Ashburn, Virginia

File:2018-10-25 14 33 59 View west along Virginia State Route 267 (Dulles Greenway) at Exit 5 (Virginia State Route 901-Claiborne Parkway, Ashburn Farm, Broadlands) in Broadlands, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpg

The name Ashburn is believed to have originated from “Ashburn Farm,” a 1,236-acre estate originally owned by John Janney, a prominent 19th-century Quaker lawyer and politician who served as president of Virginia’s Secession Convention in 1861. The property was later purchased by George Lee III in the 1870s, who is thought to have named it “Ashburn” either for the ash trees that dotted the landscape or possibly as a reference to the ash-colored soil or barn fires that had previously occurred in the area.{{cite web |author=Contributed by Eugene Scheel |title=Ashburn Village’s Agrarian Roots|url=https://www.loudounhistory.org/history/ashburn-village-history/}}

Originally a quiet farming village known as Farmwell, the area became a part of a larger plantation economy in Loudoun County. Ashburn remained largely rural through the early 20th century. It began to change significantly in the 1980s and 1990s with the expansion of the Dulles Technology Corridor and the construction of major planned communities such as Ashburn Village and Ashburn Farm.{{cite web |author=Contributed by TheBurn Contributor |title=New proposal for Ashburn Village Center at Belmont Greene|url=https://www.loudounhistory.org/history/ashburn-village-history/}}

By the early 2000s, Ashburn had become a global internet hub earning nicknames like “Data Center Alley” due to its massive concentration of data infrastructure, which routes a significant portion of the world’s web traffic.{{cite web |author=Contributed by UPSTACK |title=Why is Ashburn Known as Data Center Alley?|url=https://upstack.com/blog/why-is-ashburn-known-as-data-center-alley/}} Today, Ashburn is a central part of Loudoun County’s high-tech economy and suburban expansion with preserved natural and historic landscapes such as the W&OD Trail and nearby farms and battlefields.{{cite web |author=Contributed by NoVaParks |title=Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park|url=https://www.novaparks.com/parks/washington-and-old-dominion-railroad-regional-park}}File:Eastern Loudoun County Map.png

According to the US Census Bureau, Ashburn is a census designated place. Despite being restricted to a certain boundary, the broader “Ashburn area” includes adjacent communities and commercial centers that share mailing addresses, infrastructure, and ZIP codes like 20147 and 20148. This includes communities such as Brambleton, Broadlands, Moorefield, Loudoun Valley Estates, and Belmont. Its origin began as farmland and a small rail stop along the Washington and Old Dominion railroad, gradually developing into a suburban area as transportation routes and regional growth pushed west from Washington D.C.{{cite web |author=Contributed by UnitedStatesPostalService |title=Ashburn Virginia|url=https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/}}

{{cite web |author=Contributed by Visit Loudoun |title=Ashburn |url=https://www.visitloudoun.org/towns-and-places/ashburn/}}

Ashburn, located in eastern Loudoun County, Virginia, was originally part of a rural agricultural region known as Farmwell. The land was divided among several estates during the 18th and 19th centuries, forming part of the broader plantation economy that defined much of northern Virginia. During the Civil War, Loudoun County was deeply divided, and while Ashburn did not see major battles, it was affected by nearby troop movements, raids, and the broader regional instability at the time.{{cite web |url=http://www.ashburnweb.com/history/index.htm |title=Ashburn, VA – History |access-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329185318/http://www.ashburnweb.com/history/index.htm |archive-date=March 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

File:WASHINGTON & OLD DOMINION R.R. CAR EXTERIOR LCCN2016861678.jpg

In the late 19th century, the arrival of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad provided a transportation link that supported local farms and small industries, although Ashburn itself remained sparsely populated and primarily agricultural well into the 20th century. The W&OD rail corridor, now a regional trail, is one of the area's key preserved historical routes. Following the American Civil War, land ownership changed and farming practices shifted, but Ashburn continued to be defined by its rural character for many decades.{{cite web |author=Contributed by Eugene Scheel |title=Washington and Old Dominion Railroad : At the End of the Line, An Opportunity Lost|url=https://www.loudounhistory.org/history/railroad-old-dominion/}}

