The Full Wiki

Loudoun County, Virginia: Map
Advertisements
  
  
  

Wikipedia article:

Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article:


Loudoun County ( "LOUD-un") is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginiamarker, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of July 1, 2008, the county is estimated to be home to 289,995 people, a 71 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth fastest-growing in the United Statesmarker during that period. Its county seat is Leesburgmarker . As of 2007, the town had been county seat for 249 of the last 250 years.

As of 2007, Loudoun County has the highest median household income in the United States at $107,207, beating neighboring Fairfax County at $105,241. The two counties have been trading places as the wealthiest county in the US in recent years.

History

Loudoun County was established in 1757 from Fairfax Countymarker. 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 Washingtonmarker and stored at Leesburgmarker 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 Bluffmarker 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 Aldiemarker, Middleburg, and Uppervillemarker. Confederate partisan John S. Mosby based his operations in Loudoun and adjoining Fauquier Countymarker (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 from Loudoun County

James Monroe constructed and resided at Oak Hillmarker near Aldiemarker 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 Manormarker in Leesburg. Entertainer Arthur Godfrey lived near historic Waterford, Virginiamarker. Loudoun County is also notable for being the birthplace of Julia Neale Jackson, mother of Stonewall Jackson, and Susan Catherine Koerner, mother of the Wright Brothers.

Law and government

Presidential elections 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


Like all counties in Virginia, Loudoun is governed by a board of supervisors. The Chairman of the Board is elected by the voters at-large while the remaining supervisors are elected from each of eight election districts in the county. 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.

In November 2007, county voters removed four incumbent Republicans from the existing Board of Supervisors. The make-up of the board following the election was five Democrats, two Republicans, and two Independents.

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 (1,346 km²) of it is land and 1 square mile (3 km²) of it (0.24%) is water. It is bounded on the North by the Potomac River; across the river are Frederickmarker and Montgomerymarker counties in Maryland; it is bounded on the south by Prince Williammarker and Fauquiermarker counties, on the west by watershed of the Blue Ridge Mountains across which are Jefferson Countymarker, West Virginiamarker and Clarkemarker County, and on the east by Fairfaxmarker County. The Bull Run Mountainsmarker and Catoctin Mountainmarker bisect the county. To the west of the range is the Loudoun Valley. Bisecting the Loudoun Valley from Hillsboromarker to the Potomac River is Short Hill Mountainmarker.

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, and Orbital Sciences Corporation. Like Fairfax County's Dulles Corridor, Loudoun County has economically benefited from the existence of Washington Dulles International Airportmarker, 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 Parkmarker International Equestrian Center which hosts national horse trials. Loudoun has 19 wineries and over 25 active farms. Loudoun has rich soil and was in the late 1800s the fourth-largest wheat producer in the U.S.

MCI, Inc. (formerly WorldCom) is headquartered in Ashburnmarker, Loudoun County. It announced that it would move its headquarters to Ashburn in 2003. AOL had its headquarters at 22000 AOL Way in Dullesmarker in unincorporated Loudoun County. In 2007 AOL announced that it would move its headquarters from Loudoun County to New York Citymarker; it would continue to operate its Virginia offices. Orbital Sciences Corporation has its headquarters in Dulles.

Before its dissolution, Independence Air (originally Atlantic Coast Airlines) was headquartered in Dulles. Prior to its dissolution, MAXjet Airways was headquartered on the grounds of Washington-Dulles International Airportmarker and in Dulles.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 169,599 people, 59,900 households, and 45,044 families residing in the county. The population density was 326 people per square mile (126/km²). There were 62,160 housing units at an average density of 120 per square mile (46/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.79% White, 6.89% Black or African American, 5.35% Asian, 0.21% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.26% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 5.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.0% were of German, 11.8% Irish, 10.9% English, 9.0% Americanmarker and 6.6% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

According to the 2006 American Community Survey 72.0% of Loudoun County's population was white; 7.6% of the population was African-American. 0.1% were Native Americans; Asians were 13.1%. 4.9% of the population was of some other race and 2.3% of people reported being of two or more races. Latinos of any race were 9.7% of the population. 21.0% of the population was foreign born, up from 11.27% in 2000 and 5.67% in 1990.

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. A 2007 estimate indicated that the median income for a household was $104,612, and the median income for a family was $125,381

Towns

Incorporated towns



Unincorporated communities



Education

The county is served by Loudoun County Public Schoolsmarker (LCPS). LCPS currently serves over 50,000 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade and is currently the fifth largest school system in Virginia. 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. Loudoun County also sends students to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technologymarker, a Virginia Governor's School in Alexandria, Virginiamarker.

Loudoun County is home to six private schools: Loudoun Country Day School, a Pre-K–8 independent school located in Leesburg; Notre Dame Academymarker, an independent non-denominational day high school in Middleburgmarker; 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; and 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.

In terms of post-secondary education, Loudoun County is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including: Patrick Henry Collegemarker; a branch of Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling; George Washington Universitymarker (satellite campus); George Mason Universitymarker (satellite campus); Marymount Universitymarker (satellite campus); Old Dominion Universitymarker (satellite campus); Shenandoah Universitymarker (satellite campus); and Strayer University (satellite campus).. Loudoun is also home to the Janelia Farm Research Campusmarker of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Famous people from Loudoun County

  • John L. Dagg (1794-1884) – Baptist theologian, pastor, educator, and president of Mercer University, GA (1844-54)
  • Stevens T. Mason (1811-1843) – First governor of Michigan (Democrat, 1837-40)
  • Russell Baker (1925- ) – Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Growing Up (1983, Autobiography)


References

  1. [1]
  2. Loudoun Times-Mirror, "Leesburg says county should stay", September 12, 2007, Page A1
  3. [2]
  4. Virginia Military Institute Archives, Jackson Genealogy
  5. "Happy Mother's Day, Ms Wright", Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
  6. Loudoun Land Deals Subject of U.S. Probe, The Washington Post, 7 February, 2007
  7. Slow-Growth Board Candidates Win, The Washington Post, 7 November, 2007
  8. Wine Country, Visit Loudoun
  9. "Early 19th-Century Milling and Wheat Farming", Loudoun History
  10. " MCI Inc - SC 13D/A - LCC International Inc ." Securities and Exchange Commission. March 14, 2003. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  11. " WorldCom to emerge from collapse." CNN. Monday April 14, 2003. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  12. " Company Overview." AOL. February 8, 2008. Retrieved on May 7, 2009.
  13. Goldfarb, Zachary and Sam Diaz. " Washington Post - AOL Moving Executives, Headquarters to New York." The Washington Post. Tuesday September 18, 2007. A01. Retrieved on May 7, 2009.
  14. " Contact Information." Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  15. " Company Information." Atlantic Coast Airlines. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  16. " Independence Air, Inc." Businessweek. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  17. " Contact Us." MAXjet Airways. February 18, 2007. Retrieved on September 25, 2009.
  18. 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®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census Factfinder: Loundon County
  19. About Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools
  20. 2005 Triennial school census, Virginia Department of Education
  21. "Biographical Sketch of John L. Dagg"
  22. "John Leadley Dagg 1844-1854 Mercer University Presidents"
  23. "Stevens Thomson Mason Biography (1811–43)"
  24. "Pulitzer Prize Winners 1983"


External links




Embed code:
Advertisements






Got something to say? Make a comment.
Your name
Your email address
Message