Loudoun County, Virginia

Loudoun County, Virginia

Seal
Motto: "I Byde My Time"

Location in the state of Virginia

Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded 1757
Seat Leesburg
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
521 sq mi (1,349 km²)
520 sq mi (1,347 km²)
1 sq mi (3 km²), 0.24%
Population
 - (2010)
 - Density
312,311
600.6/sq mi (232/km²)
Website www.loudoun.gov

Loudoun County ( /ˈlaʊdən/ lowd-ən) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people,[1][2] an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth fastest-growing in the United States during that period. Its county seat is Leesburg.[3] As of 2007, the town had been county seat for 249 of the last 250 years.[4]

As of 2007, Loudoun County has the highest median household income of any county in the United States ($107,207), beating neighboring Fairfax County, Virginia ($105,241).[5] The two counties have been trading places as the highest-income county in the United States in recent years.

Contents

History

Loudoun County was established in 1757 from Fairfax County. The county is named for John Campbell, Fourth Earl of Loudoun and Governor of Virginia from 1756–59. Western settlement began in the 1720s and 1730s with Quakers, Scots-Irish, Germans and others moving south from Pennsylvania and Maryland and by English and African slaves moving upriver from Tidewater.

By the time of the American Revolution, it was the most populous county in Virginia. During the War of 1812, important Federal documents and government archives were evacuated from Washington and stored at Leesburg for safe keeping. Local tradition holds that these documents were stored at Rokeby House and thus that Leesburg was briefly the capital of the United States.

Early in the American Civil War, the Battle of Balls 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. During the Gettysburg Campaign in June 1863, Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart and Union cavalry clashed in the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. Confederate partisan John S. Mosby based his operations in Loudoun and adjoining Fauquier County (for a more in-depth account of the history of Loudoun County during the Civil War, see Loudoun County in the American Civil War).

Notable people

James Monroe constructed and resided at Oak Hill near Aldie after his presidency. American Civil War Brigadier General Robert H. Chilton (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 highlights his childhood in rural Virginia. Entertainer Arthur Godfrey lived near historic Waterford, Virginia. Loudoun County is also notable for being the birthplace of Julia Neale Jackson, mother of Stonewall Jackson,[6] and Susan Catherine Koerner, mother of the Wright Brothers.[7]

Government and politics

Presidential Election Results
Year Republican Democrat
2008 45.41% 63,336 53.66% 74,845
2004 55.69% 60,382 43.60% 47,271
2000 56.12% 42,453 40.89% 30,938
1996 52.13% 25,715 40.43% 19,942
1992 46.40% 19,290 34.79% 14,462
1988 66.26% 20,448 32.73% 10,101
1984 67.99% 17,765 31.49% 8,227
1980 58.93% 12,076 32.67% 6,694
1976 51.79% 9,192 45.05% 7,995
1972 69.46% 9,417 29.07% 3,941
1968 45.91% 4,577 32.72% 3,262
1964 37.72% 2,594 62.21% 4,278
1960 50.99% 2,526 48.43% 2,399

Loudoun County is one of the most Republican-leaning counties in Northern Virginia. Prior to the 2008 election, it had not voted for a Democrat for President since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In recent years, however, the county has experienced rapid growth in its eastern portion, driven mainly by commuters drawn by the close proximity to Washington, D.C. This has made Loudoun more competitive. Nevertheless, after giving Senator Barack Obama nearly 54% of its presidential vote in 2008, the county shifted back to the GOP in 2009; Republican Robert F. McDonnell received 61% of the gubernatorial vote. Voters also removed two incumbent Democratic delegates, making Loudoun's state House delegation all-Republican.

Like many counties in Virginia, Loudoun is governed by a board of supervisors, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The Chairman of the Board is elected by county voters at-large while the remaining supervisors are elected from each of eight electoral districts. All nine members serve concurrent terms of four years. While the board handles policy issues and sets the budget, day-to-day operations of the county government are handled by a County Administrator appointed by the board. The 2003 board, among other officials in Loudoun, was the subject of a federal investigation of possible corruption relating to a land deal involving the Royal Saudi Academy.[8]

In November 2007 voters removed four incumbent pro-growth Republicans from the existing Board of Supervisors in a backlash over rapid development in the eastern portion of the County. The make-up of the board following the election was five Democrats, two Republicans, and two Independents.[9] The current Chairman is Scott K. York and the current Vice-Chairman is Susan Klimek Buckley.

