Virginia State Route 609 (Fairfax County) Explained

State:VA
Type:Sec
Route:609
Alternate Name:Pleasant Valley Road
Map Custom:yes
Map Notes:SR 609 highlighted in red
Length Mi:6.12
Length Ref:[1]
Tourist: Virginia Byway
Direction A:South
Terminus A: in Centreville
Junction: near Chantilly
Direction B:North
Terminus B: in Chantilly
Counties:Fairfax

State Route 609 in Fairfax County, Virginia is a secondary state highway which traverses western portion of the county. The road is also known as Pleasant Valley Road.

Route description

Pleasant Valley Road's southern terminus is at US 29 in Centreville. It serves as an arterial road through the neighborhood of Virginia Run for its southernmost few miles. Once it leaves the neighborhood, Pleasant Valley becomes a twisty two-lane road, meeting SR 620 (Braddock Road) at a roundabout about a mile north of Virginia Run. The road continues north, passing Pleasant Valley Golf Club[2] (named for the road) and going through another large residential development (called Cub Run after a nearby stream). Pleasant Valley ends at US 50 after passing by a row of office buildings, including one housing an Intel office.[3]

Loudoun SR 609

As SR 609 approaches US 50, a spur goes off to the west into Loudoun County. The Virginia Department of Transportation has chosen to number that spur SR 609 (Loudoun County). Loudoun County has named that road Pleasant Valley Road, as well. Thus, the driver on US 50 driving into Loudoun first comes across SR 609 (Fairfax County) (Pleasant Valley Rd.), and one block later comes across SR 609 (Loudoun County) (Pleasant Valley Rd.).[4]

History

See main article: Battle of Chantilly. Pleasant Valley Road is named for the location at the northern terminus of the road (on US 50; that road was called the Little River Turnpike in the American Civil War) on the Loudoun side of the county line, Pleasant Valley. In 1862, Confederate soldiers camped there as they were marching toward the site of the Battle of Chantilly.[5]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/info/resources/AADT_029_Fairfax_2008.pdf 2008 VDOT Traffic Data - Fairfax County
  2. http://www.pleasantvalleygc.com/golf/proto/pleasantvalleygc/ Pleasant Valley Golf Club
  3. http://www.intel.com/jobs/usa/sites/chantilly/ Jobs at Intel - United States, Chantilly, VA
  4. http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_053_Loudoun_2008.pdf 2008 Loudoun County AADT Reference by VDOT
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=SdrYv7S60fgC&dq=civil+war+little+river+pleasant+valley&pg=PA400 Encyclopedia of the American Civil War