Potomac Falls, Virginia

Potomac Falls is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is a community of Sterling, Virginia, which holds the distinction of being a planned community that developed post-WW2 as an affordable living space for Washington, D.C. commuters. Lying serendipitously along the Potomac River, Potomac Falls is in the northernmost part of Sterling - so far north, in fact, that it borders Maryland.

Potomac Falls was named in a competition to christen the second new post office in Sterling. Addresses in Potomac Falls use the community name or Sterling interchangeably. The village consists of the communities Glen Heather, Calvert's Glen, Cascades, CountrySide, Lowes Island, Rivercrest, Potomac Hunt, Great Falls Forest and Great Falls Chase. It borders Great Falls and Fairfax County to the southeast.

Unlike some other communities in Loudoun, Potomac Falls doesn’t have a very long history. It began development in the late 1980s, and is more or less complete today. Sterling itself doesn’t go very far back, being founded in 1962 on what used to be acres of dairy farms. Dulles International Airport was being built, and the company M.T. Broyhill & Sons Corporation had the plan to start developing housing tracts on the land outlying the airport. The idea at that time was to set up neighborhoods of prefabricated homes made by U.S. Steel and sell them for about $17,000, which at the time was approximately $3,000 less than the average in Fairfax County. With D.C. just 30 minutes away, it’s not surprising that Sterling took off quickly. 

Potomac Falls is a great place to live, encompassing several community centers, shopping areas, and highly-rated schools. If you are a golfer, you could hardly find a better place to settle down: there are three 18-hole golf courses including Trump National Golf Club, which is highly-ranked. In nearby Sterling there is the huge Claude Moore Park, which contains a recreation center, a sportsplex, and a nature area with hiking trails and a park, all spread out over 357 acres. 

Homes in Potomac Falls are a bit more affordable than in other areas of Loudoun, keeping with Sterling’s founding vision of building more reasonable homes for commuters. The median asking price for a home in the village is $499,000, or $200 per square foot. Homes for sale are pretty and spacious, often with generous yards and lush landscaping. A fair number of attractive townhomes are on the market as well. 

Interested in learning more about Potomac Falls? Get in touch with a licensed realtor today!