In November 2011, Republicans were elected to all nine seats on the Board.[10]

County Board of Supervisors
Position Name Party First Election District
  Chairman Scott K. York Independent 1999 At-Large
  Supervisor Jim G. Burton Independent 1995 Blue Ridge
  Supervisor Lori L. Waters Republican 2003 Broad Run
  Supervisor Sally R. Kurtz Democratic 1999 Catoctin
  Supervisor Stevens R. Miller Democratic 2007 Dulles
  Supervisor C. Kelly Burk Democratic 2007 Leesburg
  Supervisor Andrea C. McGimsey Democratic 2007 Potomac
  Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio Republican 1999 Sterling
  Supervisor Susan Klimek Buckley Democratic 2007 Sugarland Run
Constitutional Officers
Position Name Party First Election District
  Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson Independent 1996 County-Wide
  Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman Republican 2004 County-Wide
  Clerk of Circuit Court Gary Clemens Republican 2000 County-Wide
Representatives to the Virginia House of Delegates
Position Name Party First Election District
Delegate Robert G. Marshall Republican Party 1992 13
Delegate Thomas A. Greason Republican Party 2010 32
Delegate Joe T. May Republican Party 1994 33
Delegate James LeMunyon Republican Party 2010 67
Delegate Thomas D. Rust Republican Party 2002 86
Representatives to the Virginia State Senate
Position Name Party First Election District
Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel Republican Party 2008 27
Senator Mark Herring Democratic Party 2006 33

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Loudoun County has a total area of 521 square miles (1,350 km2), of which 520 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 1 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.24%) is water. It is bounded on the North by the Potomac River; across the river are Frederick and Montgomery counties in Maryland; it is bounded on the south by Prince William and Fauquier counties, on the west by watershed of the Blue Ridge Mountains across which are Jefferson County, West Virginia and Clarke County, and on the east by Fairfax County. The Bull Run Mountains and Catoctin Mountain bisect the county. To the west of the range is the Loudoun Valley. Bisecting the Loudoun Valley from Hillsboro to the Potomac River is Short Hill Mountain.

Street addresses

Block numbers in the unincorporated areas of Loudoun County, with the exception of older Sterling Park and the community of CountrySide, are assigned in the following manner: on north-south streets, block numbers increase from north to south and range from 10000 to 29900; on east-west streets, block numbers increase from west to east and range from 30000 to 49900.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Economy

Traditionally a rural 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 companies, including Verizon Business, Telos Corporation, Orbital Sciences Corporation, and Paxfire. Like Fairfax County's Dulles Corridor, Loudoun County has economically benefited from the existence of Washington Dulles International Airport, the majority of which is located in the county along its border with Fairfax. Loudoun does retain a strong rural economy in the western part of the county. 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, the county's growing wine industry has produced several internationally recognized wines. Loudoun now has 22 wineries[11] and over 25 active farms. Loudoun has rich soil and was in the mid-19th century a top wheat-producing county in the fourth largest wheat-producing state.[12]

MCI, Inc. (formerly WorldCom), a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, is headquartered in Ashburn, Loudoun County. It announced that it would move its headquarters to Ashburn in 2003.[13][14] AOL had its headquarters at 22000 AOL Way in Dulles in unincorporated Loudoun County.[15] In 2007 AOL announced that it would move its headquarters from Loudoun County to New York City; it would continue to operate its Virginia offices.[16] Orbital Sciences Corporation has its headquarters in Dulles.[17]

Before its dissolution, Independence Air (originally Atlantic Coast Airlines) was headquartered in Dulles.[18][19] At one time Atlantic Coast Airlines had its headquarters in Sterling.[20] Prior to its dissolution, MAXjet Airways was headquartered on the grounds of Washington-Dulles International Airport.[21]

