Once a purely agricultural region, Loudoun County has become a dominant player in the Washington metropolitan region’s corporate and high technology arena. As such, it has contributed significantly to the area’s status as one of the largest high-tech centers in the country.

Many global business giants consider Loudoun home. America Online, WorldCom, Orbital Sciences and United Airlines are among the largest, and others are being added to the growing list regularly. However, large corporations are not the only businesses attracted to Loudoun’s prime location and business amenities. Many mid-sized, small, and home-based businesses are well established in Loudoun as well. Loudoun’s businesses represent just about every trade and profession and offer just about every product and service anyone could possibly need. Our county’s businesses contribute to the stable economy we enjoy; in fact, everyone benefits from the wealth of opportunity available here.

Loudoun County is part of our country’s fourth largest metropolitan region, is the fastest growing county in the region, and is the third fastest growing county in the nation. This growth has given us a healthy employment base. Loudoun’s businesses are able to draw from some of the most highly educated professionals available in the nation, and they enjoy a recruitment and retention that is matched by few areas.

Local colleges and universities serve our businesses well, offering education and advanced training opportunities as well as collaborative technology R&D. In addition, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology in eastern Loudoun supports technology company growth. Combining these assets with Loudoun’s dedication to quality of life, businesses, employees and residents have found the perfect blend of opportunities and amenities, making Loudoun County among the most highly sought after locations in which to work and live.

While much of the corporate and high-tech business is most visible in eastern Loudoun, the county continues to enjoy agricultural and rural business success as well. Our agriculture industry, long an economic mainstay, has become more diverse in recent years. Many of the large farms that produced top-quality beef cattle and grain yields have given way to smaller farms that have begun offering a variety of different products. Christmas tree production, for example, is but one small-farm use that has made a major contribution to Loudoun County’s rural business success.

Cattle and horses still dot Loudoun’s landscape. Nearly 40,000 head of cattle can be found on Loudoun farms. In addition, Loudoun is home to more than 20,000 horses, the highest equine population in any county in Virginia. With annual horse sales in the millions and world-class equestrian facilities and events being offered as the rule rather than the exception, Loudoun is firmly noted on the map as a "horse and hunt country" leader, attracting visitors and participants worldwide and adding to the county’s economic well being.

Even with the tremendous business growth our county continues to experience, Loudouners have worked hard to preserve the balance between "major metro area suburb" and the "rural country" that is synonymous with Loudoun’s character. As a result, we continue to enjoy a setting that is as much cosmopolitan and progressive as it is rural and traditional.

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