by Brittany DeLong (Author), Charles Waddell (Foreword by)
Sterling, Virginia, was originally comprised of swaths of rural farmland that evolved into Loudoun County's first planned community. Now home to multiple global corporate headquarters and a booming information technology industry, Sterling reflects a rich cultural past and a promising future. Sterling's earliest documented history dates back to the 1600s to Vestal's Gap Road, long used by American Indians and eventually by George Washington in his travels. Guilford Station helped establish Sterling as a railroad transportation hub and a commercial center for farmers from the mid-1850s through the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1960s, the Washington Dulles International Airport was built nearby, and families began migrating to suburban Sterling as M.T. Broyhill and Sons Corporation unveiled plans for the "New City at Sterling." Today, Sterling sits within the Northern Virginia corridor where more than 70 percent of the world's internet traffic passes. One of the most diverse communities in Northern Virginia, Sterling represents a wonderful melting pot of nationalities and cultures.