Top employers

According to the County's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[22] the top employers in the county are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Loudoun County Public Schools 10,533
2 County of Loudoun 3,304
3 AOL 1,000-5,000
4 MCI 1,000-5,000
5 M. C. Dean 1,000-5,000
6 United States Department of Homeland Security 1,000-5,000
7 United Airlines 1,000-5,000
8 Loudoun Hospital Center 1,000-5,000
9 Orbital Sciences Corporation 1,000-5,000
10 United States Postal Service 1,000-5,000

Demographics

Historical populations
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%

As of the census of 2010,[23] there were 312,311 people, 104,583 households, and 80,494 families residing in the county. The population density was 606 people per square mile (234/km²). There were 109,442 housing units at an average density of 212 per square mile (82/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White, 7.3% Black or African American, 14.7% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.9% from other races, and 4% from two or more races. 12.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.7% were of German, 12.2% English, 13.2% Irish, 4.7% American and 7.1% Italian ancestry according to 2010 United States Census.

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, the population was spread out with 29.80% under the age of 18, 5.70% from 18 to 24, 38.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 5.60% who were 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 August 2008, Census survey data concluded that Loudoun County has the highest median income in the country at just over $107,000.[5] A 2007 estimate indicated that the median income for a household was $104,612, and the median income for a family was $125,381[24]

Government and infrastructure

The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Ashburn Aviation Field Office in Ashburn, an unincorporated area of Loudoun County.[25]

Fire and Rescue services are provided by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Department.

Towns

Incorporated towns

Unincorporated communities

Transportation

Airports

Loudoun County contains the Washington Dulles International and Leesburg Executive airports.

Bus

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

Education

The county is served by Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). LCPS currently serves over 50,000 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade and is currently the fifth largest school system in Virginia.[26][27] While there is a growing trend towards home schooling in the county, the vast majority of school age children in Loudoun County attend LCPS schools. Loudoun County schools recently ranked 11th in the United States in terms of educational achievement versus funds spent.[28] Loudoun County also sends students to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a Virginia Governor's School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Loudoun County is home to nine private schools: Loudoun Country Day School, a Pre-K–8 independent school located in Leesburg; Notre Dame Academy, an independent non-denominational day high school in Middleburg; the Foxcroft School, a boarding school for girls located in Middleburg; Dominion Academy, a Non-denominational Christian school, K–8 located in Leesburg; Leesburg Christian School, a K–12 school located in Leesburg; St. Theresa School, a K–8 Roman Catholic school located in Ashburn; Village Montessori School at Bluemont, an accredited Pre-K through Elementary Montessori school located 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 Ideal Schools High School, an independent non-demoninational 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 branch of Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling; George Washington University (satellite campus); George Mason University (satellite campus); Marymount University (satellite campus); Shenandoah University (satellite campus); and Strayer University (satellite campus).[29] Loudoun is also home to the Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Loudoun Hounds ALPB Baseball The Dog Yard 2012  

