Reston, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reston, Virginia
Census-designated place
Reston Town Center
Location of Reston in Fairfax County, Virginia
Reston, Virginia Location in Northern Virginia Show map of Northern Virginia Reston, Virginia Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Reston, Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Fairfax
Founded	April 10, 1964
Founded by	Robert E. Simon
Area
• Total	15.7 sq mi (40.6 km2)
• Land	15.3 sq mi (39.7 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation	360 ft (110 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	63,226
• Density	4,130/sq mi (1,593/km2)
Demonym(s)	Restonian
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	20190, 20191, 20194
Area code(s)	703, 571
FIPS code	51-66672
GNIS feature ID	1499951

Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and a principal city of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Reston's population was 63,226.

Founded in 1964, Reston was influenced by the Garden City movement that emphasized planned, self-contained communities that intermingled green space, residential neighborhoods, and commercial development. The intent of Reston's founder, Robert E. Simon, was to build a town that would revolutionize post–World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in suburban America. In 2018, Reston was included in Money magazine's "Best Place to Live in Virginia" ranking. Reston is known for its expanses of parks, lakes, golf courses, and bridle paths, and Reston Town Center, a shopping mall with several restaurants.

History

Conception

A now abandoned whiskey distillery, long operated by the Bowman family

The Midtown Reston Condominiums, a residential building at the Reston Town Center

Reston was conceived as a planned community by Robert E. Simon. Founded on April 10, 1964 (Simon's 50th birthday) and named for his initials, it was one of the first modern, post-war planned communities in America, which sparked a revival of the planned community concept. Simon's family had recently sold Carnegie Hall, and Simon used the funds to create Reston. Simon hired Conklin Rossant Architects as master planners to incorporate higher density housing to conserve open space, as well as mixed use areas for industry, business, recreation, education, and housing.

The first section of the community to be built, Lake Anne Plaza, was designed by James Rossant (who studied under Walter Gropius at the Harvard Graduate School of Design) to emulate the Italian coastal town of Portofino. Lake Anne village was designed with modern architectural themes that extend to a nearby elementary school, a gasoline station, and two churches. Lake Anne also has an art gallery, several restaurants, the Reston Historic Trust Museum, shops, and a senior citizens' fellowship house. All are local businesses, as there are no chain stores or chain restaurants allowed in Lake Anne. Close by are the cubist townhouses at Hickory Cluster that were designed by the noted modernist architect, Charles M. Goodman, in the International Style. Other sections of the town, such as Hunters Woods, South Lakes, and North Point, were developed later, each with a neighborhood shopping center and supermarket.

Other background

The land on which Reston sits was initially owned by Lord Fairfax during the 18th century. C.A. Wiehle (for whom Wiehle Avenue is named) bought the land later in the 1880s. He died after construction of several buildings. His sons did not share his vision, and sold the land to A. Smith Bowman, who built a bourbon distillery on the site while maintaining a farm on most of the area, a 7,300-acre (30 km²) tract. An office retail development and a road are named for him. In 1961, Robert E. Simon bought most of the land, except for 60 acres (240,000 m²) on which the Bowman distillery continued to operate until 1987.

Development

The growth and development of Reston has been monitored by newspaper articles, national magazines, and scholarly journals on architecture and land use. In 1967 the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Lyndon Johnson, visited Reston to take a walking tour along its pathways as part of her interest in beautification projects. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited Reston elementary schools named for them. The Washington Post featured a road trip to Reston in January 2006, and a relatively new website "Beyond DC" has a page devoted to Reston with almost 150 photos.

Reston experienced increasing traffic congestion as it grew in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This was a time when Reston's population was growing but the Dulles Toll Road had not been built. Commuter traffic between Reston and Washington created serious traffic congestion on the roads that connected Reston to Washington DC. In 1984 the toll road opened, and in 1986 the West Falls Church Washington Metro station opened. Most recently the Fairfax County Parkway, a major north-south artery, was opened.

Reston has grown to a point where it now fits the definition of an edge city. While Reston takes on the statistical properties of an edge city, its tightly controlled design averted several problems they typically face, such as hostile pedestrian situations and lack of mass transit. Many of the neighborhoods in Reston were designed to be medium density, which is atypical of an edge city. In other ways it is a textbook example, with a majority of medium-rise office buildings, and some citizens opposed to the expansion of its high-density core.

Geography

Boundaries of the Reston CDP as of 2003^[update], from the United States Census Bureau

Reston is located in northern Fairfax County at 38°57′16″N 77°20′47″W / 38.95444°N 77.34639°W / 38.95444; -77.34639. Neighboring communities are Great Falls to the north, Wolf Trap to the east, Franklin Farm, Floris, and McNair to the southwest, the town of Herndon to the west, and Dranesville to the northwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Reston CDP has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.6 km²), of which 15.3 square miles (39.7 km²) is land and 0.35 square miles (0.9 km²), or 2.10%, is water. Reston contains four artificial lakes: Lake Anne, Lake Audubon, Lake Newport, and Lake Thoreau. Another artificial lake, Lake Fairfax, is only partially on Reston property, but is technically Fairfax County parkland.

