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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement {{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Leesburg, Virginia | name = Leesburg
|settlement_type = ] | settlement_type = ]
|nickname = | named_for = ]
|motto = | motto =
| image_skyline = Center of Leesburg, Virginia 2012.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = Center of Leesburg in 2012
| image_flag = <!--Flag of Leesburg, Virginia.svg-->
| image_seal = Seal of Leesburg, Virginia.png
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Leesburg, Virginia.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Logo
| pushpin_map = USA Virginia Northern#USA Virginia#USA
| pushpin_label = Leesburg
| pushpin_label_position =
| image_map1 =
| mapsize1 =
| map_caption1 =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 = Virginia
| subdivision_type2 = ]
| subdivision_name2 = ]
| government_footnotes =
| government_type = ]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = ] ]
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 = ] ]
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = October 12, 1758
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web |title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files –Virginia |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_51.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318023317/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_51.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>
| area_magnitude =
| area_total_km2 = 32.29
| area_total_sq_mi = 12.47
| area_land_km2 = 32.11
| area_land_sq_mi = 12.40
| area_water_km2 = 0.18
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.07
| population_as_of = ]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/leesburgtownvirginia/PST045221 |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Leesburg town, Virginia |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |website=data.census.gov |access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>
| population_total = 48250
| pop_est_as_of = 2021
| pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Census Estimate">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html |date=May 24, 2020 |title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420062715/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_est = 48908
| population_density_km2 = 1673.07
| population_density_sq_mi = 4333.17<!-- 2019 est. -->
| timezone = ]
| utc_offset = &minus;5
| timezone_DST = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = &minus;4
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_ft = 341
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q1012089|region:US-VA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type = ]s
| postal_code = 20175-20178
| area_code = ], ]
| blank_name = ]
| blank_info = 51-44984
| blank1_name = ] feature ID
| blank1_info = 1498505<ref name="GR3">{{cite gnis|1498505|Leesburg}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|www.leesburgva.gov}}
}}
'''Leesburg''' is a town in and the ] of ], United States. It is part of both the ] region of the state and the ], including ], the nation's capital.


European settlement in the area began around 1740,{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} when it was named for the ], early colonial leaders of the town.<ref name="Town history">{{Cite web |url=https://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/research-reference-services/research-guides-book-indices/history-of-leesburg/early-settlement-and-founding |title=Early Settlement & Founding |publisher=Town of Leesburg |access-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320070037/https://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/research-reference-services/research-guides-book-indices/history-of-leesburg/early-settlement-and-founding |url-status=live }}</ref> Located in the far northeast of the state, in the ] it was a refuge for important federal documents evacuated from Washington, D.C., and in the ], it changed hands several times.
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline =
|imagesize =
|image_caption =
|image_flag =
|image_seal =


Leesburg is {{convert|33|mi}} west-northwest of Washington, D.C., along the base of ] and close to the ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Head |first=James W. |title=History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia |url=https://archive.org/details/historyandcompre17485gut}}</ref> The town is the northwestern terminus of the ], a private ] that connects to the ] at ]. Its population was 48,250 as of the 2020 Census<ref name="Census 2020" /> and an estimated 48,908 in 2021. It is Virginia's largest incorporated ] within a county.
<!-- Maps -->
|image_map = VAMap-doton-Leesburg.PNG
|mapsize = 250x200px
|map_caption = Location of Leesburg, Virginia
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =


Like much of Loudoun County, Leesburg has undergone considerable growth and development over the last 30 years, transforming from a small, rural, ] town to a ] ] for commuters to the national capital. Growth in the town and its immediate area to the east (]/]) concentrates along the Dulles Greenway and ], which roughly parallels the Potomac River between ] to the west and ] to the east.
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type = ]
|subdivision_name = ]
|subdivision_type1 = ]
|subdivision_name1 = ]
|subdivision_type2 = ]
|subdivision_name2 = ]


Leesburg is home to professional soccer team ] of the ] division who play their home matches at ].
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = Town Council-Manager
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Kristen C. Umstattd
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 =
|established_title =
|established_date =


The ]'s ] is in Leesburg.
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 32.3
|area_land_km2 = 32.1
|area_water_km2 = 0.19
|area_total_sq_mi = 12.5
|area_land_sq_mi = 12.4
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.1


==Toponym==
<!-- Population -->
Leesburg may have been named to honor the influential ]{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} or more generally for the ]. The name change was passed by an Act of Assembly in 1758.<ref name="Town history"/> ] and Phillip Ludwell Lee, two of Thomas' sons, were early town trustees.<ref name="GR3"/> The town is not named, as is sometimes thought, for ] (Thomas' great-grandnephew).
|population_as_of = ]
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 42616
|population_density_km2 = 1320.2
|population_density_sq_mi = 3419.2


==History==
<!-- General information -->
]
|timezone = ]
]
|utc_offset = -5
], also known as the Paxton mansion]]
|timezone_DST = EDT
].]]
|utc_offset_DST = -4
Prior to European settlement, the area around Leesburg was occupied by various ] tribes.
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 104
|elevation_ft = 341
|coordinates_display = inline,title
|coordinates_type = region:US_type:city
|latd = 39 |latm = 6 |lats = 33 |latNS = N
|longd = 77 |longm = 33 |longs = 28 |longEW = W


===17th century===
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
In 1670, ] (1670) testified that the entire Piedmont region had once been occupied by the ], but that the ] tribes, driven from the northwest, had occupied it for 400 years.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
|postal_code_type = ]s
|postal_code = 20175-20178
|area_code = ], ]
|blank_name = ]
|blank_info = 51-44984{{GR|2}}
|blank1_name = ] feature ID
|blank1_info = 1498505{{GR|3}}
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Leesburg''' is a city within and the ] of ], ], ] of America. Leesburg is located {{convert|33|mi|km|0}} west-northwest of ] along the base of ] and adjacent to the ].<ref>Head, James W. ''History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia.''</ref> Its population according the ] is 42,616. The town is also the northwestern terminus of the ], a private ] that connects to the ] at ].


In 1699, the ] ] (Conoy) moved to an island in the Potomac in the environs of Leesburg, and were there when the first known Europeans visited what is now Loudoun County.<ref name="Schneel">{{cite book |last=Scheel |first=Eugene |title=Loudoun Discovered: Communities and Crossroads, Volume Two, Leesburg and the Old Carolina Road |publisher=Friends of the Thomas Balch Library |location=Leesburg, VA |year=2002}}</ref>
Leesburg, like the rest of Loudoun, has undergone considerable growth and development over the last 30 years, transforming from a small, rural, ] town to a ] ] for commuters to the national capital. Current growth in the town and its immediate area to the east (]/]) concentrates along the Dulles Greenway and ], which roughly parallels the ] between ] to the west and ] to the east.


===18th century===
The ]'s ] is located in Leesburg.
What later became Old Carolina Road and is present day ] was a major route of travel between north and south for Native tribes. According to local historians, a pitched battle was fought near present Leesburg between the warring ] and ] tribes, neither of whom lived in the area.


