View over I-395 towards the Pentagon, with the Washington Monument in the background

Northern Virginia (or NoVA) is highly populated, and smashes most all stereotypes of Virginia, that one-time Southern state. Though much of it is considered a suburb of metropolitan Washington, D.C., the inner suburbs are really cities in their own right, with world class attractions and nightlife, and the ensuing sprawl is likewise dense with its own attractions and culinary gems.

Regions

Northern Virginia regions - Color-coded map — switch to interactive map

Northern Virginia regions - Color-coded map

Arlington County Although it is a suburb, Arlington is abundant in cultural vibrancy with its own fast-paced urban atmosphere. One can enjoy the nightlife scene in areas such as Clarendon or a quick metro ride into DC.

City of Alexandria Alexandria is one of the largest urban centers in Virginia. Neighboring DC from across the Potomac River, Alexandria is rich in historic culture through Old Town Alexandria along with great amenities for shopping, dining, boating, and colonial history.

Fairfax County Fairfax County is an inner suburb that is, by far, the state's most populous county with a large presence of immigrant communities that add to the county's growing diverse culture. This can be seen through the variety of restaurants, businesses, neighborhoods, etc. George Washington's estate and three of the largest shopping areas in the region (Tysons Corner, Springfield Mall and Fair Oaks Mall)

Loudoun County Loudoun County contrasts rural mountainous areas near the West Virginia border and highly developed suburbs in the east, which make it the wealthiest county in the US. Contains the massive Dulles International Airport and Leesburg Outlets.

Prince William County Outside the beltway, Prince William County is home to the largest concentration of minorities in Northern Virginia with African, Arab, African-American, and Hispanic communities. It hosts the Manassas National Battlefield Park, the Potomac Outlets, Quantico, and the National Marine Museum.

Spotsylvania County Spotsylvania County is the southernmost suburb of Washington DC about an hour away. There are many attractions such as Spotsylvania Towne Centre, Kalahari Resort, and strip malls in the northern part of the county along Route 1 and Route 3. North towards Fredericksburg, there are the fairgrounds and a historic downtown area.

Stafford County Stafford County is an outer suburb approximately 45 minutes south of Washington DC. Garrisonville Road is home to shopping areas such as Stafford Market Place and strip malls. In southern Stafford toward Fredericksburg is George Washington's boyhood home at Ferry Farm. Many trails for recreation can be found throughout the county.

Cities and towns

• 1 City of Fairfax — the county seat of massive Fairfax County, but retaining a quaint colonial downtown.
• 2 City of Fredericksburg — Historic downtown area complimented by civil war history accompanied by strip malls and various shopping and dining options
• 3 City of Manassas — Manassas is rich in Civil War history from the eastern theatre. Today Manassas has the largest percentage of Hispanic residents in Virginia and is evident through the culture of the city.
• 4 Leesburg — seat of Loudoun County, with a historic downtown and outlet shopping beyond.
• 5 Quantico - A small town in Prince William County home to the Marine Corps Base and the National Marine Corps Museum
• 6 Reston — an early "New Town" planned community, with abundant green space, arts, and dining amidst office towers and condominiums.
• 7 Springfield — Located along the Capitol Beltway, Springfield puts you on the doorstep of D.C. providing easy access to the city via metro or enjoy the amenities nearby such as Springfield Town Center
• 8 Vienna — Sachertortes, mountain scenery, lederhosen, the waltz—wait, just kidding! But it's home to the big Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center, and right next to Tysons Corner shopping malls.
• 9 Woodbridge — Largest concentration of minorities within the Northern Virginia area shown through diverse restaurants, stores, etc., and also home to Potomac Mills shopping outlets

Other destinations

George Washington's residence at Mount Vernon

Understand

Northern Virginia is emphasis on the Northern. No drawls here, the politics are liberal, and people aren't too sure what to make of grits. Actually, most Northern Virginians were born elsewhere, with nearly half of them either from a different country or born to immigrant parents. Outside the immigrant populations, which are fairly wealthy in their own right by any national standards, the native-born population is downright spectacularly wealthy. Polo shirts and khakis shorts rule, pearls adorn the night, mansions are so nouveau-riche (and prevalent), and world class golf is in every direction.

Northern Virginia has always been closely tied with the nation's capital. This part of the state benefits from the history and the cultural aspects of Washington D.C., featuring famous museums, cemeteries, and the home of the first president of the United States. Arlington and Alexandria, in particular, are every bit as dense urban areas as D.C. — if not more so. Fairfax County is only slightly less dense, and, with over one million residents, is the most populous county in the state by far.

Much of the northeastern corner of Virginia, aside from the cores of Arlington and Alexandria, was farmland for most of its history until the period immediately following World War II, when government employment increased and the population around Washington D.C. began to grow. The area experienced another explosion in growth due to tech industry jobs in the early 1990s. Today it remains one of the fastest growing areas of the country. While Northern Virginia continues to expand, the region ranges from crowded planned cities with excellent shopping to soccer-mom suburbia, from ethnic neighborhoods full of authentic restaurants to the upper-crust style of the Hunt Country.

Get in

By plane

Dulles International Airport

• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD ^IATA)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA ^IATA)
• Leesburg Municipal Airport (charter and private planes only, no commercial service)
• Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI ^IATA)

Northern Virginia has two big airports: Ronald Reagan National (DCA ^IATA) in Arlington, and Washington Dulles International (IAD ^IATA) in Sterling. Baltimore-Washington International (BWI ^IATA) is often cited as the area's third airport, but if you factor in the $100 (or more) cab ride, that Southwest Airlines flight isn't as good a deal as it seemed, right?

