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Centreville
Census-designated Place (CDP)
An aerial view of SR 28 (bottom), I-66 (left) and US 29 (right) in Centreville in July 2019
Location of Centreville in Fairfax County, Virginia
CentrevilleShow map of Northern VirginiaCentrevilleShow map of VirginiaCentrevilleShow map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°50′33″N 77°26′33″W / 38.84250°N 77.44250°W / 38.84250; -77.44250
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Fairfax
Area
• Census-designated Place (CDP)	12.05 sq mi (31.2 km)
• Land	11.94 sq mi (30.9 km)
• Water	.11 sq mi (0.3 km)
Elevation	384 ft (117 m)
Population
• Census-designated Place (CDP)	73,518
• Density	6,157/sq mi (2,377/km)
• Urban	4,586,770
• Metro	6,385,162
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	20120-20122
Area code(s)	703, 571
FIPS code	51-14440
GNIS feature ID	1491083

Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. It had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County as of the 2020 U.S. census

Centreville is approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Washington, D.C.

History

Colonial period

Beginning in the 1760s, the area was known as Newgate due to the popularity of the conveniently located Newgate tavern. William Carr Lane operated the tavern and was co-proprietor of a nearby store with James Lane, Jr. The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a London prison. The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association. Another reason for it being named Newgate, was the fact that it was a "new gate" to the western territories.

18th century

The town of Centerville, shortly later spelled Centreville, was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the Virginia General Assembly in response to petitions by local landowners. The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the Northwest Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town (later Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later Warrenton), and Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children. At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of Loudoun County, Virginia, and became part of Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.

Town development established a pattern of mixed residential and commercial use. Frame houses, several taverns, stores, blacksmith shops, tan yards, and a school house were constructed on the 1/2-acre town lots.

American Civil War

In the American Civil War, several battles were fought nearby including the First Battle of Manassas, the Second Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Chantilly.

During the winter of 1861 and early 1862 the town was significantly fortified by the Confederacy and served as a supply depot for both sides at various points in the war, and is famous for being the site of the construction of the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use, the Centreville Military Railroad. Centreville was of significant strategic value due to its proximity to several important roads, while its position atop a high ridge provided a commanding view of the surrounding area. The town was frequently associated with Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, whose partisan rangers used its hillsides and farms as a base of operations, leading to the sobriquet "Mosby's Confederacy".

20th and 21st centuries

Like much of Northern Virginia, Centreville experienced sustained population growth in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2021, the town has grown significantly. There are numerous shopping centers built around the town center.

Geography

Centreville is located at 38°50′33″N 77°26′33″W / 38.84250°N 77.44250°W / 38.84250; -77.44250 (38.842470, −77.442621).

According to the United States Census Bureau (2010), the CDP has a total area of 12.04 square miles (31.2 km), 99% of it land.

Climate

Like Washington D.C., Centreville features a mid-latitude, four seasons version of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), typical of the Mid-Atlantic region, including strong hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa) influences under the Köppen system. Winters are chilly and damp, with frost at night and some snow, while summers are hot and wet, with subtropical temperatures although these temperatures are hardly more bearable than in the south.

Demographics

2020 Census

At the 2020 census (some information from the 2022 American Community Survey) there were 73,518 people, 25,931 housing units and 25,398 households residing in the CDP. The population density was 6,157.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,379.2/km). The average housing unit density was 2,171.8 per square mile (839.2/km). The racial makeup of the CDP was 43.03% White, 7.69% African American, 0.50% Native American, 30.03% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 7.89% from other races, and 10.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 16.08% of the population.

Of the households, 57.5% were married couple families, 13.1% were a male family householder with no spouse, and 24.1% were a female family householder with no spouse. The average family household had 3.18 people.

The median age was 40.2, 21.4% of people were under the age of 18, and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The largest ancestry is the 10.6% who had English ancestry, 41.0% spoke a language other than English at home, and 33.4% were born outside the United States, 80.1% of whom were naturalized citizens.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $131,444, and the median income for a family was $152,605. 5.0% of the population were military veterans, and 57.2% had a bachelor's degree or higher. In the CDP 5.5% of the population was below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over, with 6.7% of the population without health insurance.

Transportation

Centreville is served by three major roads. U.S. Route 29, the main artery through the town, enters Centreville from the west. Virginia Route 28 enters from the south and interchanges with U.S. Route 29 in between Centreville's two main shopping centers. SR 620 (Braddock Road) has several stretches of pavement in Centreville. Interstate 66 comes from the south-west and interchanges with both routes before heading toward Washington, D.C., in the east or western Virginia. The three roads are part of an interesting, if not frustrating traffic pattern. Drivers heading north on SR 28 are able to exit onto Interstate 66 eastbound, but they must use a one-mile (1.6 km) stretch of US 29 to access the westbound side of the Interstate. Likewise, eastbound Interstate 66's Exit 53 only provides access to SR 28 northbound; one must use Exit 52 and the same stretch of US 29 to reach SR 28 south.

The area is served by several Fairfax Connector bus routes connecting to the Metrorail system: 640, 641, 642.

