Ashburn was originally called "Farmwell" (variant names include "Old Farmwell" and "Farmwell Station") after a nearby mansion of that name owned by George Lee III. The name "Farmwell" first appeared in George Lee's October 1802 will and was used to describe the 1,236-acre (500 ha) plantation he inherited from his father, Thomas Ludwell Lee II. A section of Farmwell plantation west of Ashburn Road, a 580-acre (230 ha) tract, was purchased in 1841 as a summer home by John Janney, a Quaker lawyer who nearly became Vice President of the United States. Janney called the property "Ashburn Farm"; the name's first known appearance in writing is 1870 when he sold the property. It is likely he named the farm after family friends whose name was Ashburn.[7]
According to the 2010 United States Census, the Ashburn CDP has a total area of 15.55 square miles (40.27 km2), of which 15.30 square miles (39.63 km2) are land and 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2) are water.[2] The area is drained by Broad Run, which flows northward through the eastern part of the CDP toward the Potomac River.
Subdivisions
The Ashburn CDP consists of many major and minor subdivisions such as Ashbrook, Ashburn Farm, Ashburn Village, the Courts and Ridges at Ashburn, and the Village of Waxpool.
Many of its residents commute into Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs such as Tysons Corner and Reston to their places of employment.[11] The median household income as of 2009 was $100,719.[12] Median age in Ashburn is 31.6.[12] Ashburn's population is made up of 49% males and 51% females.[12]
The racial makeup of the CDP was 67.1% White (59.1% non-Hispanic White), 8.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 17.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 11.8% of the population.[13] The total number of households accounted for in Ashburn was 22,555.[12] The median household size is 2.9 persons.[12] 98% percent of Ashburn residents have a high school degree.[12] Some 42 percent of Ashburn's population holds a four-year bachelor's degree;[12] 18 percent holds graduate degrees.[12]
Homeowners formed 80 percent of the population,[12] renters made up 13% of the population,[12] and 7% of housing units were listed as vacancies.[12] The median age of housing was 5.0 years.[12] The median housing value is at $345,000.[14]
Airbus Group, Inc., a defense contractor headed by former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, has a second location in Ashburn in addition to its main office in Herndon, Virginia.
Government
Federal
The National Transportation Safety Board once operated the Ashburn Aviation Field Office in Ashburn; it was the regional headquarters of the NTSB Aviation Eastern Region.[29] The office relocated to Washington DC in early 2023.[citation needed]
Ashburn is served by two Washington MetroSilver Line stations. After passing through Dulles Airport, the Silver Line enters Ashburn in the median of the Dulles Greenway.[32] The first stop in Ashburn is Loudoun Gateway station, with Ashburn station serving as the terminus. Originally planned to open in 2016, the opening was pushed back by multiple delays and finally opened on November 15, 2022.[33][34]
Emergency services
Ashburn's fire and emergency medical services are provided by the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System. Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department (AVFRD) is a volunteer company under LC-CFRS, and serves Ashburn with Stations 6 and 22, which are located near Inova Loudoun Hospital. LC-CFRS career staff operate Moorefield Station 23, near Ashburn station (Washington Metro). The Ashburn area is served by the Inova Ashburn Healthplex Emergency Room at the corner of the Dulles Greenway and Loudoun County Parkway as well as Inova Loudoun Hospital, located less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from Ashburn in neighboring Lansdowne, and by larger hospitals in the Washington suburbs and city.
^"NTSB Offices – Aviation". Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)