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ 2010 Census Interactive Population Search: VA - Loudoun County, US Census Bureau, http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=51:51107, retrieved December 7, 2011 
  2. ^ "Population Change and Components of Change, April 1, 2000 to April 1, 2010: Virginia Localities". Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service (University of Virginia). http://www.coopercenter.org/sites/default/files/demographics/Census_2000_to_2010_PopulationChange.xls. Retrieved September 8, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  4. ^ "Leesburg says county should stay". Loudoun Times-Mirror: p. A1. September 12, 2007. 
  5. ^ a b "Table 3. Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months for Ten of the Highest and Lowest Income Counties and Places With 250,000 or More People: 2007". Income, Earnings, and Poverty Data From the 2007 American Community Survey. US Census Bureau. p. 7. http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/acs-09.pdf. 
  6. ^ "Stonewall Jackson Ancestors". VMI Archives. Virginia Military Institute. http://www.vmi.edu/content.aspx?id=5005. "She was born 28 February 1798 near Aldie, Loudoun Co., VA." 
  7. ^ "Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Wright". AOPA ONLINE. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2003/03-2-095x.html. "Susan Catherine Koerner was born in tiny Hillsboro, Va." 
  8. ^ Laris, Michael; Somashekhar, Sandhya (February 7, 2007). "Loudoun Land Deals Subject of U.S. Probe". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020602056.html. 
  9. ^ Somashekhar, Sandhya (November 7, 2007). "Slow-Growth Board Candidates Win". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/06/AR2007110602651.html. 
  10. ^ Smith, Dusty (November 9, 2011). "Loudoun Goes Red, Big Time". Ashburn Patch. http://ashburn.patch.com/articles/loudoun-goes-red-big-time. 
  11. ^ "Loudon Is DC's Wine Country". Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association (Visit Loudoun). http://www.visitloudoun.org/Experience-Loudoun/Wine-Country/Wineries-Tasting-Rooms. 
  12. ^ "Early 19th-Century Milling and Wheat Farming". The History of Loudoun County, Virginia. http://www.loudounhistory.org/history/agriculture-mills-and-wheat.htm. "Since its settlement in the mid-1700s, Loudoun County has been acclaimed for its fertile soil. In the 1850s and 1860s, Virginia was the fourth largest wheat producing state, and Loudoun was one of the state's top-producing counties." 
  13. ^ MCI Inc (March 14, 2003). "Schedule 13D. Amendment to General Statement of Beneficial Ownership". Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.secinfo.com/dr8Pp.25j.htm. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  14. ^ Reuters news agency (April 14, 2003). "WorldCom to emerge from collapse". CNN (international ed.). http://edition.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/04/14/worldcom/. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  15. ^ "Company Overview". AOL. February 8, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080208121604/http://corp.aol.com/about-aol/company-overview. Retrieved May 7, 2009. 
  16. ^ Goldfarb, Zachary; Diaz, Sam (September 18, 2007). "AOL Moving Executives, Headquarters to New York". The Washington Post. p. A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700415.html. Retrieved May 7, 2009. 
  17. ^ "Contact Information". Orbital Sciences Corporation. http://www.orbital.com/About/Contact/. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  18. ^ "Company Information". Atlantic Coast Airlines. August 11, 2001. http://web.archive.org/web/20010811200720/www.atlanticcoast.com/company__information.shtm. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  19. ^ "Independence Air, Inc.". Bloomberg Businessweek. http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4220709. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  20. ^ "SKEEN, K. B.", Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives (Standard & Poor's Corp.) 2: 1012, 1998, http://books.google.com/books?id=xtdIAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Atlantic+Coast+Airlines%22+%22Sterling,+VA%22&dq=%22Atlantic+Coast+Airlines%22+%22Sterling,+VA%22&hl=en&ei=n2ZGTc7GDsKB8gbc07zvAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBA, retrieved January 31, 2011, "Atlantic Coast Airlines Inc., One Export Dr., Sterling, VA 20164" 
  21. ^ "Contact Us". MAXjet Airways. February 18, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070218094516/www.maxjet.com/contactUsAction.do. Retrieved September 25, 2009. 
  22. ^ "Comprehensive Annual Fiscal Report". County of Loudoun, Virginia. Fiscal year ended June 30, 2009. http://www.loudoun.gov/controls/speerio/resources/RenderContent.aspx?data=4a64c45aeb9842259138c0499b77fd76&tabid=322&fmpath=%2fComptroller+Office. 
  23. ^ "American Fact Finder". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. 
  24. ^ Loudoun County Fact Sheet, US Census Bureau, http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US51059&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US51%7C05000US51059&_street=&_county=loudoun&_cityTown=loudoun&_state=04000US51&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= 
  25. ^ "Regional Offices: Aviation." National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  26. ^ About Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools
  27. ^ 2005 Triennial school census, Virginia Department of Education
  28. ^ "Best And Worst School Districts For The Buck". Forbes. 07.05.07. http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools_2.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  29. ^ "Loudoun Guide 2006: Higher Education at Your Fingertips". The Washington Post. 2006. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/usersguides/loudoun/HighEd.html. 
  30. ^ "Biographical Sketch of John L. Dagg"
  31. ^ "John Leadley Dagg 1844-1854 Mercer University Presidents"
  32. ^ "Stevens Thomson Mason Biography (1811–43)"
  33. ^ "Pulitzer Prize Winners 1983"

External links

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