File:Washington Dulles International Airport at Dusk.jpg

Significant change began in the second half of the 20th century, particularly after the opening of Washington Dulles International Airport in 1962. This major infrastructure project spurred development throughout the surrounding region, and Ashburn's location made it a strategic site for future suburban and technological expansion. In the 1980s and 1990s, planned communities such as Ashburn Village and Ashburn Farm were constructed, transforming the area into a major residential zone within Northern Virginia’s growing suburban region.{{cite web |author=Contributed by DullesInternationalWebsite |title= History|url=https://www.flydulles.com/about-airport/history}}

By the early 2000s, Ashburn had become a hub for global internet infrastructure. A combination of reliable electricity and access to fiber-optic networks attracted major technology firms. The region developed the highest concentration of data centers in the world, earning the nickname “Data Center Alley.” Today, Ashburn is a central component of Loudoun County’s tech economy, supporting various technological industries in areas such ascloud computing and cybersecurity while also serving as a key residential area for workers in the greater Washington, D.C. metro region.{{cite web |author=Contributed by UPSTACK |title= Why is Ashburn Known As "Data Center Allley"?|url=https://upstack.com/blog/why-is-ashburn-known-as-data-center-alley/}}

Ashburn is located in eastern Loudoun County, {{convert|7|mi|0}} southeast of Leesburg, the county seat, and the same distance north of Dulles International Airport. As drawn by the U.S. Census Bureau, the area counted as "Ashburn" extends north to Virginia State Route 7, east to Virginia State Route 28, and southwest to the Dulles Greenway (VA 267).{{Cite web| url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerweb| title=Ashburn CDP| work=TIGERweb| publisher=Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=February 19, 2021}} The Ashburn CDP is bordered to the north by the Belmont, Lansdowne, One Loudoun, and University Center CDPs; to the east by the Kincora, Dulles Town Center, and Sterling CDPs; to the southwest by the Moorefield and Broadlands CDPs; and to the west by the Goose Creek Village CDP.

According to the 2020 United States census, the Ashburn CDP has a total area of {{convert|15.55|sqmi|2}}, of which {{convert|15.30|sqmi|2}} are land and {{convert|0.25|sqmi|2}} are water. The area is drained by Broad Run, which flows northward through the eastern part of the CDP toward the Potomac River.

The Ashburn CDP consists of many major and minor subdivisions such as Ashbrook, Ashburn Farm, Ashburn Village, the Courts and Ridges at Ashburn, and the Village of Waxpool.

File:Ashburn Village VA 20147 Ringold.JPG

{{US Census population

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|1990= 3393

|2010= 43511

|2020= 46349

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}

2010{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Virginia|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-48.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 2020

}}

Ashburn was first listed as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The United States Census Bureau defines Ashburn as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 43,511 residents,{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US5103320&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1| title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Ashburn CDP, Virginia| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=data.census.gov| access-date=February 19, 2021}} while the larger ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for Ashburn's 20147 ZIP code contained 54,086 people.

{{cite web

|url= http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/8600000US20147

|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200212162916/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/8600000US20147

|url-status= dead

|archive-date= February 12, 2020

|title= ZCTA5: 20147 (Ashburn)

|work = Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data

|publisher= United States Census Bureau

|access-date= January 21, 2013

}}

Many of its residents commute into Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs such as Tysons Corner and Reston to their places of employment.{{Cite web |url=http://www.loudouncountytraffic.com/2010/01/loudoun-county-commuter-bus-adds-123.html |title=Loudoun County Commuter Bus Adds 123 Spaces for Ashburn Commuter Parking |publisher=loudouncountytraffic.com |date=January 20, 2010 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713233243/http://www.loudouncountytraffic.com/2010/01/loudoun-county-commuter-bus-adds-123.html |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }} The median household income as of 2009 was $100,719.{{Cite web |url=http://realestate.aol.com/neighborhoods-Ashburn-VA-20147/Ashburn/id-20147 |title=20147 Ashburn Neighborhood in Ashburn, VA |publisher=realestate.aol.com |year=2010 |access-date=October 22, 2012}} Median age in Ashburn is 31.6. Ashburn's population is made up of 49% males and 51% females.

