operates its own bus public transit system, known as Loudoun County Commuter Bus, Loudoun County Transit.


Rail

The Silver Line (Washington Metro), Silver Line of the Washington Metro provides service at the Dulles International Airport (WMATA station), Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway station, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn station (Washington Metro), Ashburn stations.


Major highways


Education

The county is served by Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). LCPS serves over 70,000 students from kindergarten through Twelfth grade, 12th grade and is Virginia's fifth largest school system. Loudoun County schools recently ranked 11th in the United States in terms of educational achievement versus funds spent. Loudoun County also sends students to its Loudoun Academy of Science, formerly housed within Dominion High School now within the Academies of Loudoun, and is eligible to send students to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM magnet school in Alexandria, Virginia. Loudoun County is home to ten private schools: Loudoun Country Day School, a Pre-K–8 independent school in Leesburg; Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg, Virginia), Notre Dame Academy, an independent non-denominational day high school in Middleburg, Virginia, Middleburg; Evergreen Christian School, a private high school near Leesburg; the Foxcroft School, a boarding school for girls located in Middleburg; Dominion Academy, a Non-denominational Christian school, K–8 in Leesburg; Loudoun Classical School, a Protestant classical 7th-12th grade school in Purcellville; St. Theresa School, a K–8 Roman Catholic school in Ashburn; Village Montessori School at Bluemont, an accredited Pre-K through Elementary Montessori school in Bluemont; Christian Faith & Fellowship School, a PreK–12 non-denominational Christian school and Loudoun County's only private school accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International; and Loudoun School for Advanced Studies (formerly the Ideal Schools High School,) an independent non-denominational school in Ashburn. In terms of post-secondary education, Loudoun County is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including: Patrick Henry College, a private Christian college; Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling (branch campus); George Washington University (satellite campus); George Mason University (satellite campus); Marymount University (satellite campus); Shenandoah University (satellite campus); and Strayer University (satellite campus). Loudoun is also home to a satellite campus of the Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and the Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.


Communities


Towns

* Hamilton, Virginia, Hamilton * Hillsboro * Leesburg (county seat) * Lovettsville, Virginia, Lovettsville * Middleburg, Virginia, Middleburg * Purcellville, Virginia, Purcellville * Round Hill, Loudoun County, Virginia, Round Hill


Census-designated places

* Aldie, Virginia, Aldie * Arcola, Virginia, Arcola * Ashburn * Belmont, Virginia, Belmont * Brambleton, Virginia, Brambleton * Broadlands, Virginia, Broadlands * Cascades, Virginia, Cascades * Countryside, Virginia, Countryside * Dulles Town Center, Virginia, Dulles Town Center * Goose Creek Village, Virginia, Goose Creek Village * Kincora, Virginia, Kincora * Lansdowne, Virginia, Lansdowne * Loudoun Valley Estates, Virginia, Loudoun Valley Estates * Lowes Island, Virginia, Lowes Island * Moorefield Station, Virginia, Moorefield * Oak Grove, Loudoun County, Virginia, Oak Grove * One Loudoun * South Riding, Virginia, South Riding * Sterling * Stone Ridge, Virginia, Stone Ridge * Sugarland Run * University Center, Virginia, University Center * Waterford, Virginia, Waterford


Other unincorporated communities

* Airmont, Virginia, Airmont * Bloomfield, Virginia, Bloomfield * Bluemont, Virginia, Bluemont * Britain, Virginia, Britain * Conklin, Virginia, Conklin * Dover, Virginia, Dover * Dulles * Elvan, Virginia, Elvan * Eubanks, Virginia, Eubanks * Georges Mill, Virginia, Georges Mill * Gilberts Corner, Virginia, Gilberts Corner * Gleedsville, Virginia, Gleedsville * Howardsville, Loudoun County, Virginia, Howardsville * Leithtown, Virginia, Leithtown * Lenah, Virginia, Lenah * Lincoln, Virginia, Lincoln * Loudoun Heights, Virginia, Loudoun Heights * Lucketts, Virginia, Lucketts * Morrisonville, Virginia, Morrisonville * Mount Gilead, Virginia, Mount Gilead * Neersville, Virginia, Neersville * Paeonian Springs, Virginia, Paeonian Springs * Paxson, Virginia, Paxson * Philomont, Virginia, Philomont * Potomac Falls, Virginia, Potomac Falls * River Creek, Virginia, River Creek * Ryan, Virginia, Ryan * Saint Louis, Virginia, Saint Louis * Scattersville, Virginia, Scattersville * Silcott Spring, Virginia, Silcott Spring * Stewartown, Virginia, Stewartown * Stumptown, Loudoun County, Virginia, Stumptown * Taylorstown, Virginia, Taylorstown * Telegraph Spring, Virginia, Telegraph Spring * Unison, Virginia, Unison * Watson, Virginia, Watson * Waxpool, Virginia, Waxpool * Wheatland, Virginia, Wheatland * Willard, Virginia, Willard * Willisville, Virginia, Willisville * Woodburn, Loudoun County, Virginia, Woodburn


Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on 2018 estimates by the United States Census Bureau. † ''county seat''


