About the Town

Overview

The Town of Purcellville is the hub of western Loudoun County. Located just 25 miles from Dulles International Airport and just over 50 miles to the heart of Washington, D.C., Purcellville is a small Town with a lot of activity. Loudoun County, with over 360,000 residents, is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, and it boasts the highest household median income for counties in the nation. 

Purcellville is in the rural, western portion of the County, surrounded by farms, open space, and mountain views. Easy access to outdoor activities includes: Appalachian Trail, Potomac River, hiking, horseback riding, and pick-your-own farms. There's even an active farm in Town that has been in farming for over 200 years! 

The Town provides key public services for its residents, businesses, and visitors - including public water and sewer service, law enforcement, street maintenance, zoning, and parks and recreation. The Town has approximately 9,100 residents and an estimated daytime population of over 15,000.

Purcellville boasts over 50 eating locations, from fast dining and casual to fine dining and specialty shops. Check out our Dining Guide or our Business Directory of restaurants.

Craft beverages have become a huge draw for visitors - there are 4 (and soon to be 5) local breweries and an award-winning, internationally recognized craft distillery. Numerous wineries are located in the vicinity of the Town, just outside the Town borders.

Purcellville has nearly 400 in-Town businesses that span a wide range - from professional services to retail to restaurants and craft beverages. View our entire Business Directory here.

Brand

Purcellville recently went through a branding process for marketing the Town in and around the region. Similar to common practice, the community voted to brand Purcellville as PVL. Added to that abbreviation is a simple tagline: "Loudoun's Rural Destination"

FINALoval window decalOUTLINES - PVL small

Stop by Town Hall pick up your FREE oval car sticker, or buy a car magnet for only $2!

Marketing Videos

Learn more about all the great things Purcellville has to offer by checking out our latest marketing videos!

Fast Facts

Demographic and helpful information about the Town is available on our Fast Facts page!

Map / Vicinity

Find out where we are and how to find us on our Maps page.

The Village

The “Village of Purcell Store”, named for the area’s first postmaster, was initially settled in 1764. This village was located along a road that today would be considered little more than an ox cart path.

In 1832 the ox cart path was expanded and built into a historic turnpike that became known as The Great Road. On July 9, 1852 the Village was officially renamed Purcellville and 56 years later the Town of Purcellville was incorporated by an Act of the General Assembly in 1908.

In 1874 Purcellville became a stop along the W&OD rail line which carried goods and supplies to and from the rural countryside and points eastward. Families also traveled by rail to visit western Loudoun County during weekends, vacations and summers. The W&OD rail line ran from Alexandria to Purcellville. The W&OD stopped running in 1968. The rail bed was replaced by a trail that is used by residents for hiking and bicycling.The first segment of the W&OD Trail was opened in 1974 within the City of Falls Church. This portion was built as the result of a special agreement with VEPCO under which the Regional Park Authority was allowed to judge whether a trail of this sort would prove to be popular. It did, and so, after the property was purchased, the trail was built in sections until its completion to Purcellville in 1988. Trail users today may enjoy 45 miles of asphalt trail and 32.5 miles of crushed stone and dirt bridle paths. In 1987, the W&OD was designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Fires


A series of disastrous fires, the first in 1900 and then two more in 1914, virtually wiped out the Town’s business district and eradicated much of the earliest architectural heritage. Despite the fires, many of the areas were rebuilt and the Downtown Business District has expanded considerably over the years.

Today


Today, many of the older structures remaining in Purcellville reflect the Victorian architecture popular during the turn-of-the-century.

The small town character of the Town and its setting in the scenic Loudoun Valley countryside make it a welcoming place to live.

Purcellville - The Early Years

Historical Timeline

Fast Facts and Data