A war party of Lenape had traveled from their home in ] and neighboring regions, all the way to ] to inflict a blow on their distant enemies, the Catawba. As they were returning northward, a party of Catawbas overtook them before they reached the ], but were defeated in a pitched battle {{convert|2|mi|0}} south of Leesburg. The surviving Lenape buried their dead in a huge ], and early settlers reported that they would return to this mound to honor their dead on the anniversary of this battle for many years thereafter. The date of this conflict is unknown, but it seems the Lenape and Catawba were at war in the 1720s and 1730s.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38130/38130-h/38130-h.htm |title=Legends of Loudoun |first=Harrison |last=Williams |pages=63–64 |year=1938 |publisher=Garrett & Massie |location=Richmond, VA |access-date=August 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013162251/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38130/38130-h/38130-h.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
==History==

European settlement near Leesburg began in the late 1730s as ] planters moved into the area from the south and east, establishing large farms and plantations.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Many of the ] were among those to settle in the area, including the Carters, Lees and Masons.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The genesis of Leesburg occurred sometime before 1755, when Nicholas Minor acquired land around the intersection of the Old Carolina Road and the Potomac Ridge Road on present-day ] and established a tavern there.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}


Despite lack of growth around the tavern, upon Loudoun County's formation in 1757, Minor dubbed the sparse collection of buildings about his tavern "George Town" in honor of the reigning monarch of ].{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The village's prosperity changed the following year when the British Colonial Council ordered the establishment of the county courthouse at the crossroads.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
===Pre-European===
Prior to European settlement, the area around Leesburg was occupied by various ] tribes. ] (1670) testified that the entire Piedmont region had once been occupied by the ], but that the ] tribes, driven from the northwest, had occupied it for 400 years. In 1699, the ] ] (Conoy) moved to an island in the Potomac in the environs of Leesburg, and were there when the first known Europeans visited what is now Loudoun.<ref>{{cite book |last=Scheel |first=Eugene |title=Loudoun Discovered: Communities and Crossroads, Volume Two, Leesburg and the Old Carolina Road |publisher=Friends of the Thomas Balch Library |location=Leesburg, Va. |year=2002}}</ref>


Minor had a town laid out on the traditional Virginia plan of six criss-cross streets. On October 12 of that year (1758), the ] founded the town of Leesburg upon the {{convert|60|acre|km2}} that Minor laid out.<ref name="Schneel"/> Leesburg was renamed to honor the influential ] and not, as is popular belief, his son ], who lived in Loudoun and brought up the bill to establish Leesburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgva.gov/visitors/history-of-leesburg |title=Town of Leesburg: A Brief History of Leesburg |work=Official website of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315000211/http://leesburgva.gov/visitors/history-of-leesburg |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2021}} When the post office was established in Leesburg in 1803, the branch was named "Leesburgh"; the "h" persisted until 1894.<ref name="Schneel"/><!-- p. 23 -->
What would become known as the Old Carolina Road (present day ]) was a major route of travel between north and south for Native tribes. According to local historians, a pitched battle was fought near present Leesburg between the warring ] and ] tribes, neither of whom lived in the area. A war party of Lenape had traveled from their home in ] and neighboring regions, all the way to ] to inflict a blow on their distant enemies, the Catawba. As they were returning northward, a party of Catawbas overtook them before they reached the Potomac, but were defeated in a pitched battle two miles (3&nbsp;km) south of Leesburg. The surviving Lenape buried their dead in a huge burial mound, and early settlers reported that they would return to this mound to honor their dead on the anniversary of this battle for many years thereafter. The date of this conflict is unknown, but it seems the Lenape and Catawba were indeed at war in the 1720s and 1730s.<ref>''Legends of Loudoun'', Harrison Williams, p. 63-64</ref>


===Colonial Era and Founding=== ===19th century===
During the ], Leesburg served as a temporary haven for the United States government and its archives, including the ] and the ] and portraits of early American leaders, including ], when it was forced to flee ] in the face of the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2008/jul/22/rokeby-house-becomes-nations-capital/ |title=Rokeby House Becomes Nation's Capital: Was Leesburg really the U.S. capital in 1814? |access-date=July 22, 2008 |archive-date=January 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111105315/http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2008/jul/22/rokeby-house-becomes-nations-capital/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When reconstruction began on the ], ] from quarries just south of Leesburg was used.<ref name="Schneel"/><!-- p.26 -->
European settlement of near Leesburg began in the late 1730s as tidewater planters moved into the area from the south and east establishing large farms and plantations. Many of the ] were among those to settle in the area including the Carters, Lees and Masons. The genesis of Leesburg occurred sometime before 1755 when ] acquired land around the intersection of the Old Carolina Road and the Potomac Ridge Road (present day ]) and established a tavern there. Despite lack of growth around the tavern, upon Loudoun's formation in 1757, Minor dubbed the sparse collection of buildings about his tavern "George Town" in honor of the reigning monarch of ]. The village's prosperity changed the following year when the British Colonial Council ordered the establishment of the county Court House at the crossroads. Accordingly Minor had a town laid out on the traditional Virginia plan of six criss-cross streets. On October 12 of that year (1758) the ] founded the town of Leesburg upon the {{convert|60|acre|km2}} that Minor laid out.<ref>Scheel, Eugene. ''Loudoun Discovered: Communities and Crossroads, Volume Two, Leesburg and the Old Carolina Road.'' Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Va. 2002.</ref> Leesburg was renamed to honor the influential ] and not, as is popular belief, his son ] who lived in Loudoun and brought up the bill to establish Leesburg, nor as is sometimes thought, ] (his great-grandnephew).<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref> Interestingly, when the post office was established in Leesburg in 1803 the branch was named "Leesburgh"; the 'h' persisted until 1894.<ref>Scheel, Eugene. p23</ref>


Early in the ], Leesburg was the site of the ], a small but significant ] victory. The battlefield, along the Potomac River {{convert|2|mi|0}} northeast of the town center, is marked by one of America's smallest national cemeteries. The town frequently changed hands over the course of the war as both armies traversed the area during the ] and ] campaigns.
===Antebellum===
During the ], Leesburg served as a temporary haven for the United States Government and its archives (including the ] and the ] and portraits of early American leaders) when it was forced to flee ] in the face of the ]. When reconstruction began on the Capitol, ] from quarries just south of Leesburg was used.<ref>Scheel, Eugene. p.26</ref>


The ] was fought just north of the town prior to its occupation by ] in September 1862.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Turner |editor1-first=Fitzhugh |title=Loudoun County and the Civil War |publisher=Willow Bend Books |location=Leesburg VA |year=1998}}</ref> Leesburg also served as a base of operations for Col. ] and his partisan ]. The local courthouse is among the few courthouses in Virginia that was not burned during the Civil War; the present one was built in 1894.
]]]
] at Dodona Manor in Leesburg, Virginia]]


In 1889, a 14-year-old black American ] was killed by a white mob at the town's freight depot; his murder would be the second of three recorded lynchings in ], between 1880 and 1902.<ref name="wamu">{{cite news |url=https://wamu.org/story/19/06/18/first-of-three-young-black-lynching-victims-in-loudoun-county-to-be-memorialized/ |access-date=November 9, 2022 |title=First Of Three Young, Black Lynching Victims In Loudoun County To Be Memorialized |date=June 18, 2019 |publisher=] |archive-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120205300/https://wamu.org/story/19/06/18/first-of-three-young-black-lynching-victims-in-loudoun-county-to-be-memorialized/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Civil War===
Early in the ] Leesburg was the site of the ], a resounding ] victory. The battlefield is marked by one of America's smallest national cemeteries. The town frequently changed hands over the course of the war as both armies traversed the area during the ] and ] campaigns. The ] was fought just north of the town prior to its occupation by ] in September 1862.<ref>Turner, Fitzhugh ed. ''Loudoun County and the Civil War.'' Willow Bend Books, Leesburg Va. 1998.</ref> Leesburg also served as a base of operations for Col. ] and his partisan Raiders, for whom the ] mascot is named (the Raiders). Some people consider the local courthouse among the few courthouses in Virginia not burned during the Civil War (1861–1865); in fact, it was not built until 1894.


===20th century=== ===20th century===
In the 20th century, Leesburg was the home of ] General ], architect of the famous ] that helped re-build ] after the war, and radio personality ], who donated land for the city's first airport. In the 20th century, Leesburg was the home of ] General ], architect of the famous ] that helped re-build ] after the war, and radio personality ], who donated land for the town's first airport.


