Centreville, Virginia

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

Centreville is approximately 20 mi west of Washington, D.C.

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

18th century
The town of Centerville, shortly later spelled Centreville, was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the Virginia General Assembly in response to petitions by local landowners. The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the Northwest Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town (later Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later Warrenton), and Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children. At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of Loudoun County, Virginia, and became part of Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.

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

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

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

20th and 21st centuries
Like much of Northern Virginia, Centreville experienced sustained population growth in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2021, the town has grown significantly. There are numerous shopping centers built around the town center.

Geography
Centreville is located at 38.8425°N, -77.4425°W (38.842470, −77.442621).

According to the United States Census Bureau (2010), the CDP has a total area of 12.04 square miles (31.2 km2), 99% of it land.

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

2020 Census
At the 2020 census (some information from the 2022 American Community Survey) there were 73,518 people, 25,931 housing units and 25,398 households residing in the CDP. The population density was 6,157.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,379.2/km2). The average housing unit density was 2,171.8 per square mile (839.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 43.03% White, 7.69% African American, 0.50% Native American, 30.03% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 7.89% from other races, and 10.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 16.08% of the population.

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

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

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

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

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

Notable people

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nearby towns and communities

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