Ashburn (Virginia)

Ashburn is a suburb of Washington, DC, in Loudoun County, Virginia. It 2010, it was home to about 44,000 people. The homes in Ashburn are nearly all new, large, uniform in character, and have little or any recognizable architectural style.

Understand

In many ways Ashburn is the poster child for the so called "McMansionization of America". Brambleton, a planned urban development in Ashburn, is one of the fastest selling developments in the country.

Ashburn is home to many high-tech businesses. World Trade Center Dulles Airport is the second World Trade Center in the state. Verizon Business has a major office in Ashburn at the location. Ashburn is also home to government contractor Telos, and Amazon Web Services’s us-east-1 region of cloud computing resources.

The George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus are located in Ashburn. Redskins Park, the training camp for the Washington Commanders (formerly "Redskins") football team of the National Football League, is also located in Ashburn. The Wikimedia Foundation (parent of Wikivoyage) has its primary data center in Ashburn.

History

Ashburn was founded as Farmwell (variant names include Old Farmwell and Farmwell Station) after a nearby mansion of that name owned by George Lee III. The name "Farmwell" first appeared in George Lee's October 1802 will and was used to describe the 1,236-acre (500 ha) plantation he inherited from his father, Thomas Ludwell Lee II. A section of Farmwell plantation west of Ashburn Road, a 580-acre (230 ha) tract, was purchased in 1841 as a summer home by John Janney, a Quaker lawyer who nearly became Vice President of the United States. Janney called the property Ashburn Farm; the name's first known appearance in writing is 1870 when he sold the property. It is likely he named the farm after family friends whose name was "Ashburn".

Get in

By plane

Ashburn is served by 2 major airports in the Washington DC metro area. Washington Dulles (IAD IATA) is about 5 miles from Ashburn and Reagan National (DCA IATA) is about 25 miles. Most people who are visiting Ashburn from far away distances are better off flying into Washington Dulles International Airport. The easiest and most convenient way to get to Ashburn from the airport is via taxi. Washington Flyer Taxi has exclusive rights to service IAD and a taxi ride from the airport will cost you anywhere between $15-20.

By car

Coming by car, Ashburn is intersected by a few major roads in the Northern Virginia area. Accessible via the Dulles Greenway (toll road), Route 7, or Route 28, travelers have a few options when driving to this city.

By bus

By metro

Ashburn is the western terminus of Washington Metro's Silver Line, with frequent service from Washington, D.C. and Maryland via Washington Dulles International Airport.

Get around

Although there are taxis available, those visiting Ashburn will need a car. The neighborhoods and shopping are too spread out to go any other way.

See

The Belmont Manor House and Janelia are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 🌍 Ashburn Presbyterian Church. Historic Presbyterian church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999. It was built in 1878, and is a one-story, rectangular wood-frame building in the Carpenter Gothic style. (updated Dec 2022)

Do

Buy

Contrary to popular opinion, Ashburn has its fair share of local artisans who showcase their craft in the form of art, jewelry, and clothes.

Eat
  • Asian Spice Cafe, Brambleton Towncenter. Specializes in Chinese food and sushi. Moderately priced. Serves alcohol. $7-15. 
  • 🌍 Buffalo Wing Factory, 43761 Parkhurst Plaza #100, ☏ +1 703 729-4200. Best wings in the city. The 911's will knock you out. Bargain prices and always hopping with teenagers and the big game on the big screen. Perfect for families, friends, a late night snack or a place to park and watch the game. $5-10. 
  • 🌍 Opa! Mezze Grill, 44110 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, ☏ +1 703 729-2211. Specializes in authentic Greek cuisine. The gyros and souvlaki are delicious. $15-24. 

Drink

Sleep

Go next
Routes through Ashburn
Winchester ← Leesburg ←  W  E  → Sterling → Alexandria
END ← Leesburg ←  W  E  → Sterling → Falls Church
END ←  W  E  → Sterling → East End


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