Chantilly, Virginia

Chantilly is a little census-designated place in Fairfax County with heaps of history behind it. Located just 25 miles west of Washington D.C. and situated serendipitously at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Virginia State Route 28, Chantilly is a great home for commuters not just to the Capital, but to the Dulles Airport/Reston/Tysons Corner technology corridor and other major employment centers in Northern Virginia as well. Prosperous and full of lovely places to live, Chantilly could be just the home you’ve searched for!

The community of Chantilly consists of 12 square miles, almost all of which is land. According to Wikipedia, “It is bordered to the west by the South Riding CDP in Loudoun County, to the north by Washington Dulles International Airport, to the northeast by the Franklin Farm CDP, to the east by the Greenbriar CDP, and to the south by Centreville. To the southwest is Schneider Crossroads, not part of any census-designated area.”

Chantilly takes its name from an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn was the namesake of an 18th-century plantation situated in Westmoreland County, Virginia.Originally, the name "Chantilly" was French: the Château de Chantilly is about 25 miles north of Paris. In colonial days, Chantilly was home to a number of plantations. The most famous of these was the Sully Plantation, which exists today as the Sully Historic Site, built by Richard Bland Lee. Cornelia Lee Turberville Stuart was the descendant of Richard Henry Lee, owner of the original Chantilly Plantation and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. She named her family’s plantation Chantilly, and the growing village took its name from the residence. 

During the Civil War, the Battle of Chantilly took place in the village. Union generals Brigadier General Isaac Stevens and Major General Philip Kearny were both killed in the battle, which took place near Ox Hill following the second Battle of Bull Run. Following their defeat, Union troops withdrew to Fairfax.

Today, Chantilly is known as being home to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which is one of the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies and considered, along with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and National Geospatial?Intelligence Agency (NGA), to be one of the "big five" U.S. Intelligence agencies. It is also the location of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center annex of the National Air and Space Museum. In terms of recreation, locals enjoy spending time at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, a recreational complex that includes soccer, baseball, and softball fields, along with trails and fitness stations. 

Homes in Chantilly are spacious and lovely, with costs in line with Chantilly’s higher-than-state-average household income. If you are interested in learning more about Chantilly, contact a licensed real estate professional today!