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. As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County.

Centreville is approximately west of Washington, D.C. History 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.William Carr Lane obtained an ordinary (tavern) license in 1768, Loudoun County Court Order Book of 1768. The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a London prison.Virginia Gazette, Publisher: Rind, p.2, col.3, January 17, 1771 The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association.Town plat, Library of Virginia Another reason for it being named Newgate was 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.John Stuart Alexander, and Others, Legislative Petitions, Loudoun County, October 3, 1792, Reel 111, Box 142, Folder 39, Library of Virginia. (Second petition) 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.John Stuart Alexander, and Others, Legislative Petitions, Fairfax County, November 20, 1790, Reel 49, Box 69, Folder 36, Library of Virginia 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.Sweig, Donald (1992). Fairfax County Virginia: A History. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax, Virginia, p.45.

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 (38.842470, −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.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Centreville CDP, Virginia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)31,53935,57329,99764.81%50.01%40.80%Black or African American alone (NH)4,2315,1145,4888.69%7.19%7.46%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1091111130.22%0.16%0.15%Asian alone (NH)6,92118,21721,97614.22%25.61%29.89%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)2178640.04%0.11%0.09%Other race alone (NH)1241934210.25%0.27%0.57%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,2552,3513,6372.58%3.30%4.95%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,4619,49811,8229.17%13.35%16.08%Total48,66171,13573,518 100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, with 25,931 housing units and 25,287 households. The population density was 6,157.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,379.2/km2), and the housing unit density was 2,171.8 per square mile (839.2/km2).

The median age was 36.9 years; 23.1% were under 18 and 9.7% were 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.

Of the households, 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 57.6% were married-couple households, 14.8% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 22.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%, with 2.5% of housing units vacant.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 31,638 43.0% Black or African American 5,652 7.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 368 0.5% Asian 22,081 30.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 66 0.1% Some other race 5,804 7.9% Two or more races 7,909 10.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 11,822 16.1%

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

2022 American Community Survey According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry was 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.Layla Wilder, Loudoun Times, Frey OKs Route 28 median April 12, 2007; accessed October 13, 2007

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 SchoolBaseballAmerica – stats for Brandon Snyder 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

Education

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."Library Branches." Fairfax County Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009."Centreville CDP, Virginia." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.

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)

Notes

External links

"Why is it named Centreville?", Ghosts of DC, October 17, 2013

References