The racial makeup of the CDP was 67.1% White (59.1% non-Hispanic White), 8.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 17.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 11.8% of the population.{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ashburn CDP, Virginia|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ashburncdpvirginia/POP010220|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=www.census.gov|language=en}} The total number of households accounted for in Ashburn was 22,555. The median household size is 2.9 persons. 98% percent of Ashburn residents have a high school degree. Some 42 percent of Ashburn's population holds a four-year bachelor's degree; 18 percent holds graduate degrees.

Homeowners formed 80 percent of the population, renters made up 13% of the population, and 7% of housing units were listed as vacancies. The median age of housing was 5.0 years. The median housing value is at $630,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.redfin.com/city/29015/VA/Ashburn/housing-market |title=Ashburn Housing Market: House Prices & Trends | Redfin }}

Located within the Dulles Technology Corridor, Ashburn is home to many high-tech businesses. World Trade Center Dulles Airport is the second World Trade Center in the state.{{Cite web |url=http://www.dullesworldtrade.com |title=World Trade Center: Dulles Airport at One Loudoun |publisher=dullesworldtrade.com |year=2009 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307154312/http://www.dullesworldtrade.com/ |archive-date=March 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }} Verizon Business has a major office in Ashburn at the location replacing MCI WorldCom's headquarters after its acquisition.{{Cite web |url=http://www.manta.com/c/mm80b7w/verizon-business-global-llc |title=Verizon Business Global Llc - Ashburn, Virginia (VA) - Company Profile |publisher=manta.com |date=June 15, 2010 |access-date=July 14, 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22406-2005Feb14.html |title=Telecom Is Getting Another Behemoth |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=July 14, 2010|first=Yuki|last=Noguchi}} Ashburn is also home to government contractor Telos.{{Cite web|last=Baratko|first=Trevor|date=September 18, 2019|title=Telos HQ site in Ashburn sells for $26 million|url=https://www.loudountimes.com/business/telos-hq-site-in-ashburn-sells-for-26-million/article_cfa2ed06-da1a-11e9-8de6-0b8f9fbbf97b.html|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=LoudounTimes.com|language=en}}

Ashburn is a major hub for data centers, with companies such as Digital Realty,{{Cite news |last=Swinhoe |first=Dan |date=April 11, 2023 |title=Digital Realty-occupied data center in Ashburn sold to GI Partners |work=Data Center Dynamics |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/digital-realty-sells-ashburn-data-center-to-gi-partners/}} Equinix,{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Rich |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Equinix Expands in Ashburn, Plans Fleet of Four-Story Data Centers |url=https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/colo/interconnection/article/11428579/equinix-expands-in-ashburn-plans-fleet-of-four-story-data-centers |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=Data Center Frontier}} and NTT,{{Cite news |last=Swinhoe |first=Dan |date=August 30, 2023 |title=Clark delivers data center to NTT in Ashburn, Virginia |work=Data Center Dynamics |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/clark-delivers-data-center-to-ntt-in-ashburn-virginia/}} operating multiple facilities there.{{Cite book|last=Blum|first=Andrew|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/758392010|title=Tubes: a journey to the center of the Internet|date=2012|publisher=Ecco|isbn=978-0-06-199493-7|edition=1st|location=New York|oclc=758392010}} Among other websites, the Wikimedia Foundation (parent of Wikipedia) and Amazon Web Services have data centers there.{{cite web|date=January 19, 2013|title=Wikimedia sites to move to primary data center in Ashburn, Virginia|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/01/19/wikimedia-sites-move-to-primary-data-center-in-ashburn-virginia/|publisher=Wikimedia}}{{Cite web|date=November 6, 2017|title=Amazon Plans Epic Data Center Expansion in Northern Virginia|url=https://datacenterfrontier.com/amazon-plans-epic-data-center-expansion-in-northern-virginia/|access-date=February 14, 2019|website=Data Center Frontier|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Rich|date=January 15, 2013|title=Amazon Adding Cloud Capacity in Northern Virginia|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/01/15/amazon-to-add-capacity-to-us-east-region|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=Data Center Knowledge|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Burrington|first=Ingrid|date=January 8, 2016|title=Why Amazon's Data Centers Are Hidden in Spy Country|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/01/amazon-web-services-data-center/423147/|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US}}

