Welcome to McLean
Prestigious Virginia suburb with excellent schools
McLean is a Washington, D.C. suburb located in Virginia’s Fairfax County, bounded by the Potomac River to the north and east. The community was named for former Washington Post owner John R. McLean and is known for its highly rated school district. McLean’s Silver Line metro station opened in 2014 and connects to Eastern Market station within 40 minutes.
Homes within McLean include Hickory Hill, a large 1870s brick house formerly owned by members of the Kennedy family. Hickory Hill is one of 12 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Langley Fork Historic District. The Signet is a luxurious, 121-unit condominium building offering stylish living spaces and amenities including a fitness center, sauna, private courtyard, and 24-hour concierge. The Boro is another upscale condominium development with several towers and a shopping center with a Whole Foods Market.
What to Love
- Historic and modern architecture
- Proximity to Washington, D.C
- High-profile residents
- Wide-ranging shopping options
- Parks and green space
Commute Times
Metro Center 21m by car
Union Station 1h 12m by train, 32m by car
Dupont Circle 1h by train, 21m by car
Reagan National Airport 1h 15m by train, 16m by car
Nearest Metro
People & Lifestyle
A 2018 American Community Survey listed McLean as the United States’ third wealthiest city. McLean is around a 20-minute drive from Capitol Hill, and its residents include numerous high-level government officials. Some of the city’s most prominent political figures have included Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Newt Gingrich, Gore Vidal, and Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. Other residents include diplomats and executives. More than 70% of McLean’s homes are occupied by married couples, and around 40% have young children. Corporations including Capital One and Hilton Worldwide maintain headquarters in McLean.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Tysons Corner Center is the largest shopping mall in Virginia and the 10th largest in the entire United States, with hundreds of stores and restaurants. This enormous shopping complex is anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Nordstrom department stores as well as a 16-screen AMC movie theater. The upscale three-story Tysons Galleria is located beside Tysons Corner Center, featuring high-end brands such as Cartier, Chanel, David Yurman, MaxMara, Newman Marcus, and Versace. Dining highlights at Tysons Corner and Galleria include the North Dakota Farmers’ Union-owned co-op eatery Founding Fathers, upscale steak and seafood restaurants Wildfire and Eddie V’s, island-themed crab and lobster specialists Coastal Flats, and seasonal grill and wine bar Seasons 52. The mall is also the site of the Silver Line Tysons Corner metro station. McLean Square and McLean-Chain Bridge Center shopping centers are adjacent to Tysons Corner. Businesses here include gourmet grocery store Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market, Mediterranean restaurant CAVA, Turkish eatery Kazan, and sushi and sashimi spot Tachibana.
Things to Do
Clemyjontri Park is a two-acre green space with a large children’s playground, carousel, and picnic pavilion. The facilities at Clemyjontri Park’s playground have been designed to accommodate children with disabilities. More parks and green space fill the area across the Georgetown Pike from Clemyjontri, with Langley Fork and Langley Oaks Parks leading to the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which runs for 25 miles along the banks of the Potomac. Turkey Run Park has hiking trails moving through the upland forests and varied other habitats of the Potomac Gorge. Scott’s Run Nature Preserve on the Potomac riverfront has miles of trails and a spectacular waterfall. The 800-acre natural expanse of Great Falls Park is located a short distance to McLean’s northeast. A 15-mile trail traces the Difficult Run stream through the park, and its breathtaking 76-foot falls are a popular spot for kayaking and whitewater rafting. Other green spaces within McLean include Lewinsville Park and McLean Central Park.
Schools
McLean’s highly regarded local schools are operated by Fairfax County Public School District.
- Chesterbrook Elementary School, Public, PK-6
- Kent Gardens Elementary School, Public (Magnet), PK-6
- Spring Hill Elementary School, Public, PK-6
- Cooper Middle School, Public (Magnet), 7-8
- Langley High School, Public, 9-12