Dulles | |
Settlement Type: | Unincorporated area |
Pushpin Map: | USA Virginia Northern#USA Virginia#USA |
Pushpin Label: | Dulles |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Dulles in Northern Virginia |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Type2: | County |
Subdivision Name2: | Loudoun |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Population As Of: | 2000 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
Utc Offset: | -5 |
Timezone Dst: | EDT |
Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
Coordinates: | 38.9517°N -77.4481°W |
Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
Postal Code: | 20166-20189 |
Blank Name: | FIPS code |
Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
Blank1 Info: | 1927305 |
Dulles is an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area. The headquarters of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and ODIN Technologies, as well as the former headquarters of MCI Inc. and AOL are located in Dulles. The National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington forecast office and the National Weather Service's Sterling Field Support Center are also both in Dulles.
Dulles covers roughly the southwestern third of Sterling, Virginia (another unincorporated community). The usage of Dulles as a community name began in the mid-1980s when Loudoun County economic development officer Pam Treadwell successfully lobbied[1] the United States Postal Service to allow Sterling businesses and residents to use Dulles as an alternative address. The USPS defines Dulles as an "acceptable" city name for the 20166 ZIP code, whose "recommended" city name is Sterling.[2] Dulles is also the city name for ZIP code 20189.
The addresses for shipping parcels to United States embassies and consulates, as well as their employees worldwide, are located in Dulles.
Washington Dulles International Airport is located partially in Dulles (although its postal address uses the Sterling name instead) and partially in Fairfax County. The community derives its name from the airport; the airport in turn takes its name from former U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (1888–1959).
Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems has its headquarters on Warp Drive in Dulles.[3] AOL had its headquarters at 22000 AOL Way in Dulles.[4] In 2007, AOL announced that it would move its headquarters from Loudoun County to New York City, though it would continue to operate its Virginia offices.[5]
Before its dissolution, FLYi, Inc./Independence Air (originally Atlantic Coast Airlines) was headquartered in Dulles.[6] [7] Prior to its dissolution, MAXjet Airways was headquartered on the grounds of Washington Dulles International Airport and in Dulles.[8] Cryptek was headquartered in Dulles before its acquisition in 2009.
Other companies have offices in Dulles, e.g., Harris IT Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Harris Corporation.[9]
Dulles Town Center, a large enclosed shopping mall, is also located in the northern part of Dulles.