McLean, VA Road Trips

The primary reason to visit McLean is to go shopping at Tysons Corner. McLean is primarily residential, with major commercial development concentrated in its portion of Tysons Corner. McLean is also a favored address for many high-ranking government officials and diplomats. McLean encompasses the older settlements of Lewinsville and Langley. Langley is the name of the local high school and as a metonym for the CIA, after the location of its headquarters. The community is named after John Roll McLean, who owned The Washington Post, and was one of the chief investors in the Washington and Old Dominion Railway.

1 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 1000 Colonial Farm Rd, ☏ +1 703 482-0623, fax: +1 703 482-1739. The headquarters of the most well-known intelligence agency of the United States government is in a part of McLean that is sometimes still called "Langley". Tours are given only with special arrangement to academic and civic groups, not to the public. Even attempting to drive down the road leading up to the CIA can get you in trouble. However, there is a virtual tour on the CIA's web site.

1 Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, 7400 Georgetown Pike, ☏ +1 703 759-9018. Sunrise to sunset daily. Named for the small stream that tumbles over a dramatic waterfall before ending in the Potomac, Scott's Run Nature Preserve is criss-crossed by hiking trails, many of them challenging as they follow the rocky cliffs and sheer bluffs overlooking the river. A section of the Potomac Heritage Trail crosses through the park east to west. Free.

Rates vary wildly on business/convention demand; weekends are usually cheaper. 1 Staybridge Suites, 6845 Old Dominion Dr, ☏ +1 703 448-5400, fax: +1 703 506-0001. Outdoor pool, free wireless internet, complimentary breakfast. The cheaper rates are generally on the weekends. $100-320.

WMATA, which operates the DC Metrorail, has several Metrorail stops in McLean (all on the Silver Line). For more information on riding the Metrorail, see Washington, DC#By public transportation. The George Washington Parkway runs along the north side of the town. The Chain Bridge connects the George Washington Parkway to Washington, D.C.. McLean is also just off I-495, the Capital Beltway, from the west, with the main exits at the George Washington Parkway and Georgetown Pike.