Great Falls is a highly-desirable suburb located in Fairfax County, Virginia. It has landed on CNN Money’s list of “top earning towns” in recent years, and is consistently in the top 50 of best places to live in the United States. Great Falls is best-known for its eponymous state park, which includes the Great Falls of the Potomac River. 

What We Love About Great Falls

  • Great Falls Park: We just mentioned this, but let's get more specific. The park covers 800 acres on the Potomac River and contains the remains of our nation's first canal capable of raising and lowering boats. It also has scenic vistas, perfect picnic spots abound, and you can even get an adrenaline rush by whitewater rafting! 
  • That Hometown Feel:With fewer than 20,000 people living in Great Falls, it maintains that classic “hometown” that made people move here originally
  • Great Community Events: This is a family-friendly town and you can bet there are a number of phenomenal traditions and annual events on the calendar to mark every occasion. It's a truly welcoming place for anyone thinking of buying a home in Great Falls. 

We love Great Falls, But don’t take our word for it. Let locals tell you, in their own words, why Great Falls is such an awesome place to live. 

Why Locals Love Living in Great Falls

“Great Falls, VA is on the outskirts of Washington DC, so there are many activities to take part in. Shopping, ethnic restaurants, museums and sporting events to name a few. George Mason University, where I will be attending in the fall, hosts the Patriot Center. The Patriot Center has numerous concerts, children events and sporting events for people of all ages. Everything in this area is right at your fingertips. I am very lucky to be raised here.” (Niche.com User)

“Great Falls is the perfect suburb to live in. It's about 30 minutes from Washington D.C and 1 hour from some scenic mountains in West Virginia. We also have the famous Potomac River Falls in our backyard. I love the community they have in Great Falls; there is always something going on in the courtyard of the plaza called "the Village,” whether it's a small concert with barbeques or a farmers market. Every weekend, we have police cars setting up checkpoints to make sure people are making good decisions before getting behind the wheel. I've absolutely loved the last 11 years of living here and I cannot imagine myself living somewhere else.” (Current Resident)

“Very polite people with an earthy atmosphere. The village center is only a five minute drive away and Great Falls National Park is available for any nature lovers. I personally enjoy taking walks there when I come home from college with my dogs.” (Current Resident)

“Great Falls is a nice small city. Great Falls has the most beautiful park -"Great Falls National Park;" definitely a place you have to see. It has some huge and beautiful waterfalls. I absolutely love this place. It is also a great place, if you want to get away from the city or if you just need to recharge.” (Nearby Resident)

“Great Falls is a lovely suburb outside of Washington DC. Despite its proximity to the city, it still has a tight-knit, small-town feel. People are friendly and the town has lots of events that encourage community, such as summer concerts on the green and the Saturday morning farmer's market.” (Current Resident)

“About 45 minutes from Washington DC, so museums are excellent. The Verizon Center in DC, as well as Wolf Trap in Vienna and Jiffy Lube Live in Manassas, have excellent concerts all the time. Wolf Trap also has cool dance groups come perform and the Kennedy Center has amazing shows as well.”