Demographics

2020 census

Economy

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "professional, scientific, and technical services" are by far the largest economic activity in Reston, consisting of 757 different companies employing 21,575 people in 2007. The Information sector follows second with 9,876 employees working at 150 companies in Reston. Reston is part of the Dulles Technology Corridor and is home to the following companies:

Of the 20 largest venture capital firms in the Washington, D.C. area, five are in Reston. The amount of capital under management of the Reston firms, $6.9 billion, represents 53% of those top 20 regional venture capital firms.

Reston also serves as the headquarters for the North American command of the German armed forces which oversees upwards up 1,500 troops deployed in the United States at any given time.

Arts and culture

The fountain at Reston Town Center

A special tax district within Fairfax County was created to fund various recreational, educational, and cultural activities in Reston. The Reston Community Center (RCC) is a core element, with its main building in south Reston at Hunters Woods Plaza and featuring a theater, indoor heated swimming pool with jacuzzi, ballroom, meeting rooms, and classroom space. A smaller RCC branch is at Lake Anne Plaza.

Reston is home to several performing arts groups. The Reston Community Players (originally known as Reston Players) has been in operation since 1966 and performs at Reston Community Center's Center Stage in Hunters Woods Plaza. The Reston Chorale was founded in the late 1960s as a mixed-voice chorus comprising both professional and amateur singers. The Reston Community Orchestra, launched in 1988, also offers regular performances throughout the year, generally at the Reston Community Center. In the summer, free public concerts are offered at both Reston Town Center and at Lake Anne Plaza.

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), founded by local artists, is home-based at Reston Town Center and sponsors the annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. The privately owned Reston Art Gallery at Lake Anne Plaza includes both regular art exhibits and artist studio spaces.

Reston's sole museum, the Reston Historic Trust & Museum, is also located in Lake Anne Plaza. It has maps, photos, and books that provide a detailed look at Reston from the 1960s on.

The Washington West Film Festival is an autumn event in Reston center. The festival, co-founded by Mark Maxey and Brad Russell, offers a juried array of feature films, shorts and documentaries.

Events

• Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival (Reston Town Center) (May)
• Taste of Reston Food Festival (Reston Town Center) (June)
• Reston Triathlon (September)
• Reston Multicultural Festival (Lake Anne Plaza) (late September)
• Flavors of Fall (Reston Town Center) (October)
• Reston Holiday Parade (Reston Town Center) (November)

Parks and recreation

Lake Thoreau at sunset

Building on Robert Simon's emphasis on preserving green space and providing recreational opportunities, Reston features over 55 miles of walking and hiking paths for residents, with currently about 250 acres of woodlands and open space. Reston is noted for its tree canopy, which currently covers about half of Reston's total area. It is one of only eight localities in the U.S. to be a member of the worldwide Biophilic Cities Organization, which promotes the importance of protecting and promoting nature within urban areas.

The centerpiece of Reston's focus on nature is the Vernon J. Walker Nature Education Center. The Nature Center's 72 acres (290,000 m²) of hardwood forest include a picnic pavilion, campfire ring, and other facilities that support its outreach programs. Its LEED gold-certified Nature House offers exhibits, an on-site naturalist, and various programs for children; it may also be rented for community or private meetings.

Two golf courses are located in Reston. The 166-acre Reston National Golf Course in south Reston is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Sanctuary on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Hidden Creek Country Club was purchased in 2017 by Wheelock Communities, a real estate development company.

The Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) trail, which runs through Reston, is a 45-mile-long (72 km) pathway built solely for pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the former W&OD train line.

Reston contains four manmade lakes: Lake Anne, Lake Audubon, Lake Newport, and Lake Thoreau. Also within Reston's area is the 476-acre (1.9 km²) Lake Fairfax Park, operated by Fairfax County and which features boat rentals, a large outdoor pool complex called "The Water Mine", overnight campground facilities, and picnic areas.

The 30-acre (120,000 m2) Roer's Zoofari is located on the northeast edge of the community. It is dedicated to family-friendly animal interaction with bus rides and feeding stations. Animals include lambs, camels, zebras, antelope, bison, cheetah, emu, camels, goats, reptiles, horses, buffalo, and waterfowl. On 8 March 2021, Roer's Zoofari suffered a fire in the barn area, killing Waffles the giraffe and his unnamed giraffe companion.

Reston has an assortment of pools, including a year-round indoor pool at the Reston Community Center. Ice skating is available year-round at SkateQuest, a privately run indoor rink, and during the winter on an outdoor rink at Reston Town Center's Pavilion.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

As a part of Fairfax County, Reston is served by Fairfax County Public Schools and a number of private schools. Reston has one high school within its boundaries, South Lakes High School, which serves most of Reston. Adjacent to South Lakes High School is Reston's only middle school, Langston Hughes Middle School. Students who live in the far northern part of Reston attend Herndon High School.

