Dulles

Dulles is a surname of Scottish origin associated with several notable American figures and places. Notable individuals include John Foster Dulles (1888–1959), who served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Allen Welsh Dulles (1893–1969), who was the first civilian Director of Central Intelligence and played a leading role in the U.S. intelligence community during the early Cold War.

Dulles International Airport (IAD) is a major airport serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Located in northern Virginia near the Dulles area, it sits mainly in Loudoun County with parts in Fairfax County. Opened in 1962 and named for John Foster Dulles, the airport is a hub for several carriers and a gateway for international travel. It is connected to the region by the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) and, since 2022, by the Washington Metro’s Silver Line extension.

Dulles, Virginia is a census-designated place in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, near the airport. The community developed around the airport and surrounding infrastructure and carries the Dulles name, which is inseparable from the region’s identity due to the airport and its historical associations.

Dulles Corridor, also known as the Dulles Technology Corridor, designates the business and technology corridor along Route 267 from the Washington area toward Dulles Airport. The corridor hosts a concentration of technology firms, government contractors, and corporate offices and forms a major part of Northern Virginia’s economic landscape.