Leesburg is a town located in Loudoun County, Virginia, between the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Potomac River. Located about 35 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., it is intersected by two major highways, U.S. Route 15 and Route 7. It is also the terminus of the Dulles Greenway Toll Road, which begins at Washington Dulles International Airport.
The town of Leesburg was established in 1758. It was originally named George Town after King George II, but later renamed to honor the influential Lee family of Virginia. During the War of 1812, valuable papers from the Federal Archives (including the Declaration of Independence and Constitution) were brought to Leesburg for safekeeping. In 1823, President James Monroe wrote the Monroe Doctrine at his residence just south of town at Oak Hill.
In 1861, Leesburg was the site of a Civil War battle at Ball's Bluff, fought on the banks of the Potomac River. It was the largest Civil War battle ever fought in Loudoun County. A portion of the battlefield is now a public park, and the site of one of the smallest national cemeteries.
General George C. Marshall, creator of the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, lived at Dodona Manor in Leesburg in 1941. Entertainer and aviator Arthur Godfrey also lived in Leesburg, and donated land for the town's municipal airport.
Leesburg is divided into quadrants by King Street (Route 15) and Market Street (Route 7). The intersection of the two is the center of historic Leesburg, which attracts shoppers from miles around to browse its many antique shops. The Thomas Balch Library, located on West Market Street, specializes in local history and geneaology research.Across town, near the Route 15 Bypass, the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets beckons, with more than 100 premium discount stores. Popular tourist attractions near Leesburg are the Tarara Winery and Oatlands Plantation.
Among the recreational opportunities in Leesburg are the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a bike path built on a former railroad grade. Also located in Leesburg is the Catoctin Skatepark, a 12,000 foot lighted park for skateboarders and in-line skaters.
Leesburg has it's own newspaper, Leesburg Today, as well as a news radio station, WAGE (1200 AM).
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