Notable people

James Monroe constructed and resided at Oak Hill near Aldie, Virginia, Aldie after his presidency.
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
Brigadier General Robert H. Chilton (Chief of staff (military), Chief of Staff under Robert E. Lee) was a native of Loudoun County. World War II general George C. Marshall resided at Dodona Manor in Leesburg. Essayist and journalist Russell Baker grew up in Morrisonville, Virginia and his book ''Growing Up (memoir), Growing Up'' highlights his childhood in rural Virginia. Entertainer Arthur Godfrey lived near historic Waterford, Virginia. Loudoun County is also the birthplace of Julia Neale Jackson, mother of Stonewall Jackson, and Susan Catherine Koerner Wright, mother of the Wright Brothers. * Madeleine Albright (1937–2022) – U.S. United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State in Clinton Administration * William H. Ash (1859–1908) – Former slave who was one of the first African-American politicians to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates * Russell Baker (1925–2019) – Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ''Growing Up (memoir), Growing Up'' (1983, Autobiography) * Geraldine Brooks (writer), Geraldine Brooks (1955–) – Pulitzer Prize–winning author * John Champe (soldier), John Champe – Revolutionary War soldier and double agent * R. Preston Chew, Roger Preston Chew (1843–1921) – Horse artillery commander in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, prominent West Virginia businessman, railroad executive and West Virginia legislator * John L. Dagg (1794–1884) – Baptist theologian, pastor, educator, and president of Mercer University, GA (1844–54) * Westmoreland Davis (1859–1942) – Governor of Virginia * Richard Henry Dulany (1820–1906) – Colonel of the 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, 7th Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War * Michael Farris (lawyer), Michael Farris (1951–) – Founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, Purcellville; unsuccessful Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1993 * Joe Gibbs (1940–) – Lived just west of Leesburg while coaching the Washington Redskins * Arthur Godfrey (1903–1983) – Popular national radio and television personality * Darrell Green (1960–) – Former Washington Redskin and inductee to the National Football League, NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame * Pamela Harriman (1920–1997) – Daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill and U.S. ambassador to France * Gina Haspel (1956–) – Director of the CIA, first female ever appointed to the position * Annia Hatch (1978–) – Cuban American 2x Olympic silver medalist in gymnastics, currently lives in Ashburn * Fred Hetzel (1942–) – Former professional basketball player * Barbara Holland (1933–2010) – author * Tony Horwitz (1958–2019) – Pulitzer Prize–winning author * John Janney (1798–1872) – Member of the Virginia General Assembly and officer of the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 * Sheila Johnson (1949–) – Entertainment and sports entrepreneur and philanthropist. * Wilton Lackaye (1862-1932) – American stage and film actor, the original Broadway theatre, Broadway stage Svengali, 1895 * Lyndon LaRouche (1921–2019) – Controversial American politician, activist, and founder of the LaRouche movement * Marc Leepson (1945–) – Journalist, historian, author * Sandra Lerner (c. 1953–) – Entrepreneur and philanthropist * Mark Levin (1957–) – Author and conservative talk radio host * George C. Marshall (1880–1959) – General of the Army (United States), General of the Army (5-star), U.S. Secretary of State, United States Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense, and author of the "Marshall Plan" * Stevens T. Mason (1811–1843) – First governor of Michigan (Democrat, 1837–40) * Andrew McCabe (1968–) – Former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI * Charles F. Mercer (1788–1858) – Founded village of Aldie; U.S. Congressman from Virginia * Billy Mitchell (1879–1936) – Controversial Army officer and military aviation pioneer * James Monroe (1758–1831) – 5th President of the United States * Oliver North (1943–) – Former United States Marine Corps, USMC Officer and figure in the Iran–Contra affair, Iran–Contra scandal; commentator and host on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network * Patton Oswalt (1969–) – American stand-up comedian, writer and actor *Vinton Liddell Pickens (1900–1993) – artist, chair of the first Loudoun County planning commission in 1941 * Wilson Pickett (1941–2006) – R&B and soul singer and songwriter * Isaiah L. Potts (1784?–after 1843) – tavern keeper of the notorious Potts Tavern who, allegedly, ran a gang of highwaymen and murderers on the Illinois frontier * Rachel Renee Russell (1959–) – #1 ''New York Times'' best-selling author of the children's book series, Dork Diaries * Henry S. Taylor (1942–) – Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet * Will Toledo (1992–) – lead singer of Car Seat Headrest, musician, songwriter * Joshua White (Illinois politician), Joshua White (1812–1890) – businessman and Illinois state legislator * Lucien Whiting Powell (1846–1930) – Renowned landscape artist * William Wilson (Illinois jurist), William Wilson (1794–1857) – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois


Sister cities

Loudoun County has eight Sister city, Sister City/County relationships, and one Friendship City Partnership. Most are also suburbs of their respective capitals. * Canelones, Uruguay, Canelones, Uruguay (2023) * Gangneung, South Korea (Friendship City, 2014) * Goyang, South Korea (2012) * Greater Noida,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
(2023) * Holmes County, Mississippi, Holmes County, Mississippi (2019) * Karşıyaka, Karsiyaka, Turkey (2013) * Main-Taunus-Kreis, Germany (2006) * New Taipei City, Taiwan (2012) * Tema, Ghana (2023)


See also

*Loudoun County Sanitation Authority, Loudoun Water *Loudoun v. Board of Trustees of the Loudoun County Library *National Register of Historic Places listings in Loudoun County, Virginia *List of wineries in Virginia


Explanatory notes


References


External links

*
Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce

Travel Information: Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association
* {{Coord, 39.09, -77.64, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990 Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia counties Northern Virginia counties Virginia counties on the Potomac River Washington metropolitan area States and territories established in 1757 1750s establishments in the Colony of Virginia 1757 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies