Aldie, Virginia

Historic, bucolic Aldie is an unincorporated community located in Loudoun County. It is adjacent to the towns of Chantilly and Middleburg. Nestled in a gap between the Catoctin Mountain and Bull’s Run Mountain, Aldie has a population of just over 11,400 people. It is, despite its small size, one of the fastest-growing communities in the Washington, D.C. metro area and the second-fastest ZIP code in Virginia. The population is largely young, married families. The average commuter spends 40 minutes on the road leaving from Aldie.

The historic center of Aldie is the Village of Aldie. It was established in 1765 by James and George Mercer, who built a mill at what is currently a historic site. Located on Belhaven Road between Winchester and Alexandria, the Mercer Mill eventually became a stop on the Little River Turnpike. James Mercer's son, Charles Fenton Mercer, along with William Cooke as a partner, established a village at the turnpike’s western terminus and dubbed it “Aldie,” for his Scottish family’s ancestral home. By 1820, thanks to the construction of several intersecting roads running through the town, Aldie had the fourth-largest population in the county. President James Monroe made his home there (the James Monroe House, formerly Oak Hill) in 1822. During the Civil War, Aldie had a battle named after it during the Gettysburg campaign, and several skirmishes took place in and around it. Several sites in Aldie are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Aldie is known for its current phase of tremendous growth and a boom in new construction. The eastern part of the town has seen a large number of upscale suburban communities being built, with a seemingly endless number either in-progress or newly completed. These homes are by and large stately edifices with rolling lawns and a distinctly high-end look to them. The median home cost in Aldie is $440,400. 

Aldie maintains a small-town community feel, with several annual events that are part of resident life. One of these is the Harvest Festival, which takes place in October. Historic and civic organizations come together to put on a display that “highlights notable events and people in local history.” There are food trucks, vendors with their wares on display, and, notably, a duck race. On Thanksgiving Eve, the churches in Aldie select one community church at which to hold a Community Worship service “to give thanks for our blessings and help others who need help.”

The old Aldie Mill is open for tours year-round, and it even still occasionally mills for demonstration purposes! It is surrounded by a park that is a nice place for a day trip. Oenophiles will want to check out Quattro Goomba’s Winery, a winery and pizza joint that is situated in a historic log cabin. It is also a popular spot for picnics! 

Jobs are plentiful in Aldie, which has a low unemployment rate, and the schools are rated as above-average. These two facts make Aldie a highly-desirable place to live in Northern Virginia! If you are interested in learning more about Aldie or making it your new home, talk with a qualified Realtor today!