Today Leesburg continues to serve as the center of government and commerce for Loudoun County. The town's ] was placed on the ] in 1970 and cited as one of the best preserved and most picturesque downtowns in Virginia. Downtown merchants have recently labeled themselves "Loudoun's (or, Loudoun County's, depending on the audience) Original Town Center," largely in response to the growing number of mixed-use shopping in proximity.<ref> Accessed Dec. 17, 2008.</ref> As of 2007, the city had been county seat for 249 of the previous 250 years.<ref>''Loudoun Times-Mirror'', "Leesburg says county should stay", September 12, 2007, Page A1</ref> Leesburg continued to serve as the center of government and commerce for Loudoun County. The town's ] was placed on the ] in 1970 and cited as one of the best preserved and most picturesque downtowns in Virginia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leesburg, Virginia |url=https://www.achp.gov/preserve-america/community/leesburg-virginia |publisher=Advisory Council on Historic Preservation |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104222134/https://www.achp.gov/preserve-america/community/leesburg-virginia |url-status=live }}</ref>

===21st century===
In the 21st century, Downtown merchants have recently labeled themselves "Loudoun's Original Town Center," largely in response to the growing number of mixed-use shopping areas in proximity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.downtownleesburgva.com/ |title=Official website for the Leesburg Downtown Business Association |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522095239/http://www.downtownleesburgva.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Leesburg has served Loudoun's ] continuously since the county's formation in 1757.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=] |title=Leesburg says county should stay |date=September 12, 2007 |page=A1}}</ref>


===Historic sites=== ===Historic sites===
The Leesburg area contains 21 entries on the ], including: The Leesburg area contains twenty-one entries on the ], including:
* ], the restored, early 19th century home of George C. Marshall, a ] and ] who received the ] and owned the home from 1941 until his death in 1959.<ref> Accessed Sept. 30, 2008</ref> * ] ], the restored, early 19th century home of ], a ] and ] who received the ] and owned the home from 1941 until his death in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgecmarshall.org/ |title=Dodona Manor: official website of the George C. Marshall International Center |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716082349/http://www.georgecmarshall.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ], delisted after it burned down.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exeter History |url=http://www.exeterhoa.com/about.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509123724/http://www.exeterhoa.com/about.php |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |access-date=September 30, 2008 |work=Exeter Homeowners Association}}</ref>
* ], the estate of Virginia Governor ]; and
* ], a former Civil War era hospital where Robert E. Lee planned the invasion of ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=Miles LeHane Companies |title=Tour the Historic Glenfiddich House! |url=https://www.mileslehane.com/tour-the-historic-glenfiddich-house |access-date=August 2, 2022 |website=www.mileslehane.com |language=en |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815121357/https://www.mileslehane.com/tour-the-historic-glenfiddich-house |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ], a ].
* ], the estate of Virginia Governor ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morvenpark.org/ |title=Morven Park - Historic Site Equestrian Center and Event Venue in Leesburg, VA |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516165327/http://www.morvenpark.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ], the only ] across the ], has its Virginia terminus just outside the town. It is a cable-guided car and passenger ferry. A ferry has plied the river from this site since 1828.
* ], a ] and former home of ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oatlands.org/ |title=Oatlands Historic House and Gardens |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516154635/http://www.oatlands.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Exeter Plantation.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>
* ], before closing in December 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/12/whites-ferry-river-crossing-in-montgomery-co-ceases-operations-after-court-decision/ |title=WTOP: White's Ferry River Crossing in Montgomery County Ceases Operations After Court Decision |date=December 29, 2020 |access-date=February 21, 2021 |archive-date=January 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130090347/https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/12/whites-ferry-river-crossing-in-montgomery-co-ceases-operations-after-court-decision/ |url-status=live }}</ref> was the only remaining ] across the ], with its Virginia terminus {{convert|4|mi|0}} northeast of town. It was a cable-guided car and passenger ferry. A ferry had plied the river from this site since 1828. According to ], a Loudoun County businessman purchased White's Ferry in February 2021 with the express purpose of reviving the historic Potomac River crossing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wtop.com/business-finance/2021/02/whites-ferry-purchased-by-loudoun-county-businessman-and-landowner/ |title=White's Ferry Purchased by Loudoun County Businessman and Landowne |date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 21, 2021 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214111726/https://wtop.com/business-finance/2021/02/whites-ferry-purchased-by-loudoun-county-businessman-and-landowner/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


At least 63 historic markers are located in and near Leesburg.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.</ref> At least sixty-three historic markers are located in and near Leesburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?Town=Leesburg&State=Virginia |title=Leesburg Markers |work=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=October 1, 2008 |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312095223/http://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?Town=Leesburg&State=Virginia |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Symbol==
On September 14, 2008, The City of Leesburg celebrated its 250th birthday. During that celebration, the city unveiled its new flag.
<gallery>
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: Image:Lessburgvaflag.jpg|Town of Leesburg, VA -->
</gallery>
<blockquote>
Colors: Red is the color from the Lee Family Coat of Arms.
<br>White is from the Lee Family Coat of Arms.
<br>Blue is from the Lee Family of Virginia Coat of Arms.
<br>Yellow is from the Lee Family Coat of Arms.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Symbology: This flag represents the coat of arms that was in use by the Lee Family of Virginia
when Leesburg was founded in 1758. The blue and yellow checkerboard band
on the red back ground represents the Lee Family Coat of Arms at which
Leesburg is named for and the white Cinquefoil (five petal flower) on a blue
background comes from the Astley Family Coat of Arms. The coats of arms were
quartered like the flag is showing. The white cross indicates Leesburg as a
crossroads.
</blockquote>

==Name==
Leesburg was named to honor the influential Thomas Lee and not, as is popular belief, his son Francis Lightfoot Lee who lived in Loudoun and brought up the bill to establish Leesburg, nor as is sometimes thought, Robert E. Lee (his great-grandnephew).


==Geography== ==Geography==
Leesburg is located northeast of the center of ], at {{Coord|39|6|56|N|77|33|52|W}} (39.1155, &minus;77.5644),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html |publisher=] |access-date=April 23, 2011 |date=February 12, 2011 |title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020527061848/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html |archive-date=May 27, 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is part of the northern Virginia ] and sits at the base of the easternmost chain of the ], ]. The town lies in the ] (an inland sea during the ] period) and is adjacent to the valley of the ], so that the local ] is less pronounced than in other Virginia Piedmont towns.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} Elevation in town ranges from about {{convert|350|to|400|ft}}, with the ridge of Catoctin Mountain rising to {{convert|670|ft}} just west of the town limits. The Town Branch of Tuscarora Creek passes through the center of town, flowing east to ], a tributary of the Potomac.
Leesburg is located at {{Coord|39|6|33|N|77|33|28|W|type:city}} (39.109219, -77.557868){{GR|1}}.

According to the ], the town has a total area of 12.5&nbsp;square miles (32.3&nbsp;km²), nearly all of it land.


According to the ], the town has a total area of {{convert|12.4|sqmi|sqkm}}, of which {{convert|0.16|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 0.54%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>
Leesburg is located in the northern Virginia ] at the base of the easternmost chain of the ], ]. The town is an area of the Piedmont known as the ] (an inland sea during the ] period) and is also in the valley of the ], so that the overall ] is much less dramatic than other Virginia Piedmont towns{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}. Elevation in town ranges from about {{convert|350|ft|m}} to {{convert|400|ft|m}}, though portions of western Leesburg along the foot of Catoctin Mountain may be considerably higher. The principal drainage for the town is Tuscarora Creek and its northern branch, referred to as the Town Branch, which empties into Goose Creek just east of the city.


==Demographics== ==Demographics==
{{US Census population
{{USCensusPop
|1850= 1691 |1850= 1691
|1860= 1130 |1860= 1130
Line 170: Line 155:
|2000= 28311 |2000= 28311
|2010= 42616 |2010= 42616
|align= |align-fn=center
|2020=48250}}
|footnote=}}
]{{GR|2}} estimates as of June 1, 2006, showed the population of Leesburg at 37,476 people. According to the 2010 census there were 42,616 people including 14,441 households, and 10,522 families residing in the town. The ] was 3,673 people per square mile (1,418.2/km²). There were 15,119 housing units at an average density of 1220.2 per square mile (471.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.1% ], 9.5% ], 0.4% ], 7.1% ], 0.0% ], 7.5% from ], and 4.3% from two or more races. ] or ] of any race were 17.4% of the population.


Census estimates as of July 1, 2018, showed the population of Leesburg at 53,917 people. According to the ], there were 42,616 people including 14,441 households, and 10,522 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|3,673|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 15,119 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1220.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 71.1% ], 9.5% ], 0.4% ], 7.1% ], 0.0% ], 7.5% from ], and 4.3% from two or more races. ] or ] of any race were 17.4% of the population.
Of all households 44.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were ] living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.1% are made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.42.


In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males. Of all households, 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were ] living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.1% were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.42.