Public elementary schools:

• Buzz Aldrin Elementary School
• Neil Armstrong Elementary School
• A. Scott Crossfield Elementary School
• Dogwood Elementary School
• Forest Edge Elementary School
• Fox Mill Elementary School
• Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
• Lake Anne Elementary School
• Sunrise Valley Elementary School
• Terraset Elementary School

Private schools:

• Children's House Montessori School of Reston
• Community Montessori School
• Reston Montessori School
• Academy of Christian Education (elementary)
• Edlin (elementary and middle school)
• United Christian Parish Preschool
• Lake Anne Nursery and Kindergarten (LANK)
• Ideaventions Academy for Math and Science (4th - 12th)
• Reston Children's Center (RCC)

Colleges and universities

Reston has several higher education resources, including a satellite campus of NVCC (Northern Virginia Community College), the University of Phoenix – Northern Virginia campus, and Marymount University – Reston Center.

Public libraries

Fairfax County Public Library operates the Reston Regional Library. Also located in Reston is the United States Geological Survey Library, a federal research library that is open to the public with over 3 million items, ranging from books and journals to maps and photographs, as well as field record notebooks.

Media

Reston is served primarily by the Washington, D.C. media market. The community lies within the local distribution area for two national newspapers, the Washington Post and the Washington Times, as well as two local publications, the Fairfax Times and the Reston Connection. All four also offer digital subscriptions. A third local paper, the "Observer," which covered Reston and nearby Herndon, closed in 2010 and transferred coverage to AOL's Patch service of local digital news sites, which launched a Reston site in August 2010. Website Reston Now provides daily local news coverage. In addition, multiple television and radio stations in the Washington metropolitan area provide coverage of local developments.

Transportation

The Dulles Toll and Access Roads and the Silver Line of the Washington Metro in Reston

Reston sits astride the Dulles Toll Road, 9 miles (14 km) from Tysons and the Capital Beltway to the east, and 5 miles (8.0 km) from Washington Dulles International Airport to the west. Four roads cross the community from north to south: Fairfax County Parkway on the western side, Reston Parkway through the center of town, Wiehle Avenue through the northeastern residential section, and Hunter Mill Road on the eastern border.

The Metro's Silver Line, which runs along the Dulles Toll Road, opened its first Reston station, Wiehle-Reston East, on July 26, 2014. Two additional stations, Reston Town Center and Herndon, opened on November 15, 2022 and serve the western half of Reston as part of an expansion towards Dulles International Airport.

The Reston Internal Bus System (RIBS) provides five regularly circulating routes connecting Reston's village centers, using Reston Town Center as a hub. Fairfax County's Fairfax Connector and Metrobus service both link commuters in Reston to Metro stations as well as points throughout Fairfax County.

Events

Ebola virus scare

A filovirus, at first suspected to be Ebola virus (EBOV), was discovered among crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) within the Covance Primate Quarantine Unit in 1989. This attracted significant media attention, including the publication of the popular 1994 book The Hot Zone (book) and the subsequent development of the National Geographic Channel TV Series The Hot Zone (television series). The filovirus was found to be distinct from EBOV and to be nonpathogenic for humans. It was named after the community, and is now known as Reston virus (RESTV). ..... The facility was located in an office park near Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue. It was eventually torn down, and a daycare was built in its place.

Accolades and coverage

The growth and development of Reston has been monitored by newspaper articles, national magazines, and scholarly journals on architecture and land use. In 1967 the First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, visited Reston to take a walking tour along its pathways as part of her interest in beautification projects. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited Reston elementary schools named for them. The Washington Post featured a road trip to Reston in January 2006, and the website "Beyond DC" has a page devoted to Reston with almost 150 photos.

Reston and Robert Simon were recognized by the American Institute of Certified Planners for their significant contributions to town planning. The AICP further recognized Reston as a National Planning Landmark, praising Simon's vision for ensuring that fields and trees would be threaded throughout the residential and commercial portions of the community, and recognized it as "one of the finest examples of American 20th century conceptual new town planning."

In 2017, the Lake Anne Village Center's historic district was named to the U.S. Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, which serves as the official list of historic places worthy of preservation and protection.

Reston is one of just a handful of communities in the U.S. that has been designated a Backyard Wildlife Habitat community.

Reston generally follows "new urbanism" guidelines. The residential portion of the town was built with an extensive path system, and Fairfax County has constructed many sidewalks over the past decades. The downtown and original areas also incorporate mixed-use development, with more mixed-use development planned near Washington Metro stations.

However, Reston differs from New Urbanism principles in several important ways. Many buildings in the PRC area are oriented away from main streets, and several major arteries lack complete sidewalk networks as a result of Fairfax County's control over Reston's transportation planning: until recently, the Fairfax County zoning code only required developers to build sidewalks in certain limited cases. The original inward orientation of the village centers was an intentional design element by Reston's early planners, who wished to avoid the commercial strip look that dominates many suburban developments.

Notable people

• Donna Andrews, fiction author, Murder with Peacocks
• Maame Biney, former speed skater, 2018 Winter Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics
• Roy Buchanan, blues musician and guitarist
• Grant Hill, former professional basketball player, Detroit Piston, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns
• Lubomir Kavalek, chess grandmaster
• Jacob Sartorius, pop singer
• Alan Webb, track and field athlete, U.S. record-holder for mile run

See also

In Spanish: Reston (Virginia) para niños