Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls is a community of 15,228 people in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Why visit Great Falls
Townapedia lists 53 museums and landmarks, 53 parks and trails, 81 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 14 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include NOVA Wild, Great Falls, Colvin Run Mill and A. Smith Bowman Distillery.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Great Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Great Falls
Great Falls is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 15,953. It is named for the nearby Great Falls of the Potomac River.
From the Wikipedia article Great Falls, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do14
NOVA Wild
Zoo and aquarium · 2.8 mi
For-profit zoo in Virginia, US
1228 Hunter Mill Road, Vienna
Mo-Su 10:00-16:00
Great Falls
Waterfall · 2.8 mi
Waterfalls on the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia
Lake Fairfax Park
Monument and historic site · 3.4 mi
Park in Reston, Fairfax County, Virginia
1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston
Seneca Aqueduct
Bridge · 4.5 mi
Naviduct that carries the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal over Seneca Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
2 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks53
Colvin Run Mill
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Operational 19th-century water-powered mill in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
A. Smith Bowman Distillery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Whisky distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia
Bloomfield
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic home located in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Bois Doré
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.5 mi
House in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Cornwell Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Building in Virginia, United States
Dranesville Tavern
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic commercial building in Virginia, United States
Edward Beale House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Historic house in Maryland, United States
Four Stairs
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Building in Virginia, United States
Great Falls Grange Hall and Forestville School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Virginia, United States
Herndon Depot Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Railway station in Herndon, the United States of America
Herndon Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic district in Virginia, United States
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John Gunnell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
41 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds53
Algonkian Regional Park
Park · 5.2 mi
Park in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America
Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park
Park · 5.5 mi
Protected globally-rare, forested serpentine barrens in Travilah, Maryland, United States
41 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes81
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 3.4 mi
1446 North Point Village Center, Reston
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 11:00-21:30
California Tortilla
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.5 mi
1470 North Point Village Center, Reston
Mo-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Finn Thai
Restaurant · Thai · 3.5 mi
1466 North Point Village Center, Reston
Su-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
Glory Days Grill
Diner · American · 3.3 mi
1400 North Point Village Center, Reston
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:59
Gregorio's Trattoria
Restaurant · Italian · 3.4 mi
1428 North Point Village Center, Reston
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00
L'Auberge Chez François
Restaurant · French · 1.2 mi
332 Springvale Road, Great Falls
We-Fr 11:30-13:30, 16:30-21:00; Sa 11:30-13:30, 16:30-21:30; Su 11:30-20:00
Mandarin
Restaurant · Chinese · 4.2 mi
1675 Reston Parkway, Reston
Mo 10:00-21:00; Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa 11:30-21:30;...
Pollo Peru
Restaurant · Chicken, Peruvian · 4.2 mi
1675 Reston Parkway, Reston
Mo-Sa 10:30-21:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Senor Ramon Taqueria
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.2 mi
11790 Baron Cameron Avenue, Reston
Mo-Th 14:00-18:00; Fr-Su 14:00-17:00
Zamarod
Restaurant · Afghan · 2.7 mi
10123 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls
Mo-Sa 11:30-14:30, 17:00-22:00; Su 17:00-19:00
69 more on the map.
History
Colonial farm settlements began to form in the area as early as the late 1700s.
Early on, the village was known as Forestville (unofficially, since there was already a Forestville with a Post Office), but was renamed Great Falls in 1955.
From the History section of Great Falls, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship29
All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center
Place of worship · Sunni · 4.2 mi
46903 Sugarland Road, Herndon
Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.8 mi
1020 Springvale Road, Great Falls
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 3.9 mi
1515 Poplar Grove Drive, Reston
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries51
Healthcare6
Map of Great Falls
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 23°F | 3.3 in | 6.5 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 24°F | 2.6 in | 7.5 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 32°F | 3.8 in | 2.0 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 41°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 61°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 67°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 65°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 57°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 45°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 35°F | 3.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 3.4 in | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Vienna (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Fairfax County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-09-11: Hurricane Florence (Hurricane)
- 2016-03-07: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Dranesville 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Travilah 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Cascades 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Potomac 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- North Potomac 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Ashburn 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Rockville 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Franklin Farm 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Bethesda 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- North Bethesda 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Fullmoon at Great Falls (Virginia), Rob Shenk from Great Falls, VA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lock 1 on Great falls Patowmack Canal from HABS, Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain
- Locks 3 4 and 5 on Great Falls Patowmack Canal from HABS, Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain
- Lock 1 plan of Great Falls Patowmack Canal, Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain
- Lock 2 plan of Great Falls Patowmack Canal, Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain
- Side view of building, Great Falls Library, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Falls Library from Georgetown Pike, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- September 11 memorial, Great Falls, Virginia, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Falls Grange Hall and Forestville School, December, 2018, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wetlands on the grounds of the Great Falls Library, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Birdbath in the meadow at Great Falls Library, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shopping center, early afternoon, Great Falls, Virginia, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Falls Library and activities board, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Front entrance, Great Falls Library, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Falls Library and events board, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colvin Run Mill, Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WILLIAM GUNNELL HOUSE0300, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Seneca Stone Cutting Mill, Garrettpeck, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GREAT FALLS GRANGE HALL AND FORESTVILLE SCHOOL, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dranesville Tavern, David D'Agostino, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lanesville-8106, Cecouchman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Seneca Schoolhouse Museum, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CORNWELL FARM, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Spring Hill Farm - McLean VA, ZeWrestler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BealeHouse, Mona80x, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oldbowmanwinedistill, Joshua Davis, CC BY-SA 2.5
- JOHN GUNNELL HOUSE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LAKE ANNE VILLAGE H.D., FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Herndon Depot1, Cecouchman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bloomfield Manor, LeiferJM, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HERNDON HISTORIC DISTRICT, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Usgs-headquarters, No machine-readable author provided. Joshuadavisphotography assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5
- FOUR STAIRS, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Splanchnonema platani 257169132, Annie Weissman, CC BY 4.0
- Splanchnonema platani 257164920, Annie Weissman, CC BY 4.0
- Splanchnonema platani 257164980, Annie Weissman, CC BY 4.0
- Splanchnonema platani 257166694, Annie Weissman, CC BY 4.0
- Shady Oak, Fairfax County, Virginia - 1, Ser_Amantio_di_Nicolao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS030-E-106167 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-64713 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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