Private and charter craft can also land at Leesburg Municipal.

By car

A good long list of major interstates lead into Northern Virginia. I-495 (the Capital Beltway) and I-95 both lead into Arlington and Alexandria from Maryland, with I-395 being a special extension of I-95 at the Beltway into Washington, D.C. from the south. Some of the worst traffic in the region can be found along the I-95 corridor between Springfield and the Fredericksburg area. This is due to US-1 and I-95 both being major highways for East Coast travel through Virginia to Washington, DC and also the primary roads for travel around the area's suburban sprawl. Continuing south of Fredericksburg will take you to central Virginia, home to Richmond, the state capital. On the Maryland side of I-495, you can pick up I-95 north to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, or I-270 to I-70 to Pittsburgh and on to the Midwest.

I-66 (paralleling US-50) comes in from the Shenandoah Valley via Front Royal, west of which it connects with I-81. Note the highway east of I-495 is HOV-2 (two people per car except motorcycles) only in the direction of rush hour, 6-9:30AM and 4-6:30PM.

Traffic on all of these highways and many of the other arteries around them is very heavy during morning and afternoon rush hours (about 7-9:30AM and 3:30-7:30PM). Washington, DC area traffic is now considered the worst in the country.

By boat

Not a very common way to get to the region, but there are riverboat cruises and water taxis from DC.

By train

WMATA provides metro service from Washington, D.C. and Maryland via the Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Silver lines. The metro is relatively frequent and runs from early morning to late evening. Regional train service is provided by VRE that runs commuter trains from Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza in Washington D.C. to much further-out Northern Virginia suburbs.

For long-distance trains, there is Amtrak which has a hub in Alexandria in addition to Washington, D.C, and some Amtrak trains continue into other stations in Northern Virginia. From other parts of the state, there are daily services from Roanoke via Lynchburg and Charlottesville, and Newport News via Richmond.

Get around

• Taking Metrorail might be a good option - there are many stations within the Beltway (near Washington, DC, in other words), including one that emerges right outside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. It is also the easiest way to enter Washington, DC.
• Most of the region is car-centric, so driving is often the only feasible option. However, if you wish to enter Washington, DC, or cross the Beltway in either direction, the traffic is awful. The highways (I-395, I-95, I-495, and I-66) are extremely backed up during rush hour. The "Mixing Bowl" (the intersection of I-395, I-95, and I-495 south of Washington, DC) is especially notorious. Attempting to travel by road between 2PM and 6PM on any weekday (and, for that matter, on a weekend) is an exercise in frustration.
• There are many regional bus systems in the area (most of which accept payment via SmarTrip) but using them is unlikely to be a fast way to reach your destination. Check using Google Maps or their websites.
• Some areas have Capital Bikeshare, the DC area's bike rental system.

See

Sunset parade at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington

• The Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington is a national military cemetery that includes John F. Kennedy's tomb and the house of General Robert E. Lee. Visitors can watch the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
• Old Town Alexandria in the independent City of Alexandria. This highly walkable Old Town at the edge of the Potomac River features historic buildings, churches, museums and art galleries, a farmers market, and a variety of places to eat and shop.
• George Washington lived in the Mount Vernon country estate in Fairfax County.
• National Rifle Association Museum and Headquarters in Fairfax. Museum and firearms range.
• The Pentagon in Arlington; just across the Potomac River from downtown DC. While lingering is not recommended for security reasons, you should know it is the largest office building in the world, and covers 4 zip codes. (Army, Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense.) Tours can be booked online, but they fill up fast and requirements are strict.
• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center — National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly houses many air/spacecraft, including the SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane, the Concorde supersonic jet and the space shuttle "Enterprise".
• Manassas National Battlefield Park was the site of two major battles of the American Civil War, also known as the First and Second Battles of Bull Run.
• National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico is a fabulous museum, often and wrongly overlooked by those unaffiliated with the Marine Corps.
• National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir charts the history of the Army, from its beginnings as George Washington's Continental Army to a number of exhibits that showcase current technology and threats, such as cybersecurity and global cyberwarfare.

Do

National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico

• Great Falls Park, in McLean. Gorgeous national park with waterfalls and hiking trails, minutes from the beltway. Kayaking and rock climbing. Going to the park after a large rain storm provides different views as the water levels can change drastically.
• There are many great trails in the region, such as the 45-mile-long Washington & Old Dominion trail.

Buy

• Tysons Corner Center: is the D.C. area's biggest shopping mall attracting residents from nearby Washington DC and Maryland along with tourists visiting the area, set within its biggest suburban business center. Across the street is the more upscale Tysons Galleria.
• Fair Oaks Mall: upscale shopping mall featuring major department stores, specialty shops, and accessible via I-66 near City of Fairfax
• Leesburg Premium Outlets: Located 15 miles west of Dulles International Airport, Leesburg Outlets contain a collection of over 110 designer and name brand stores ranging from Saks Fifth Avenue, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren to Nike, Adidas, etc.
• Potomac Mills Outlets: in Woodbridge offers slightly better outlet shopping.
• Spotsylvania Towne Centre: provides a shopping mall combined with strip malls along Route 3 with recent housing and retail developments making this area an urban-suburban mix
• Springfield Town Center: conveniently located right before the capitol beltway, this area provided shoppers with amenities before they hit the inner shopping areas within the capital region, there is also a Dave and Busters located within the mall

Sleep

Two things to look for when comparing hotels in the region is distance to a Metro station (if you want easy access to DC) and an airport shuttle.

Go next

• Washington, D.C. — lots of memorials and other government attractions in the nation's capital.
• Maryland