Loudoun County, Virginia facts for kids

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"Loudoun County" redirects here. For the county in Tennessee, see Loudon County, Tennessee.

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Loudoun County

County

Loudoun County Courthouse and a World War II monument (right) in Leesburg, February 2021

Flag

Seal

Motto(s):

"I Byde My Time"

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1757

Named for

John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun

Seat

Leesburg

Largest town

Leesburg

Area

• Total

521.33 sq mi (1,350.2 km²)

• Land

515.74 sq mi (1,335.8 km²)

• Water

5.6 sq mi (15 km²) 1.1%

Population

(2020)

• Total

420,959

• Density

810/sq mi (310/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

10th

Loudoun County is located in the northern part of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, about 420,959 people lived here, making it Virginia's third-most populated county. The main town and county seat is Leesburg. Loudoun County is also part of the larger Washington, D.C. area.

In 2020, Loudoun County had the highest average household income in the entire United States, at $147,111. This means families living here earned more money than in any other county in the nation.

History

The 1700s

William and Sarah Nettle House in Waterford

Loudoun County was created in 1757. It was formed from a part of Fairfax County. The county is named after John Campbell, who was the Fourth Earl of Loudoun. He was also the governor general of Virginia from 1756 to 1759. People started settling in the western part of the county in the 1720s and 1730s. These settlers included Quakers, Scots-Irish, Germans, and others who moved south from Pennsylvania and Maryland. Also, English settlers and enslaved Africans moved upriver from the Tidewater area.

By the time of the American Revolution, Loudoun County was the most populated county in Virginia. It was also very good at farming. The county provided a lot of grain to George Washington's Continental Army. Because of this, it was called the "Breadbasket of the Revolution."

The 1800s

During the War of 1812, important government papers and records were moved from Washington to Leesburg for safekeeping. Local stories say these documents were kept at Rokeby House.

U.S. president James Monroe lived at Oak Hill Plantation from 1823 until he passed away in 1831. The Loudoun County coat of arms and flag show the special connection between Britain and the United States. This connection grew stronger because of his Monroe Doctrine.

Early in the American Civil War, the Battle of Ball's Bluff happened near Leesburg on October 21, 1861. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who later became a famous judge, was badly hurt in this battle. It took place along the Potomac River. In June 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and Union cavalry fought in the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. Confederate partisan John S. Mosby led his operations from Loudoun and nearby Fauquier County.

The 1900s

During World War I, Loudoun County was a major "breadbasket." This means it supplied a lot of food to soldiers in Europe. Farmers in Loudoun used new ways of farming, like vaccinating animals and treating seeds. The county's farms produced much more food. In 1917, they grew 1.04 million bushels of wheat. This was the most wheat grown by any county in Virginia that year. Also, 1.2 million units of food were grown at home. Much of this food went to training camps across the state. After the war, a plaque was put up to honor the "30 glorious dead" from the county who died in the Great War.

In 1962, Washington Dulles International Airport was built in southeastern Loudoun County. It is located in Sterling. Since then, Loudoun County has seen a big growth in technology companies. Many people have moved to eastern Loudoun. They live in planned communities like Sterling Park, Sugarland Run, Cascades, Ashburn Village, and Ashburn Farm. This part of the county has become a suburb of Washington, D.C. Other people have moved to the county seat or to the smaller towns and rural areas of the Loudoun Valley.

Geography

Loudoun County covers about 521 square miles. Most of this area is land (516 square miles), and a small part is water (6 square miles). The Potomac River forms its northern border. Across the river are counties in Maryland. To the south are Prince William and Fauquier counties. To the west, the Blue Ridge Mountain watershed separates it from counties in West Virginia and Virginia. To the east is Fairfax County. The Bull Run Mountains and Catoctin Mountain run through the county. West of these mountains is the Loudoun Valley. Short Hill Mountain also cuts through the Loudoun Valley from Hillsboro to the Potomac River.

Nearby Counties

Protected Areas

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Economy

Loudoun County used to be mostly rural, with lots of farms. But its population has grown a lot since the 1980s. Now, it has a strong service economy, meaning many people work in jobs that provide services, not just make products. It is home to the main offices for several Internet and high tech companies. These include Verizon Business, Telos Corporation, and Orbital Sciences Corporation. Loudoun County has greatly benefited from Washington Dulles International Airport. Most of this airport is located in the county, right on its border with Fairfax County.