By age, the population was 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income of the households in the town is $68,861, and the median income of the families is $78,111 (these figures had risen to $87,346 and $105,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate).<ref name="factfinder"> ''US Census Bureau'' Retrieved 2009-09-10</ref> Males had a median income of $51,267 versus $35,717 for females. The ] for the town was $30,116. About 2.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the ], including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.


The median income of the households in the town was $68,861, and the median income of the families was $78,111 (these figures had risen to $87,346 and $105,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $51,267 versus $35,717 for females. The ] for the town was $30,116. About 2.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the ], including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
==Education and public services==
Leesburg currently has two public high schools operated by the ]; ], which serves the western portion, and ], which serves the eastern portion. A third high school, Tuscarora High School, opened for the 2010-2011 school year. Leesburg is also served by several private schools, including ], a K–8 non-denominational Christian school; Leesburg Christian School, a K–12 non-denominational Christian school; and pre-K-8 ].


==Education==
The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company provides fire protection services.<ref> Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref> The Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad provides rescue and ].<ref> Accessed Sept. 13, 2008.</ref> Both the fire company and rescue squad are volunteer organizations supplemented with partial staffing from the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref> The fire company can trace its roots back to 1863; the rescue squad was formed in 1952.<ref> ''in'' ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>
{{Further|Loudoun County Public Schools}}
Leesburg has four public high schools operated by the ]: ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.leesburgva.gov/residents/schools |title=Schools {{!}} Leesburg, VA |website=www.leesburgva.gov |language=en |access-date=November 9, 2018 |archive-date=November 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040451/https://www.leesburgva.gov/residents/schools |url-status=live }}</ref>


Leesburg is also served by several private schools, including Providence Academy, a K–8 non-denominational Christian school; Leesburg Christian School, a K–12 non-denominational Christian school; and pre-K-8 ].
Leesburg is also served by a city police department.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.</ref>


==Public services==
==Newspapers and Radio Stations==
The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company provides fire protection services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://leesburgfire.org/ |title=Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company 1 |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=December 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222053611/http://www.leesburgfire.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad provides rescue and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcvrs.org/ |title=Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad, Company 13, Leesburg, VA |access-date=September 13, 2008 |archive-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920135041/http://www.lcvrs.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Both the fire company and rescue squad are volunteer organizations supplemented with partial staffing from the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inter4.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=809 |title=Department of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Management |work=Loudoun County Government |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509171245/http://inter4.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=809 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The fire company can trace its roots back to 1803; the rescue squad was formed in 1952.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inter4.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1409 |title=History of Loudoun's Fire & Rescue Stations |work=Loudoun County Government |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528024639/http://inter4.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1409 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* '''Leesburg Today'''
* '''Loudoun Times-Mirror'''
* ''']'''
* ]


Leesburg is served by a town police department.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgva.gov/police |title=Leesburg Police Department |access-date=May 11, 2015}}</ref> The Leesburg Police Department (LPD) has an authorized strength of 90 sworn officers and provides 24/7 patrol service to the town, as well as handling criminal investigations, traffic control, and special operations within the town. The department is completely separate from the ], which is Loudoun County's primary law enforcement agency and provides security for the courthouse in Leesburg. The LPD was formed in 1758.
==Business and industry==
Leesburg operates the ] at Godfrey Field, which serves Loudoun County with private and corporate aircraft operations. A designated reliever airport for Dulles International, the airport accounts for nearly $45 million per year in economic impact to the region (Virginia Department of Aviation). It is home (as of 2005) to over 240 aircraft, and hosts 20&ndash;30 jet operations per day.The airport was built in 1963 to replace the original Leesburg airport, which Arthur Godfrey owned and referred to affectionately as "The Old Cow Pasture" on his radio show. Godfrey, who, by the early 1950s, had purchased the Beacon Hill Estate west of Leesburg, used a ] to commute from his farm to studios in New York City every Sunday night during the 1950s and 1960s. His DC-3 was so powerful and noisy that Godfrey built a new airport, funding it through the sale of the old field. Originally named Godfrey Field, it is now known as ] at Godfrey Field.


==Media==
Also located near Leesburg is the National Conference Center,<ref> Accessed Sept. 30, 2008</ref> which the ] Corporation built in the 1970s. Government entities and private business use the Conference Center for meetings and conferences. Three main focal points connect this ] of underground buildings, one of which is currently the headquarters of ], a government sub-contract company.
The '']'' is a Leesburg-based weekly newspaper serving Loudoun County. There are no longer any local radio stations after the former WAGE (now ]) was shut down in 2007. Leesburg is assigned to the ] media market, and is covered by its major television and radio stations; broadcasters from ], ], and ] are also readily available.


==Transportation==
Market Station, located just south and east of Leesburg's Historic District, contains a number of high-tech and legal offices, retail shops, and ]s that are housed within seven restored historic buildings (a ] freight station, a railroad ] house, a ], two ]s and two ]s, some of which were reconstructed in or relocated to the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metromgt.com/MktStn.html |title=Market Station, Leesburg, Virginia|publisher=|date=Archived 2007-09-26|accessdate=2010-07-23 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070926212408/http://www.metromgt.com/MktStn.html |archivedate = 2007-09-26}}</ref><ref>; ; ; ; ; ; and ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref><ref>Coordinates of Market Station: {{Coord|39.1125891|-77.5631869|scale:500|name=Market Station}}</ref> A plaza on the east side of the site contains several structures painted in the yellow and green colors of the stations of the ], which served the town until 1968.
] and east along ] on the Leesburg Bypass]]
The primary highways serving Leesburg include ], ] and ].


US 15 enters Leesburg from the southwest, following King Street, then joins the Leesburg Bypass to pass southeast of downtown. It rejoins King Street as it leaves the bypass on the northeast end of town on its way toward Maryland. The old alignment of US 15 is now ]. Via US 15, travelers can reach ] {{convert|34|mi}} to the southwest and ], {{convert|25|mi}} to the northeast.
==Recreational facilities and events==


SR 7 enters Leesburg from the west along Market Street and immediately joins the Leesburg Bypass to pass southwest of downtown. It rejoins Market Street as it leaves the bypass southeast of downtown. The old alignment of SR 7 is now ]. SR 7 {{convert|37|mi}} west to ] and {{convert|35|mi}} southeast to ].
===Parks===
* '''Ida Lee Park''' - Located near the north side of Leesburg, Ida Lee Park was made possible in 1986 by the donation of Greenwood Farm to the Town of Leesburg by William F. Rust, Jr., and his wife, Margaret Dole Rust. The farm contained {{convert|141|acre|ha}} and was donated to the town for perpetual use as the Ida Lee Park. The Rusts requested that the park be named in memory of Ida Lee, Mr. Rust's grandmother, to preserve the historic link between the Lee family of Virginia and the Town of Leesburg. Ida Lee Rust was the daughter of Edmund Jennings Lee, first cousin of Robert E. Lee. Ida Lee spent her married life at "Rockland"; the Rust family home located near Leesburg, and in her later years lived in a house built by her sons at 113 East Cornwall Street in Leesburg. The Rusts also donated {{convert|3|acre|m2}} of land from the original {{convert|141|acre|ha}} for the Rust Library located adjacent to Ida Lee Park. In 1991, the Rusts gave the town $50,000 for the construction of the William J. Cox Pavilion at Ida Lee Park, a public picnic area containing a pavilion and playground.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>


SR 267 enters Leesburg from the south along the Dulles Greenway and terminates at the Leesburg Bypass (US 15 and SR 7). SR 267 functions as a high-speed bypass of SR 7 southeast of Leesburg but is also a toll road.
* ''']''' - ], ] and ] can travel in and through Leesburg on the trail, a {{convert|45|mi|km|adj=on}} long ] that the ] constructed on the historic ]'s ].