Notable people

• Megan Ambuhl, former U.S. Army soldier connected to Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
• Chris Beatty, wide receivers coach, Chicago Bears
• Jayson Blair, former New York Times journalist accused of plagiarism
• David L. Brewer III, retired U.S. Navy admiral and former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District
• Mike Glennon, American football player
• Sean Glennon, former football player
• Helon Habila, professor and author
• Abul Hussam, inventor of Sono arsenic filter and winner of the Grainger Challenge Prize Gold Award in 2007
• George Juskalian, decorated U.S. Army officer and veteran of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War
• S.C. Megale, author and screenwriter
• Will Montgomery, former professional football player
• Dustin Pague, professional mixed martial artist
• Ludacris, American rapper and actor; attended Centreville High School for one year
• Eddie Royal, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears; graduated from Westfield High School
• Scott Secules, NFL football player
• Brandon Snyder, MLB 1st round draft pick in 2005 by the Baltimore Orioles; attended Westfield High School
• Ormond Stone, astronomer, mathematician, and educator who founded the Fairfax County Public Library
• Richard Taylor, professional American football player
• William J. Thaler, experimental physicist
• Don Warren, former professional American football player
• Sebra Yen, figure skater

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Residents of Centreville are zoned to schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools.

Centreville has two middle schools, Liberty Middle School and Ormond Stone Middle School. Some Centreville middle school students also go to Rocky Run Middle School.

Centreville High School, which is located within the postal boundaries of Clifton, serves much of Centreville. Some of Centreville is served by Chantilly High School and by Westfield High School, the latter opening in 2000. Both Chantilly High School and Westfield High School are located in Chantilly.

The only high school still within Centreville proper is Mountain View Alternative High School. It occupies the building formerly used by Centreville Elementary School.

Although a Loudoun County school, Cardinal Ridge Elementary has a Centreville address.

Public libraries

Fairfax County Public Library operates the Centreville Regional Library in the CDP.

Nearby towns and communities

• Chantilly-South Riding (1 mile NW)
• Clifton (5 miles SE)
• Fair Lakes (4.5 miles E)
• Manassas (6 miles S)
• Oakton (10 miles E)

Notes

1. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
2. Official records for Washington, D.C. were kept at 24th and M Streets NW from January 1872 to June 1945, and at Reagan National Airport since July 1945.

External links

• "Why is it named Centreville?", Ghosts of DC, October 17, 2013

References

1. ^ "Centreville CDP, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Fairfax County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
5. William Carr Lane obtained an ordinary (tavern) license in 1768, Loudoun County Court Order Book of 1768.
6. Virginia Gazette, Publisher: Rind, p.2, col.3, January 17, 1771 "Virginia Gazette". Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
7. Town plat, Library of Virginia
8. John Stuart Alexander, and Others, Legislative Petitions, Loudoun County, October 3, 1792, Reel 111, Box 142, Folder 39, Library of Virginia. (Second petition)
9. John Stuart Alexander, and Others, Legislative Petitions, Fairfax County, November 20, 1790, Reel 49, Box 69, Folder 36, Library of Virginia
10. Sweig, Donald (1992). Fairfax County Virginia: A History. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax, Virginia, p.45. ISBN 0-9601630-1-8
11. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
12. "Threaded Station Extremes". threadex.rcc-acis.org.
13. "WMO Climate Normals for WASHINGTON DC/NATIONAL ARPT VA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
14. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
15. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
16. "Washington, DC - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
17. "CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING (1790–2000)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
18. Population recorded when the census tabulated figures of unincorporated places for the first time. 1880 Census of Population
19. Layla Wilder, Loudoun Times, Frey OKs Route 28 median Archived January 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine April 12, 2007; accessed October 13, 2007
20. "CHEM 321 - Quantitative Chemical Analysis". gmu.edu. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
21. "Ludacris tells Lindsay Czarniak that he attended Centreville High School for a year". Washington Post.
22. "Scott Secules". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
23. BaseballAmerica – stats for Brandon Snyder
24. "Library Branches." Fairfax County Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
25. "Centreville CDP, Virginia." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.

v t e Municipalities and communities of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
County seat: Fairfax
Towns	Clifton Herndon Vienna
CDPs	Annandale Bailey's Crossroads Belle Haven Braddock Bull Run Burke Burke Centre Centreville Chantilly Crosspointe Difficult Run Dranesville Dunn Loring Fair Lakes Fair Oaks Fairfax Station Floris Fort Belvoir Fort Hunt Franconia Franklin Farm George Mason Great Falls Great Falls Crossing Greenbriar Groveton Hayfield Huntington Hutchison Hybla Valley Idylwood Kings Park Kings Park West Kingstowne Lake Barcroft Laurel Hill Lincolnia Long Branch Lorton Mantua Mason Neck McLean McNair Merrifield Mount Vernon Navy Newington Newington Forest North Springfield Oakton Pimmit Hills Ravensworth Reston Rose Hill Seven Corners South Falls Church South Run Springfield Sully Square Tysons Union Mill Wakefield West Falls Church West Springfield Wolf Trap Woodburn Woodlawn
Other communities	Accotink Arcturus Barkers Crossroads Blevinstown Colchester Cooktown Culmore Doveville Farrs Corner Five Forks Gum Springs Hattontown Hollin Hills Hollindale Jermantown Langley Lewinsville New Alexandria Oak Hill Odricks Corner Pohick Shady Oak Sleepy Hollow South Alexandria Uniontown West McLean
Ghost town(s)	Matildaville
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