Even with all the new growth, Loudoun County still has a strong rural economy. The horse industry, for example, brings in about $78 million. The Morven Park International Equestrian Center in Loudoun hosts big horse competitions. Also, a growing wine industry here makes several wines that are known around the world. Loudoun County now has 40 wineries and over 25 active farms. The county's rich soil helped it become a top wheat-producing county in the mid-1800s.

Many big companies have offices in Loudoun County. MCI, Inc. (now part of Verizon Communications) has its main office in Ashburn. AOL used to have its headquarters in Dulles. Even though AOL moved its main office to New York City, it still has offices in Virginia. Orbital Sciences Corporation also has its headquarters in Dulles.

Loudoun County is home to over 60 huge data centers. Many of these are for Amazon Web Services (AWS). These data centers are thought to handle 70 percent of all internet traffic worldwide!

Top Employers

Here are some of the biggest employers in Loudoun County:

#	Employer	# of employees (2020)	Percentage of Total County Employment
1	Loudoun County Public Schools	12,804	7.11
2	County of Loudoun	4,453	2.58
3	U.S. Department of Homeland Security	2,500-5,000	2.17
4	Verizon Business (formerly MCI Worldcom)	2,500-5,000	2.17
5	Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (formerly Orbital ATK)	1,000-2,500	1.01
6	United Airlines	1,000-2,500	1.01
7	Inova Health System (Loudoun Hospital Center)	1,000-2,500	1.01
8	Raytheon Technologies	1,000-2,500	1.01
9	Dynalectric DC	1,000-2,500	1.01
10	Amazon	1,000-2,500	1.01

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	18,962	—
1800	20,523	8.2%
1810	21,338	4.0%
1820	22,702	6.4%
1830	21,939	−3.4%
1840	20,431	−6.9%
1850	22,079	8.1%
1860	21,774	−1.4%
1870	20,929	−3.9%
1880	23,634	12.9%
1890	23,274	−1.5%
1900	21,948	−5.7%
1910	21,167	−3.6%
1920	20,577	−2.8%
1930	19,852	−3.5%
1940	20,291	2.2%
1950	21,147	4.2%
1960	24,549	16.1%
1970	37,150	51.3%
1980	57,427	54.6%
1990	86,129	50.0%
2000	169,599	96.9%
2010	312,311	84.1%
2020	420,959	34.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020

From 1890 to 1940, the number of people living in Loudoun County went down. This was because many people moved to cities to find more jobs. This decline was likely highest among African Americans, who had worked in farming. During the first half of the 1900s, many African Americans moved from rural areas to cities in what was called the Great Migration. Today, the African American population in Loudoun County is smaller compared to its past. The Hispanic and Asian populations are now much larger.

2020 Census Information

**Loudoun County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	50,876	75,557	134,972	194,845	216,865	88.59%	87.73%	79.58%	62.39%	51.52%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,964	6,126	11,517	21,934	29,725	8.64%	7.11%	6.79%	7.02%	7.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	94	167	297	520	536	0.16%	0.19%	0.19%	0.17%	0.13%
Asian alone (NH)	424	2,053	9,025	45,795	89,372	0.74%	2.38%	5.32%	14.66%	21.23%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	6	N/A	93	143	227	0.01%	N/A	0.05%	0.05%	0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	210	70	367	808	2,425	0.37%	0.08%	0.22%	0.26%	0.58%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	N/A	N/A	3,239	9,690	22,065	N/A	N/A	1.91%	3.10%	5.24%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	853	2,156	10,089	38,576	59,744	1.49%	2.50%	5.95%	12.35%	14.19%
Total	57,427	86,129	169,599	312,311	420,959	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2010, there were 312,311 people living in the county. The population density was about 606 people per square mile. The county's population was made up of many different groups. About 68.7% were White, 14.7% Asian, and 7.3% African American. About 12.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

The most common languages spoken in Loudoun County, besides English, are Spanish and Telugu. Almost 25% of people living in Loudoun County were born outside the United States. The largest groups are from India, El Salvador, and Korea.

In 2011, Loudoun County was found to have the highest average income in the country, at $119,134.

Transportation

Airports

Dulles International Airport in Dulles

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

Bus Services

Loudoun County has its own public bus system. It is called Loudoun County Commuter Bus.