] provides public transportation services in Leesburg.
* '''Red Rocks Wilderness Overlook Regional Park''' - Located in eastern Leesburg along the banks of the Potomac River, the park, operated by the NVRPA, contains {{convert|67|acre|ha}} of woodlands and over {{convert|2|mi|km}} of trails leading to bluffs along the river.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Rock Wilderness Overlook - Main Page |url=http://www.nvrpa.org/park/red_rock_widerness_overlook |accessdate=2011-05-02 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Red Rock Widerness Overlook - Trails and Map |url=http://www.nvrpa.org/park/red_rock_widerness_overlook/content/trails_and_map |accessdate=2011-05-02 |publisher=Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority}}</ref> Frances Speek donated the land to NVRPA in 1978. The ruins in the park date to 1869. They were part of the estate of industrialist Charles R. Paxton, who is best known in Leesburg for building the Victorian mansion ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park Marker |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7820 |accessdate=2011-05-02 |work=The Historical Marker Database}}</ref>


==Business and industry==
* '''The Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary''' - Located near the west side of Leesburg at the foot of Catoctin Mountain, the sanctuary contains a ] and a ] that the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc., owns and operates.<ref> Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>
Leesburg operates the ] at Godfrey Field, which serves Loudoun County with private and corporate aircraft operations. A designated reliever airport for Dulles International, the airport accounts for nearly $78 million per year in economic impact according to a 2011 study by the Virginia Department of Aviation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Airport System Economic Impact Study: Executive Summary |url=http://www.doav.virginia.gov/Downloads/Studies/Economic%20Impact%20Study%202011/Compliant/VA%20Air%20Trans%20Economic%20Impact%20Study%20Executive%20Summary%2019-Aug-2011.pdf |publisher=Virginia Department of Aviation |access-date=September 1, 2015 |page=11 |date=2011 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923215528/http://www.doav.virginia.gov/Downloads/Studies/Economic%20Impact%20Study%202011/Compliant/VA%20Air%20Trans%20Economic%20Impact%20Study%20Executive%20Summary%2019-Aug-2011.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is home (as of 2005) to over 240 aircraft and hosts 20&ndash;30 jet operations per day. The airport was built in 1963 to replace the original Leesburg airport, which Arthur Godfrey owned and referred to affectionately as "The Old Cow Pasture" on his radio show.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Godfrey, who, by the early 1950s, had purchased the Beacon Hill Estate west of Leesburg, used a ] to commute from his farm to studios in New York City every Sunday night during the 1950s and 1960s. His DC-3 was so powerful and noisy that Godfrey built a new airport, funding it through the sale of the old field.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Originally named Godfrey Field, it is now known as ] at Godfrey Field.


Also located near Leesburg is the National Conference Center,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conferencecenter.com/ |title=National Conference Center |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=October 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004064928/http://www.conferencecenter.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which the ] Corporation built in the 1970s. Government entities and private business use the Conference Center for meetings and conferences. Three main focal points connect this ] of underground buildings, one of which is currently the headquarters of ],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9376997 |title=Civilian Police International LLC: Private Company Information - Bloomberg |website=www.bloomberg.com |access-date=March 10, 2018 |archive-date=March 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311012722/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9376997 |url-status=live }}</ref> a government sub-contract company.
===Events===
* '''Leesburg's Flower and Garden Festival''' - Held annually in April in the Historic District, the event includes garden displays, vendors and entertainment.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>


Market Station, located in the southeast portion of Leesburg's Historic District, contains a number of high-tech and legal offices, retail shops, and ]s that are housed within seven restored historic buildings (a ] freight station, a railroad ] house, a ], two ]s and two ]s), some of which were reconstructed in or relocated to the site.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627103006/http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/real_estate/leesburg/ |url=http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/real_estate/leesburg/ |archive-date=June 27, 2015 |title=Leesburg, Virginia |publisher=Loudoun Times-Mirror |year=2015 |access-date=December 25, 2015}}</ref> A plaza on the east side of the site contains several structures painted in the yellow and green colors of the stations of the ], which served the town until 1968.
* '''] Celebration''' - Events include a morning parade, a festival at Ida Lee Park and evening fireworks.


] (formerly Iridium Satellite LLC) system of satellites is "guided from the basement of a featureless two-story office building" located in Leesburg.<ref name="The Rise and Fall and Rise of Iridium">{{cite web |url=http://www.airspacemag.com/space/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-iridium-5615034/?all |title=The Rise and Fall and Rise of Iridium |publisher=Air & Space Magazine by the Smithsonian Institution |date=September 2004 |access-date=April 24, 2014 |author=Mellow, Craig |archive-date=April 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424160645/http://www.airspacemag.com/space/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-iridium-5615034/?all |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''Leesburg's Annual Classic Car Show'''<ref>http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=416</ref><ref>http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=21&recordid=10190</ref> - is held annually during the summer. This event features dozens of classic cars and hot rods on display in the streets of downtown Leesburg as well as music and food.


===Top employers===
* '''August Court and Market Days''' - Held in August in the Historic District, the focus of this event is to recognize Leesburg's cultural heritage.<ref> ''in'' Accessed Sept. 30, 2008.</ref>
According to Leesburg's FY 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.leesburgva.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/38946/638066035719370000 |title=Town of Leesburg ACFR |access-date=August 7, 2023 |archive-date=August 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807151956/https://www.leesburgva.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/38946/638066035719370000 |url-status=live }}</ref> the top employers in the town are:


{| class="wikitable"
* '''] ]''' - Said to be the longest-running Halloween parade east of the ]{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}, the parade includes marching bands from the local high schools, floats made by local businesses, Scout troops and families, etc. Many participants distribute ] to parade watchers.
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
|1
| ]
|2,500-5,000
|-
|2
| ]
|1,000-1,500
|-
|3
| ]
|500-1,000
|-
|4
| Town of Leesburg
|250-500
|-
|5
| ]
|250-500
|-
|6
| ]
|250-500
|-
|7
| ]
|250-500
|-
|8
| ]
|250-500
|-
|9
| ]
|250-500
|-
|10
| Loudoun Medical Group
|100-250
|}


==Recreational facilities and events==
==Notable people==
* ], alleged ]
* ], Pulitzer Prize winning author.
* ], noted historian born in Leesburg.
* ] American entertainer, lived in Leesburg. The municipal airport, Godfrey Field, is named after him.
* ], Former professional basketball player.
* ], a ] graduate, the American Chief of Staff and 5-star General during ], ], and chief architect of ] lived at ].
* ] United States Naval Architect and once leader of ] born in Leesburg, Virginia, at the start of the American Civil War.
* ], Playboy model, was Playmate of the Month for November 1998.
* ] NFL MVP
* ], ] Golfer