File:AWS servers in Ashburn, group 1, 2020-10-09 3.jpg data center in Ashburn]]

The George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus are located north of Ashburn in the University Center and Lansdowne CDPs, respectively. INOVA Sports Performance Center, the training camp for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League, is located in the east part of Ashburn.[https://www.commanders.com/stadium/private-events/indoor-training-facility "Go behind the scenes at the INOVA Sports Performance Center - headquarters of the Washington Commanders Training Facility - located in Ashburn, VA"]. commanders.com. Retrieved September 15, 2022.{{Cite web |url=http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Training_Camp_Frequently_Asked_Questions_2014.jsp |title=Training Camp Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=redskins.com |year=2009 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723010526/http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Training_Camp_Frequently_Asked_Questions_2014.jsp |archive-date=July 23, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Airbus Group, Inc., a defense contractor headed by former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, has a second location in Ashburn in addition to its main office in Herndon, Virginia.

The National Transportation Safety Board once operated the Ashburn Aviation Field Office in Ashburn; it was the regional headquarters of the NTSB Aviation Eastern Region.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/abt_ntsb/regions/aviation.htm |title=NTSB Offices – Aviation |access-date=May 15, 2010 |archive-date=September 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929212504/http://www.ntsb.gov/abt_ntsb/regions/aviation.htm |url-status=bot: unknown }} The office relocated to Washington DC in early 2023.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

George Washington University and Strayer University have campuses in the area. In December 2009, it was announced that George Mason University was planning to set up a campus in Ashburn, to be located at Exit 6 off the Dulles Greenway.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/14/AR2009121401895.html |title=Developer donates land for George Mason campus in Loudoun|last=Kravitz|first=Derek |date=December 14, 2009 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date= December 19, 2009}}

{{Main|Loudoun County Public Schools}}

Educational institutions in Ashburn are operated by the Loudoun County Public Schools.

Ashburn's elementary schools include Ashburn Elementary School, Belmont Station Elementary School, Cedar Lane Elementary School, Creighton's Corner Elementary, Discovery Elementary School, Dominion Trail Elementary School, Hillside Elementary School, Legacy Elementary School, Madison's Trust Elementary, Mill Run Elementary School, Moorefield Station Elementary School, Newton-Lee Elementary School, Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School, Sanders Corner Elementary School, Steuart W. Weller Elementary School, and Sycolin Creek Elementary School.

Ashburn's public middle schools include Eagle Ridge Middle School, Farmwell Station Middle School, Stone Hill Middle School, Brambleton Middle School, Trailside Middle School, and Belmont Ridge Middle School.

Public high schools in Ashburn include Briar Woods High School, Broad Run High School, Independence High School, Rock Ridge High School, and Stone Bridge High School.{{Cite web|url=http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/loudoun/pages/static_district_homepage.asp |title=Loudoun County Public Schools: Official Website |publisher=loudoun.k12.va.us |year=2010 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722034241/http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/loudoun/pages/static_district_homepage.asp |archive-date=July 22, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

There are six private schools in Ashburn: Loudoun School for Advanced Studies, [https://www.stsashburn.com/ St. Theresa Catholic School], Virginia Academy, Leport School, The Loudoun Country Day School, and County Christian School.

