McLean is a private and exclusive community located on the Potomac River in Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area and just eight miles northwest of Downtown D.C., McLean is home to many heavyweight political figures. The community was founded in 1902 and named for Washington Post publisher John Roll McLean.
McLean encompasses the older communities of Lewinsville and Langley, the latter of which is home to the CIA and often used as a shorthand name for the CIA’s headquarters. McLean is also home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and near the upscale Tysons Corner shopping center.
​​​​​​​McLean is known for its spectacular mansions and estates, which are mix of elegant contemporary custom-builds, mid-century masterpieces, and gorgeous historic properties constructed in the early 1900s. The community has also experienced a plethora of new developments and other housing options, including a variety of single-family homes and condominiums.
McLean is one of the most expensive and prestigious addresses in the United States, and American Community Survey data ranks it as the third-most affluent city in the country. Residents include members of Congress, diplomats, and high-ranking government officials. Past famous residents have included Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia, Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, and political commentator and essayist Gore Vidal.
​​​​​​​The revered community is also home to successful businessmen and C-level executives, along with sports stars from Washington’s NHL and NBA franchises. Major tech, media, finance, and hospitality companies such as Hilton Worldwide and Capital One maintain headquarters in McLean.
The adjacent commercial complexes of Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria are located to McLean’s immediate west. Tysons Corner is the largest mall in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and one of the 10 biggest in the entire country. Its anchor tenants are Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Nordstrom department stores, an Old Navy clothing store, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a 16-screen AMC movie theater. Tysons Corner has a total of over 300 businesses. Some of Tysons Corner’s best dining options include delicious seafood and steaks at Coastal Flats and flavorful Indian cuisine at American Tandoor.​​​​​​​
On the opposite side of Virginia State Route 123, Tysons Galleria’s high-end retailers include Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more than 30 exclusive-to-market designer labels. Restaurants include chic Californian salad chain Urban Plates, rustic comfort cooking at Founding Farmers, mouthwatering steaks and seafood at Wildfire, and an eclectic selection of international dining choices at the Urbanspace food hall.
There are also many shops and restaurants clustered alongside the intersections of Old Dominion Drive, Chain Road, and Route 123 in the heart of McLean. Highlights include gourmet grocery store Balducci’s, outstanding sushi and sashimi at Tachibana, organic salads and sandwiches at Sweet Leaf Café, specialty coffees and fresh baked goods at Greenberry’s Coffee Co., and wood-fired Angus beef steaks at J. Gilbert’s. McLean Farmers’ Market is open each Saturday between May and mid-November with vendors selling fresh produce and artisanal foodstuffs.
Much of McLean is comprised of parks and open space. Scott’s Run Nature Preserve extends over 336 acres on the south bank of the Potomac at McLean’s northwest. This gorgeous natural space is a popular hiking destination with a mix of gentle forest trails, steep cliffs and sheer bluffs, creeks and streams with waterfalls, and beautiful springtime wildflowers carpeting the forest floor. Hiking paths also follow the trail of the Pimmit Run stream to McLean’s south.
Other parks include two-acre Clemyjontri Park with a carousel and playscape, Lewinsville Park with basketball courts, tennis courts, and sports fields, McLean Central Park with a disc golf course and outdoor summer concerts, and many more neighborhood greenspaces.
Langley Swim and Tennis Club at the edge of the Scott’s Run Preserve has a heated outdoor pool, swimming lessons, tennis programs, clubs, and tournaments for all ages. Just past Tysons Corner, Westwood Country Club provides its members with access to a Gene Bates-designed 18-hole championship golf course, 10 tennis courts, fitness facilities, an Olympic swimming pool, and a 58,000-square-foot clubhouse.
McLean’s cultural amenities include art galleries and exhibitions at the McLean Community Center and performances from touring theatrical, musical, comedy, and dance acts at the Alden Theatre.
McLean is zoned to the Fairfax County Public School District. Highlights include:
Whether you have a general question, you want to talk about how I can help you find your dream home, or you want to begin the conversation about how you can get your home sold faster than you think possible… you’re in the right place.