===In fiction=== ===Parks===
* '''Ida Lee Park''' - Located near the north side of Leesburg, Ida Lee Park was made possible in 1986 by the donation of Greenwood Farm to the Town of Leesburg by William F. Rust, Jr., and his wife, Margaret Dole Rust. The farm contained {{convert|141|acre|ha}} and was donated to the town for perpetual use as the Ida Lee Park. The Rusts requested that the park be named in memory of Ida Lee, Mr. Rust's grandmother, to preserve the historic link between the ] of Virginia and the Town of Leesburg. Ida Lee Rust was the daughter of Edmund Jennings Lee, first cousin of Robert E. Lee. Ida Lee spent her married life at "Rockland," the Rust family home located near Leesburg, and in her later years lived in a house built by her sons at 113 East Cornwall Street in Leesburg. The Rusts also donated {{convert|3|acre|m2}} of land from the original {{convert|141|acre|ha}} for the Rust Library located adjacent to Ida Lee Park. In 1991, the Rusts gave the town $50,000 for the construction of the William J. Cox Pavilion at Ida Lee Park, a public picnic area containing a pavilion and playground.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/town-parks#IdaLee |title=Ida Lee Park |work=Town of Leesburg, Virginia |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518081648/http://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/town-parks#IdaLee |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Former ] ] is from Leesburg.
* ''']''' - ], ] and ] can travel in and through Leesburg on the trail, a {{convert|45|mi|km|adj=on}} long ] that the ] constructed on the historic ]'s ].
* '''Red Rocks Wilderness Overlook Regional Park''' - Located east of Leesburg along the banks of the Potomac River, the park, operated by the NVRPA, contains {{convert|67|acre|ha}} of woodlands and over {{convert|2|mi|km}} of trails leading to bluffs along the river.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Rock Wilderness Overlook - Trails and Map |url=http://www.nvrpa.org/park/red_rock_widerness_overlook/content/trails_and_map |access-date=May 2, 2011 |publisher=] |archive-date=June 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626121726/http://nvrpa.org/park/red_rock_widerness_overlook/content/trails_and_map |url-status=dead }}</ref> Frances Speek donated the land to NVRPA in 1978. The ruins in the park date to 1869. They were part of the estate of industrialist Charles R. Paxton, who is best known in Leesburg for building the Victorian mansion ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park Marker |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7820 |access-date=May 2, 2011 |work=The Historical Marker Database |archive-date=October 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010155356/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7820 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''The Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary''' - Located near the west side of Leesburg at the foot of Catoctin Mountain, the sanctuary contains a ] and a ] that the ], owns and operates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rustmanorhouse.org/index.html |title=Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary |access-date=September 30, 2008 |archive-date=February 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202200016/http://rustmanorhouse.org/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Photo gallery== ===Events===
* '''Leesburg's Flower and Garden Festival''' - Held annually in April in the Historic District, the event includes garden displays, vendors and entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flowerandgarden.org/ |title=Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091905/http://www.flowerandgarden.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery>
* '''] Celebration''' - Events include a morning parade, a festival at Ida Lee Park and evening fireworks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/festivals-community-events/independence-day |title=Independence Day |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518081653/http://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/festivals-community-events/independence-day |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Image:Wheat Building-Leesburg VA.jpg|The Wheat Building
* '''Classic Car Show'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgva.gov/visitors/festivals-events |title=Festivals & Events |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315022442/http://leesburgva.gov/visitors/festivals-events |url-status=live }}</ref> - is held annually on the first Saturday in June. This event features dozens of classic cars and hot rods on display in the streets of downtown Leesburg as well as music and food. Proceeds benefit the Graphic Arts and Auto Body programs at C.S. Monroe Technology Center.
Image:Houses04-victorian.jpg|A typical Victorian "mansion" in Leesburg's historic district.
* '''Leesburg AirShow'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leesburgairshow.com/ |title=Leesburg AirShow |access-date=September 1, 2015 |archive-date=September 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912053052/http://www.leesburgairshow.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> - is held annually on the last Saturday in September. This event features parachute jumpers, aerobatic routines, warbirds, model aircraft, military vehicles & classic cars on display on the ramp of the airport, as well as music and food.
File:Carlheim in snow Dec2009J.jpg|], also known as the Paxton mansion.
* '''] ]''' - Said to be one of the longest-running Halloween parades in the country, the parade includes marching bands from the local high schools, floats made by local businesses, Scout troops and families, etc. Many participants distribute ] to parade watchers.
</gallery>
* Santa rides<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of Santa Rides Again – Leesburg Fire Company |url=https://leesburgfire.org/2018/11/16/the-history-of-santa-rides-again/ |language=en-US |access-date=May 18, 2020 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803135003/https://leesburgfire.org/2018/11/16/the-history-of-santa-rides-again/ |url-status=live }}</ref> - Since 1988, members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company have decorated a piece of fire apparatus with Christmas lights with Santa, Rudolf, and Frosty riding on top of said fire apparatus waving to the people of the Town of Leesburg; it is estimated this event reaches around 30,000 people every year.

==Notable people==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2015}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30 em}}
* ], professional football player for the ], raised in Leesburg; went to high school at nearby ] in ].
* ], author. <ref>https://www.loudountimes.com/news/local-friends-remember-the-late-russell-baker/article_873681fc-1ff5-11e9-b141-6f4096b90509.html</ref>
* ], author, wrote his novel ''Deliverance'' while living in Glenfiddich House from 1966 to 1968. <ref>https://www.literarytraveler.com/articles/james-dickey-leesburg-virginia/</ref> <ref>https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=114510 </ref>
* ], historian born in Leesburg.
* ], former minor league baseball and college football player, who briefly played for the ], born in Leesburg.
* ], 48th ].
* ], entertainer, lived in Leesburg. The municipal airport, Godfrey Field, is named after him.
* ], ].
* ], former professional basketball player.
* ], ] golfer.
* ], political activist; lived near Leesburg from 1983 until his imprisonment in 1989.
* ], American Chief of Staff and five-star general during ], ], and chief architect of the ]; lived at ].
* ], journalist and commentator.
* ], politician and first ].
* ], U.S. naval architect and once leader of ]; born in Leesburg.
* ] (died 1968), member of the Maryland House of Delegates<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-five-term-state-delega/158090317/ |title=Five-Term State Delegate, Joseph B. Payne, 72, Dies |date=1968-03-06 |newspaper=] |page=A11 |via=] |access-date=2024-10-29}}{{Open access}}</ref>
* ], basketball player for the ].
* ], convicted murderer.
* ] (also known as Alex Soueid and Anas Alswaid), Syrian-born naturalized United States citizen indicted on espionage-related charges by federal prosecutors in October 2011.
* ], Playmate of the Month for November 1998.
* ], Jr., local education activist and politician.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hedgpeth |first1=Dana |title=A LuminaryIn Leesburg Dies at Age 94 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/12/09/a-luminaryin-leesburg-dies-at-age-94/ad127545-e090-469c-85a0-bdfccd331294/ |access-date=November 27, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=December 9, 1999 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206213553/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/12/09/a-luminaryin-leesburg-dies-at-age-94/ad127545-e090-469c-85a0-bdfccd331294/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Will Toledo, lead singer, songwriter, and musician of the indie rock band ]; born and raised in Leesburg.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/20/car-seat-headrest-teens-of-denial |title=''Entertainment Weekly'' |magazine=] |access-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-date=May 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522001751/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/20/car-seat-headrest-teens-of-denial |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ] (born 1968), former ] and prosecutor who represents ] in the ].
* ] (1816–1916), ] ].
{{Div col end}}
* The character ] was born in Leesburg. <ref>https://www.loudountimes.com/news/with-dna-from-leesburg-supergirl-has-to-have-super-powers/article_7900b705-bdfa-5945-92e4-71a45b6c9639.html</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{commons category|Leesburg, Virginia}}
{{wikivoyage|Leesburg}}
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* {{Official website|www.leesburgva.gov}}
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{{Loudoun County, Virginia}} {{Loudoun County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}} {{Virginia towns}}
{{Virginia}} {{Virginia}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}
{{DC Malls}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 03:58, 10 December 2024

Town in Virginia, United States
Leesburg
Town
Center of Leesburg in 2012Center of Leesburg in 2012
Official seal of LeesburgSealOfficial logo of LeesburgLogo
Leesburg is located in Northern VirginiaLeesburgLeesburgShow map of Northern VirginiaLeesburg is located in VirginiaLeesburgLeesburgShow map of VirginiaLeesburg is located in the United StatesLeesburgLeesburgShow map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°6′56″N 77°33′52″W / 39.11556°N 77.56444°W / 39.11556; -77.56444
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyLoudoun
FoundedOctober 12, 1758
Named forLee family
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorKelly Burk (D)
 • Vice MayorFernando Martinez (D)
Area
 • Total12.47 sq mi (32.29 km)
 • Land12.40 sq mi (32.11 km)
 • Water0.07 sq mi (0.18 km)
Elevation341 ft (104 m)
Population
 • Total48,250
 • Estimate 48,908
 • Density4,333.17/sq mi (1,673.07/km)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes20175-20178
Area code(s)703, 571
FIPS code51-44984
GNIS feature ID1498505
Websitewww.leesburgva.gov

Leesburg is a town in and the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. It is part of both the Northern Virginia region of the state and the Washington metropolitan area, including Washington, D.C., the nation's capital.

European settlement in the area began around 1740, when it was named for the Lee family, early colonial leaders of the town. Located in the far northeast of the state, in the War of 1812 it was a refuge for important federal documents evacuated from Washington, D.C., and in the Civil War, it changed hands several times.

Leesburg is 33 miles (53 km) west-northwest of Washington, D.C., along the base of Catoctin Mountain and close to the Potomac River. The town is the northwestern terminus of the Dulles Greenway, a private toll road that connects to the Dulles Toll Road at Dulles International Airport. Its population was 48,250 as of the 2020 Census and an estimated 48,908 in 2021. It is Virginia's largest incorporated town within a county.