Train Services

The Silver Line of the Washington Metro train system serves Loudoun County. It has stations at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn.

Main Roads

US 15 and VA State Route 7 on the Leesburg Bypass

U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 340
State Route 7
State Route 9

State Route 28
State Route 267 (Dulles Greenway)
Loudoun County Parkway

Education

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) serves the county. LCPS teaches over 70,000 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. It is Virginia's fifth largest school system. Loudoun County schools recently ranked 11th in the United States for how well they teach students compared to the money spent. Loudoun County also has the Loudoun Academy of Science, which is now part of the Academies of Loudoun. Students can also attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a special STEM school in Alexandria, Virginia.

Loudoun County has ten private schools. These include Loudoun Country Day School in Leesburg and Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg. Other private schools are Foxcroft School, Dominion Academy, Loudoun Classical School, Leesburg Christian School, St. Theresa School, Village Montessori School at Bluemont, Christian Faith & Fellowship School, and Loudoun School for Advanced Studies.

For education after high school, Loudoun County has several colleges and universities. These include Patrick Henry College, a branch campus of Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling, and satellite campuses for George Washington University, George Mason University, Marymount University, Shenandoah University, and Strayer University. Loudoun is also home to a branch of the Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and the Janelia Farm Research Campus.

Communities

Towns

Census-Designated Places

Other Unincorporated Communities

Population Ranking

The following table shows the population of cities, towns, and other areas in Loudoun County, based on 2018 estimates.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2018 est.)
1	† Leesburg	Town	52,125
2	Ashburn	CDP	50,290
3	South Riding	CDP	31,071
4	Sterling	CDP	30,403
5	Brambleton	CDP	20,081
6	Broadlands	CDP	13,704
7	Stone Ridge	CDP	12,990
8	Lansdowne	CDP	12,696
9	Sugarland Run	CDP	12,576
10	Cascades	CDP	11,670
11	Lowes Island	CDP	11,111
12	Countryside	CDP	10,042
13	Purcellville	Town	9,709
14	Belmont	CDP	6,629
15	Dulles Town Center	CDP	5,023
16	University Center	CDP	4,060
16	Lovettsville	Town	2,544
17	Oak Grove	CDP	2,468
18	Moorefield Station	CDP	1,369
19	Arcola	CDP	963
20	Round Hill	Town	693
21	Middleburg	Town	620
22	Hamilton	Town	537
23	Hillsboro	Town	175

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in or come from Loudoun County. James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, built and lived at Oak Hill after his presidency. George C. Marshall, a famous general from World War II who created the "Marshall Plan", lived in Leesburg.

Here are some other notable people:

Madeleine Albright (1937–2022) – First female U.S. Secretary of State.
Russell Baker (1925–2019) – A writer who won a Pulitzer Prize. His book Growing Up talks about his childhood in rural Virginia.
Geraldine Brooks (1955–) – A writer who won a Pulitzer Prize.
Westmoreland Davis (1859–1942) – A former Governor of Virginia.
Joe Gibbs (1940–) – A famous football coach for the Washington Redskins.
Arthur Godfrey (1903–1983) – A popular radio and television personality.
Darrell Green (1960–) – A former Washington Redskin and a member of the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gina Haspel (1956–) – The first female Director of the CIA.
Sheila Johnson (1949–) – A successful businesswoman in entertainment and sports.
Mark Levin (1957–) – A well-known author and radio host.
Patton Oswalt (1969–) – An American stand-up comedian and actor.
Rachel Renee Russell (1959–) – The #1 New York Times best-selling author of the children's book series, Dork Diaries.
Henry S. Taylor (1942–) – A poet who won a Pulitzer Prize.
Lucien Whiting Powell (1846–1930) – A famous landscape artist.

Sister Cities

Loudoun County has special relationships with other cities and counties around the world. These are called "Sister City" or "Friendship City" partnerships. Most of them are also suburbs of their country's capital cities.

Canelones, Uruguay (since 2023)
Gangneung, South Korea (Friendship City, since 2014)
Goyang, South Korea (since 2012)
Greater Noida, India (since 2023)
Holmes County, Mississippi (since 2019)
Karsiyaka, Turkey (since 2013)
Main-Taunus-Kreis, Germany (since 2006)
New Taipei City, Taiwan (since 2012)
Tema, Ghana (since 2023)