Herndon | |
|---|---|
 Central Herndon | |
 Seal | |
 Location within Fairfax county | |
  Herndon  Herndon  Herndon | |
| Coordinates:38°58′17″N77°23′19″W / 38.97139°N 77.38861°W /38.97139; -77.38861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Fairfax |
| Established | 1858 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Keven LeBlanc Jr. |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.29 sq mi (11.12 km2) |
| • Land | 4.29 sq mi (11.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 361 ft (110 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,655 |
| • Density | 5,753/sq mi (2,221.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 20170 |
| Area codes | 703,571 |
| FIPS code | 51-36648[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1495675[3] |
| Website | http://www.herndon-va.gov |
Herndon is a town inFairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located inNorthern Virginia, it is part of theWashington, D.C. metropolitan area. In 2020, the population at the census was 24,655,[4] which makes it the largest of three incorporated towns in the county.[citation needed]
The early settlement was named Herndon in 1858, after CommanderWilliam Lewis Herndon, an American naval explorer and author ofExploration of the Valley of the Amazon. Commander Herndon captained the ill-fated steamer SSCentral America, going down with his ship while helping to save over 150 of its passengers and crew. In the 1870s, manyNorthern soldiers and their families came to settle in the area, taking advantage of moderate climate and low land prices.[5]
Originally part of the rural surroundings of theWashington, D.C. area, the town of Herndon developed into a hub ofdairy farming and vacationing for area residents, aided by its presence along the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad, later renamed theWashington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad.[5] When the railroad was converted into ahike-and-bike trail, Herndon capitalized on history and small-town feel (in a major metropolitan region) by converting its train station into amuseum and visitors center and by relocating aNorfolk Southern Railway caboose to a nearby site and repainting it in W&OD livery.[6]
The caboose was originally acquired in 1989 by Herndon Historical Society member, George Moore, to whose memory the caboose was dedicated after his death in 2003.[7][6] Although the caboose itself never traveled through Herndon, it remains an iconic part of the downtown area that both locals and tourists visit daily.[6] The caboose and station offer a glimpse of the original downtown's historic charm, which residents are passionate about preserving.[6]
On January 14, 2004, the Town of Herndon commemorated its 125th anniversary.[8]
The town of Herndon was part of a nationally reported controversy involvingillegal immigration beginning in 2005.[9] The controversy revolved around aday labor center called theHerndon Official Worker Center (HOW Center), operated by Reston Interfaith'sProject Hope and Harmony under a grant from surroundingFairfax County.[10] The HOW Center was created on March 23, 2006, in response to daily gatherings of Hispanic workers at a local7-Eleven store.[9][11] The 2006 election for Mayor and Town Council revolved mainly around the issue, and resulted in unseating the pro-center Mayor and two councilmembers.[12] The center closed after less than two years of operation, in September 2007.
TheHerndon Historic District is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Herndon is located at38°58′17″N77°23′19″W / 38.97139°N 77.38861°W /38.97139; -77.38861 (38.971478, −77.388675).[13]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km2), all of it land.Just over two acres of land in the town are technically inLoudoun County.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 422 | — | |
| 1890 | 795 | 88.4% | |
| 1900 | 692 | −13.0% | |
| 1910 | 802 | 15.9% | |
| 1920 | 953 | 18.8% | |
| 1930 | 887 | −6.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,046 | 17.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,461 | 39.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,960 | 34.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,301 | 119.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,449 | 166.2% | |
| 1990 | 16,139 | 41.0% | |
| 2000 | 21,655 | 34.2% | |
| 2010 | 23,292 | 7.6% | |
| 2020 | 24,655 | 5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[15] | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 1980 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,637 | 10,171 | 8,429 | 8,025 | 84.17% | 46.97% | 36.19% | 32.55% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,022 | 2,000 | 2,141 | 2,019 | 8.93% | 9.24% | 9.19% | 8.19% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 21[a] | 64 | 50 | 43 | 0.18% | 0.3% | 0.21% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 339[b] | 2,992 | 4,159 | 4,320 | 2.96% | 13.82% | 17.86% | 17.52% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 7[c] | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.06% | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | x | 81 | 53 | 158 | x | 0.37% | 0.23% | 0.64% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | 706 | 631 | 838 | x | 3.26% | 2.71% | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 319 | 5,633 | 7,826 | 9,247 | 2.79% | 26.01% | 33.6% | 37.51% |
| Total | 11,449 | 21,655 | 23,292 | 24,655 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
(Some information from the2022 American Community Survey)
Of the households, 57.7% were married couple families, 19.9% were a male family householder with no spouse, and 16.1% were a female family householder with no spouse. The average family household had 3.53 people.[4]
The median age was 35.5, 24.4% of people were under the age of 18, and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The largest ancestry is the 8.6% who hadGerman ancestry, 53.7% spoke a language other thanEnglish at home, and 41.8% were born outside the United States, 44.9% of whom werenaturalized citizens.[4]
The median income for a household in the town was $133,403, and the median income for a family was $155,901. 5.0% of the population weremilitary veterans, and 52.5% had abachelor's degree orhigher. In the town 7.1% of the population was below thepoverty line, including 11.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those aged 65 or over, with 16.2% of the population withouthealth insurance.[4]
As of thecensus[2] of 2010, there were 23,292 people, 7,472 households, and 5,357 families residing in the town. The population density was 5,129.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,980.7/km2). There were 7,190 housing units at an average density of 1,703.3 per square mile (657.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 50.7%White, 9.5%Black, 0.7%Native American, 17.9%Asian (8.5% Indian, 1.6% Vietnamese, 1.5% Chinese, 1.2% Filipino, 0.7% Korean, 0.1% Japanese, 4.2% Other Asian), 0.0%Pacific Islander, 16.0% fromother races, and 5.2% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 33.6% of the population.