Like much of Loudoun County, Leesburg has undergone considerable growth and development over the last 30 years, transforming from a small, rural, Piedmont town to a suburban bedroom community for commuters to the national capital. Growth in the town and its immediate area to the east (Lansdowne/Ashburn) concentrates along the Dulles Greenway and State Route 7, which roughly parallels the Potomac River between Winchester to the west and Alexandria to the east.

Leesburg is home to professional soccer team Loudoun United FC of the USL Championship division who play their home matches at Segra Field.

The Federal Aviation Administration's Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center is in Leesburg.

Toponym

Leesburg may have been named to honor the influential Thomas Lee or more generally for the Lee family. The name change was passed by an Act of Assembly in 1758. Francis Lightfoot Lee and Phillip Ludwell Lee, two of Thomas' sons, were early town trustees. The town is not named, as is sometimes thought, for Robert E. Lee (Thomas' great-grandnephew).

History

"Central View of Leesburg" c. 1845
The Wheat Building
Carlheim, also known as the Paxton mansion
The historic Leesburg courthouse serves as the seat of government for Loudoun County, Virginia.

Prior to European settlement, the area around Leesburg was occupied by various Native American tribes.

17th century

In 1670, John Lederer (1670) testified that the entire Piedmont region had once been occupied by the "Tacci, alias Dogi", but that the Siouan tribes, driven from the northwest, had occupied it for 400 years.

In 1699, the Algonquian Piscataway (Conoy) moved to an island in the Potomac in the environs of Leesburg, and were there when the first known Europeans visited what is now Loudoun County.

18th century

What later became Old Carolina Road and is present day U.S. Route 15 was a major route of travel between north and south for Native tribes. According to local historians, a pitched battle was fought near present Leesburg between the warring Catawba and Lenape tribes, neither of whom lived in the area.

A war party of Lenape had traveled from their home in New Jersey and neighboring regions, all the way to South Carolina to inflict a blow on their distant enemies, the Catawba. As they were returning northward, a party of Catawbas overtook them before they reached the Potomac River, but were defeated in a pitched battle 2 miles (3 km) south of Leesburg. The surviving Lenape buried their dead in a huge burial mound, and early settlers reported that they would return to this mound to honor their dead on the anniversary of this battle for many years thereafter. The date of this conflict is unknown, but it seems the Lenape and Catawba were at war in the 1720s and 1730s.

European settlement near Leesburg began in the late 1730s as Tidewater planters moved into the area from the south and east, establishing large farms and plantations. Many of the First Families of Virginia were among those to settle in the area, including the Carters, Lees and Masons. The genesis of Leesburg occurred sometime before 1755, when Nicholas Minor acquired land around the intersection of the Old Carolina Road and the Potomac Ridge Road on present-day Route 7 and established a tavern there.

Despite lack of growth around the tavern, upon Loudoun County's formation in 1757, Minor dubbed the sparse collection of buildings about his tavern "George Town" in honor of the reigning monarch of Great Britain. The village's prosperity changed the following year when the British Colonial Council ordered the establishment of the county courthouse at the crossroads.

Minor had a town laid out on the traditional Virginia plan of six criss-cross streets. On October 12 of that year (1758), the Virginia General Assembly founded the town of Leesburg upon the 60 acres (0.24 km) that Minor laid out. Leesburg was renamed to honor the influential Thomas Lee and not, as is popular belief, his son Francis Lightfoot Lee, who lived in Loudoun and brought up the bill to establish Leesburg. When the post office was established in Leesburg in 1803, the branch was named "Leesburgh"; the "h" persisted until 1894.

19th century

During the War of 1812, Leesburg served as a temporary haven for the United States government and its archives, including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and portraits of early American leaders, including Benjamin Franklin, when it was forced to flee Washington in the face of the British Army. When reconstruction began on the United States Capitol, Potomac marble from quarries just south of Leesburg was used.

Early in the American Civil War, Leesburg was the site of the Battle of Ball's Bluff, a small but significant Confederate victory. The battlefield, along the Potomac River 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the town center, is marked by one of America's smallest national cemeteries. The town frequently changed hands over the course of the war as both armies traversed the area during the Maryland and Gettysburg campaigns.

The Battle of Mile Hill was fought just north of the town prior to its occupation by Robert E. Lee in September 1862. Leesburg also served as a base of operations for Col. John S. Mosby and his partisan Raiders. The local courthouse is among the few courthouses in Virginia that was not burned during the Civil War; the present one was built in 1894.

In 1889, a 14-year-old black American Orion Anderson was killed by a white mob at the town's freight depot; his murder would be the second of three recorded lynchings in Loudoun County, Virginia, between 1880 and 1902.

20th century

In the 20th century, Leesburg was the home of World War II General George C. Marshall, architect of the famous Marshall Plan that helped re-build Europe after the war, and radio personality Arthur Godfrey, who donated land for the town's first airport.

Leesburg continued to serve as the center of government and commerce for Loudoun County. The town's historic district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and cited as one of the best preserved and most picturesque downtowns in Virginia.

21st century

In the 21st century, Downtown merchants have recently labeled themselves "Loudoun's Original Town Center," largely in response to the growing number of mixed-use shopping areas in proximity. Leesburg has served Loudoun's county seat continuously since the county's formation in 1757.

Historic sites

The Leesburg area contains twenty-one entries on the National Register of Historic Places, including:

At least sixty-three historic markers are located in and near Leesburg.

Geography

Leesburg is located northeast of the center of Loudoun County, Virginia, at 39°6′56″N 77°33′52″W / 39.11556°N 77.56444°W / 39.11556; -77.56444 (39.1155, −77.5644), It is part of the northern Virginia Piedmont and sits at the base of the easternmost chain of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Catoctin Mountain. The town lies in the Culpeper Basin (an inland sea during the Jurassic period) and is adjacent to the valley of the Potomac River, so that the local relief is less pronounced than in other Virginia Piedmont towns. Elevation in town ranges from about 350 to 400 feet (110 to 120 m), with the ridge of Catoctin Mountain rising to 670 feet (200 m) just west of the town limits. The Town Branch of Tuscarora Creek passes through the center of town, flowing east to Goose Creek, a tributary of the Potomac.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32 km), of which 0.06 square miles (0.16 km), or 0.54%, are water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18501,691
18601,130−33.2%
18701,1441.2%
18801,72650.9%
18901,650−4.4%
19001,513−8.3%
19101,5975.6%
19201,545−3.3%
19301,6406.1%
19401,6983.5%
19501,7030.3%
19602,86968.5%
19704,82168.0%
19808,35773.3%
199016,20293.9%
200028,31174.7%
201042,61650.5%
202048,25013.2%

Census estimates as of July 1, 2018, showed the population of Leesburg at 53,917 people. According to the 2010 census, there were 42,616 people including 14,441 households, and 10,522 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,673 inhabitants per square mile (1,418/km). There were 15,119 housing units at an average density of 1,220.2 per square mile (471.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 71.1% White, 9.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 7.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 7.5% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.4% of the population.

Of all households, 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.1% were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.42.

By age, the population was 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

The median income of the households in the town was $68,861, and the median income of the families was $78,111 (these figures had risen to $87,346 and $105,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $51,267 versus $35,717 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,116. About 2.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Further information: Loudoun County Public Schools

Leesburg has four public high schools operated by the Loudoun County Public Schools: Loudoun County High School, Heritage High School, Tuscarora High School, and Riverside High School.

Leesburg is also served by several private schools, including Providence Academy, a K–8 non-denominational Christian school; Leesburg Christian School, a K–12 non-denominational Christian school; and pre-K-8 Loudoun Country Day School.

Public services

The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company provides fire protection services. The Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad provides rescue and emergency medical services. Both the fire company and rescue squad are volunteer organizations supplemented with partial staffing from the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management. The fire company can trace its roots back to 1803; the rescue squad was formed in 1952.

Leesburg is served by a town police department. The Leesburg Police Department (LPD) has an authorized strength of 90 sworn officers and provides 24/7 patrol service to the town, as well as handling criminal investigations, traffic control, and special operations within the town. The department is completely separate from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, which is Loudoun County's primary law enforcement agency and provides security for the courthouse in Leesburg. The LPD was formed in 1758.

