McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census.
McLean is home to many diplomats, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and the Central Intelligence Agency. It is also the location of Hickory Hill, the former home of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy and Salona, the former home of Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, the Revolutionary War hero. It was to Salona that First Lady Dolley Madison fled in 1814 when British troops were burning the White House.
Located between the George Washington Parkway and the town of Vienna, McLean is known for its many upscale homes, as well as for its high-end shopping, such as the nearby Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. Land values in McLean are among the highest in the Washington area.
Several major companies are or have been headquartered in McLean including Booz Allen Hamilton; Capital One; Cardinal Bank; Freddie Mac; Gannett; Hilton Hotels Corporation; Mars; MicroStrategy; Primus Telecom; Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC); Sunrise Senior Living, and USA Today. It is also the location where Apple Inc. opened their first retail store in 2001.