There were 6,962 households, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% weremarried couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.54.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 111.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $72,912, and the median income for a family was $79,140 (these figures had risen to $92,947 and $108,446 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[19]). Males had a median income of $44,197 versus $35,548 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $26,941. About 4.7% of families and 8.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Herndon is part of theDulles Technology Corridor, which Fortune magazine named the "Netplex" because of the presence of the headquarters of such companies asAOL,XO Communications,Stride, Inc.,Verizon Business (formerly MCI, formerly WorldCom, originally UUNET), andNetwork Solutions, which began as theInterNIC – the registry where everydomain name was once administered.
Some of those companies are within Herndon. Others have Herndon mailing addresses but are located in unincorporated Fairfax or Loudoun counties; for example, south of theDulles Toll Road. These includeDeltek and Stride.
According to the Town's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the principal employers in the Town are:[21]
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon Web Services | 750-999 |
| 2 | Peraton | 500-999 |
| 3 | Serco | 250-499 |
| 4 | Northwest Federal Credit Union | 250-499 |
| 5 | Boeing Corporation | 250-499 |
| 6 | Town of Herndon | 100-249 |
| 7 | Forcepoint | 100-249 |
| 8 | Tyler Solutions | 100-249 |
| 9 | Karsun Solutions | 100-249 |
| 10 | Expel | 100-249 |
Prior year's CAFRS are also available.[22]
The town is organized asan incorporated town by theCommonwealth of Virginia,[23][24]and is governed by an elected Mayor and Town Council[25] who serve on a part-time basis. Update on Town of Herndon, Virginia.
The current mayor is Keven J. LeBlanc, Jr., who was first elected to Council in 2023. The Mayor chairs the Council and heads the executive branch of the town government. The Police Department, independent of the county police department, is headed by Chief Steven Pihonak, and consists of 56 sworn officers. The Herndon Police Department achieved national recognition on November 8, 1986, by becoming the seventh police agency in Virginia and the 42nd police agency in the United States to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.[citation needed]
Herndon boasts a wide variety of diversions and celebrations year-round. Among the community events are:
| May | Friday Night Live! (free concerts May–August), Farmers' Market (May–October), Towne Square Singers, Big Truck Days, Public Works Forest and Meadow Wildflower Walk |
|---|---|
| July | Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks |
| September | Labor Day Jazz Festival, Annual Motorcycle Poker Run (Fraternal Order of Police), Annual NatureFest Celebration, HerndonHalf Marathon, 12k, and 5k |
Herndon contains the Herndon Depot Museum, the site of "Mosby's Raid on Herndon Station", which was aCivil War skirmish that took place onSt. Patrick's Day, 1863. Also within the town is The Herndon Centennial Golf Course, theHerndon ArtSpace (a community art gallery), community center with basketball and racquetball courts and multiple baseball fields, and an aquatic center. Adjacent to the community center is Bready Park, with indoor tennis courts. Additionally, every residence within the town borders is within a mile or less of a public park. Herndon is home to a professional live theatre,NextStop Theatre, which produces a variety of plays, musicals, concerts, and educational theatre programming each season.[26]
Herndon is within theFairfax County Public Schools district.
Public schools serving students within the Herndon town limits are:[27][28][29]
Private school options include:Dominion Christian School, St Joseph's Elementary and several Montessori schools.[30]
Private schools south of Herndon, in nearbyFloris:[31]
Fairfax County Public Library operates the Herndon Fortnightly Library in Herndon.[34]
_at_Crestview_Drive_in_Herndon%2c_Fairfax_County%2c_Virginia.jpg)
The primary highway serving Herndon isVirginia State Route 228 and its truck route. SR 228 heads directly through the center of town via Elden Street, Monroe Street, Park Avenue and Dranesville Road. SR 228 Truck diverges from Elden Street southwest of downtown on Herndon Parkway, following that road northwestward, northward and northeastward around central Herndon, finally reaching Dranesville Road north of downtown. At the south end of town, SR 228 meetsVirginia State Route 267, a high speed, high-capacity toll road which provides access toWashington, D.C. (viaInterstate 66) andDulles International Airport. In 2022, theSilver Line's extension opened, providing service atHerndon station.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Herndon has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[35]
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Itssister city isRunnymede, Surrey, England, United Kingdom.[38]
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