Leesburg, Virginia

Leesburg
Center of Leesburg in 2012
Leesburg
Leesburg
Leesburg
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 afterLee family
Government
  TypeCouncil–manager
  MayorKelly Burk (D)
  Vice MayorNeil Steinberg (D)
Area
  Total
12.47 sq mi (32.29 km2)
  Land12.40 sq mi (32.11 km2)
  Water0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation
341 ft (104 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
48,250
  Estimate 
(2021)
48,908
  Density4,333.17/sq mi (1,673.07/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
20175-20178
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.