Media

The Loudoun Times-Mirror is a Leesburg-based weekly newspaper serving Loudoun County. There are no longer any local radio stations after the former WAGE (now WTSD) was shut down in 2007. Leesburg is assigned to the Washington, D.C. media market, and is covered by its major television and radio stations; broadcasters from Baltimore, Frederick, and Winchester are also readily available.

Transportation

View north along US 15 and east along SR 7 on the Leesburg Bypass

The primary highways serving Leesburg include U.S. Route 15, Virginia State Route 7 and Virginia State Route 267.

US 15 enters Leesburg from the southwest, following King Street, then joins the Leesburg Bypass to pass southeast of downtown. It rejoins King Street as it leaves the bypass on the northeast end of town on its way toward Maryland. The old alignment of US 15 is now U.S. Route 15 Business. Via US 15, travelers can reach Warrenton 34 miles (55 km) to the southwest and Frederick, Maryland, 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast.

SR 7 enters Leesburg from the west along Market Street and immediately joins the Leesburg Bypass to pass southwest of downtown. It rejoins Market Street as it leaves the bypass southeast of downtown. The old alignment of SR 7 is now Virginia State Route 7 Business. SR 7 37 miles (60 km) west to Winchester and 35 miles (56 km) southeast to Alexandria.

SR 267 enters Leesburg from the south along the Dulles Greenway and terminates at the Leesburg Bypass (US 15 and SR 7). SR 267 functions as a high-speed bypass of SR 7 southeast of Leesburg but is also a toll road.

Loudoun County Transit provides public transportation services in Leesburg.

Business and industry

Leesburg operates the Leesburg Executive Airport at Godfrey Field, which serves Loudoun County with private and corporate aircraft operations. A designated reliever airport for Dulles International, the airport accounts for nearly $78 million per year in economic impact according to a 2011 study by the Virginia Department of Aviation. It is home (as of 2005) to over 240 aircraft and hosts 20–30 jet operations per day. The airport was built in 1963 to replace the original Leesburg airport, which Arthur Godfrey owned and referred to affectionately as "The Old Cow Pasture" on his radio show. Godfrey, who, by the early 1950s, had purchased the Beacon Hill Estate west of Leesburg, used a DC-3 to commute from his farm to studios in New York City every Sunday night during the 1950s and 1960s. His DC-3 was so powerful and noisy that Godfrey built a new airport, funding it through the sale of the old field. Originally named Godfrey Field, it is now known as Leesburg Executive Airport at Godfrey Field.

Also located near Leesburg is the National Conference Center, which the Xerox Corporation built in the 1970s. Government entities and private business use the Conference Center for meetings and conferences. Three main focal points connect this maze of underground buildings, one of which is currently the headquarters of Civilian Police International, a government sub-contract company.

Market Station, located in the southeast portion of Leesburg's Historic District, contains a number of high-tech and legal offices, retail shops, and restaurants that are housed within seven restored historic buildings (a railroad freight station, a railroad stationmaster's house, a log house, two barns and two gristmills), some of which were reconstructed in or relocated to the site. A plaza on the east side of the site contains several structures painted in the yellow and green colors of the stations of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which served the town until 1968.

Iridium Communications Inc. (formerly Iridium Satellite LLC) system of satellites is "guided from the basement of a featureless two-story office building" located in Leesburg.

Top employers

According to Leesburg's FY 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Loudoun County Government 2,500-5,000
2 Loudoun County Public Schools 1,000-1,500
3 Federal Aviation Administration 500-1,000
4 Town of Leesburg 250-500
5 Wegmans 250-500
6 Commonwealth of Virginia 250-500
7 Target 250-500
8 Stryker Corporation 250-500
9 Costco 250-500
10 Loudoun Medical Group 100-250

Recreational facilities and events

Parks

  • Ida Lee Park - Located near the north side of Leesburg, Ida Lee Park was made possible in 1986 by the donation of Greenwood Farm to the Town of Leesburg by William F. Rust, Jr., and his wife, Margaret Dole Rust. The farm contained 141 acres (57 ha) and was donated to the town for perpetual use as the Ida Lee Park. The Rusts requested that the park be named in memory of Ida Lee, Mr. Rust's grandmother, to preserve the historic link between the Lee family of Virginia and the Town of Leesburg. Ida Lee Rust was the daughter of Edmund Jennings Lee, first cousin of Robert E. Lee. Ida Lee spent her married life at "Rockland," the Rust family home located near Leesburg, and in her later years lived in a house built by her sons at 113 East Cornwall Street in Leesburg. The Rusts also donated 3 acres (12,000 m) of land from the original 141 acres (57 ha) for the Rust Library located adjacent to Ida Lee Park. In 1991, the Rusts gave the town $50,000 for the construction of the William J. Cox Pavilion at Ida Lee Park, a public picnic area containing a pavilion and playground.
  • Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail - Hikers, bikers and joggers can travel in and through Leesburg on the trail, a 45-mile (72 km) long rail trail that the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority constructed on the historic W&OD RR's right-of-way.
  • Red Rocks Wilderness Overlook Regional Park - Located east of Leesburg along the banks of the Potomac River, the park, operated by the NVRPA, contains 67 acres (27 ha) of woodlands and over 2 miles (3.2 km) of trails leading to bluffs along the river. Frances Speek donated the land to NVRPA in 1978. The ruins in the park date to 1869. They were part of the estate of industrialist Charles R. Paxton, who is best known in Leesburg for building the Victorian mansion Carlheim.
  • The Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary - Located near the west side of Leesburg at the foot of Catoctin Mountain, the sanctuary contains a mansion and a nature reserve that the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc., owns and operates.

Events

  • Leesburg's Flower and Garden Festival - Held annually in April in the Historic District, the event includes garden displays, vendors and entertainment.
  • Fourth of July Celebration - Events include a morning parade, a festival at Ida Lee Park and evening fireworks.
  • Classic Car Show - is held annually on the first Saturday in June. This event features dozens of classic cars and hot rods on display in the streets of downtown Leesburg as well as music and food. Proceeds benefit the Graphic Arts and Auto Body programs at C.S. Monroe Technology Center.
  • Leesburg AirShow - is held annually on the last Saturday in September. This event features parachute jumpers, aerobatic routines, warbirds, model aircraft, military vehicles & classic cars on display on the ramp of the airport, as well as music and food.
  • Halloween Parade - Said to be one of the longest-running Halloween parades in the country, the parade includes marching bands from the local high schools, floats made by local businesses, Scout troops and families, etc. Many participants distribute candy to parade watchers.
  • Santa rides - Since 1988, members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company have decorated a piece of fire apparatus with Christmas lights with Santa, Rudolf, and Frosty riding on top of said fire apparatus waving to the people of the Town of Leesburg; it is estimated this event reaches around 30,000 people every year.

Notable people

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  • The character Supergirl was born in Leesburg.

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files –Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Leesburg town, Virginia". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Leesburg". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  5. ^ "Early Settlement & Founding". Town of Leesburg. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  6. Head, James W. History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia.
  7. ^ Scheel, Eugene (2002). Loudoun Discovered: Communities and Crossroads, Volume Two, Leesburg and the Old Carolina Road. Leesburg, VA: Friends of the Thomas Balch Library.
  8. Williams, Harrison (1938). Legends of Loudoun. Richmond, VA: Garrett & Massie. pp. 63–64. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  9. "Town of Leesburg: A Brief History of Leesburg". Official website of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  10. "Rokeby House Becomes Nation's Capital: Was Leesburg really the U.S. capital in 1814?". Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
  11. Turner, Fitzhugh, ed. (1998). Loudoun County and the Civil War. Leesburg VA: Willow Bend Books.
  12. "First Of Three Young, Black Lynching Victims In Loudoun County To Be Memorialized". WAMU. June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  13. "Leesburg, Virginia". Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  14. "Official website for the Leesburg Downtown Business Association". Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  15. "Leesburg says county should stay". Loudoun Times-Mirror. September 12, 2007. p. A1.
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