Media covering Ashburn include Leesburg Today, and the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

Ashburn is served by two Washington Metro Silver Line stations. After passing through Dulles Airport, the Silver Line enters Ashburn in the median of the Dulles Greenway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dullesmetro.com/silver-line-stations/|title=Silver Line Stations|website=www.dullesmetro.com}} The first stop in Ashburn is Loudoun Gateway station, with Ashburn station serving as the terminus. Originally planned to open in 2016, the opening was pushed back by multiple delays and finally opened on November 15, 2022.{{Cite news|date=November 2012|title=Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Newsletter|url=http://dullesmetro.com/news-and-updates/newsletters/november-december-2012/}}{{cite web |title='Extreme disappointment' — Metro revises plan to bring back 7000 Series cars; Silver Line delayed |url=https://wtop.com/tracking-metro-24-7/2022/03/extreme-disappointment-metro-revises-plan-to-bring-back-7000-series-cars-silver-line-delayed/ |website=WTOP News |access-date=March 27, 2022 |language=en |date=March 24, 2022}}

Ashburn's fire and emergency medical services are provided by the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System. Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department (AVFRD) is a volunteer company under LC-CFRS, and serves Ashburn with Stations 6 and 22, which are located near Inova Loudoun Hospital. LC-CFRS career staff operate Moorefield Station 23, near Ashburn station (Washington Metro). The Ashburn area is served by the Inova Ashburn Healthplex Emergency Room at the corner of the Dulles Greenway and Loudoun County Parkway as well as Inova Loudoun Hospital, located less than {{convert|2|mi}} from Ashburn in neighboring Lansdowne, and by larger hospitals in the Washington suburbs and city.

{{unreferenced section|date=November 2020}}

• Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders defensive end
• J. B. Bukauskas, Major League Baseball player
• Ashley Caldwell, freestyle skier, member of the US team for the 2010 Winter Olympics
• Taylor Clarke, Major League Baseball player
• Nate Davis, Chicago Bears offensive lineman
• Emily Fox, soccer player and 2024 Olympic gold medalist for the United States{{Cite news |last=Goff |first=Steven |date=February 21, 2023 |title=Emily Fox emerges as the USWNT's versatile 'game changer' ahead of World Cup |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/02/21/emily-fox-uswnt-versatility/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}
• Carl C. Johnson, retired U.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Army officer and last Tuskegee Airmen cadet pilot graduate{{Cite news |title=Heroism amid bigotry: He was the last Tuskegee Airman to earn his wings and fly |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/heroism-amid-bigotry-he-was-the-last-tuskegee-airman-to-earn-his-wings-and-fly/2016/09/15/36989576-7441-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html |access-date=April 26, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}
• Trace McSorley, Washington Commanders quarterback
• Wilson Pickett, singer{{Cite news|last=Brulliard|first=Karin|date=January 28, 2006|title=A Soulman's Suburban Twilight Ashburn Neighbors of Singer Wilson Pickett's Say They Saw Few Remnants of His Wild Side|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/01/28/a-soulmans-suburban-twilight-span-classbankheadashburn-neighbors-of-singer-wilson-picketts-say-they-saw-few-remnants-of-his-wild-sidespan/d48f6661-7c52-40f9-bb6f-30fbc9ffd123/|url-status=dead|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=December 6, 2021|archive-date=August 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827180311/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/01/28/a-soulmans-suburban-twilight-span-classbankheadashburn-neighbors-of-singer-wilson-picketts-say-they-saw-few-remnants-of-his-wild-sidespan/d48f6661-7c52-40f9-bb6f-30fbc9ffd123/}}

{{Portal|Virginia}}

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Loudoun County, Virginia
• Ashburn Presbyterian Church
• Belmont Manor House
• Broad Run Bridge and Tollhouse
• Janelia mansion, located on Janelia Farm Research Campus
• Ashburn Colored School
• Edelman Financial Field

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Ashburn, Virginia}}

{{Wikivoyage|Ashburn (Virginia)}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051022200942/http://www.ashburnweb.com/ Ashburn guide]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Loudoun County, Virginia

|North = Lansdowne

|Northeast = University Center

|East = Dulles Town Center
Sterling

|Southeast = Herndon

|South = Dulles International Airport

|Southwest = Broadlands

|West = Gleedsville

|Northwest = Belmont

}}

{{Loudoun County, Virginia}}

{{Virginia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Census-designated places in Loudoun County, Virginia

Category:Census-designated places in Virginia

Category:Washington metropolitan area