Herndon City Guide

United States

Herndon City Guide

Virginia

Herndon is a suburban town in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Washington D.C. It has a strong tech and defense economy and is popular with families, professionals, and remote workers. The town offers parks, dining, and easy access to urban amenities.

Lifestyle🍽️

🍽️
Food Scene
Good
7

Diverse food options with American and international cuisines. Vegetarian and vegan choices are common. Late-night options are limited to fast food and convenience stores.

Local Dishes:
American comfort food, Seafood
International Cuisine:
Indian, Mexican, Italian, Asian
Vegan FriendlyVegetarian Friendly
🌙
Nightlife
Limited
5

Modest nightlife with pubs and sports bars. For more options, visit Reston Town Center or Washington D.C.

Coffee Culture
Good
7

Good mix of local cafes and chains offering quality coffee.

💰
Tipping
Required
15%

Tipping is standard in the USA. Expect 15-20% in restaurants, taxis, and service jobs.

Top Attractions
Herndon Centennial Golf Course
Recreation
Public golf course with park facilities.
Herndon Depot Museum
Museum
Historic railroad museum showcasing local history.
ArtSpace Herndon
Culture
Gallery and art events space.
Reston Town Center
Nearby Attraction
Nearby shopping and dining hub.
Great Falls Park
Nearby Attraction
Natural park with waterfalls and hiking.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Museum
National Air and Space Museum annex.
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Park
Outdoor performance venue.
SIM Cards

SIM cards can be bought at carrier stores and electronics shops. Major providers are AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. eSIMs are available. ID or passport is required mainly for post-paid plans.

Available at:
T-Mobile
AT&T
Verizon
Best Buy
Recommended Apps
Uber/Lyft(Ridesharing)
DoorDash/Uber Eats/Grubhub(Food Delivery)
Google Maps/Waze(Navigation)
Yelp(Reviews)
ParkMobile(Utility)
Nextdoor(Community)

Services & Infrastructure

Street Cleanliness
Excellent
8

Herndon is clean and well-maintained with regular waste services.

24/7 Services
Limited
4

Limited 24/7 services besides some gas stations and convenience stores. Select pharmacies open 24/7 drive-thrus.

Groceries
Giant Food
Safeway
Harris Teeter
Wegmans

Major supermarkets like Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter, and Wegmans offer international products. Stores open early and close late, staying open on Sundays and most holidays.

Cashless Payments
Widely accepted

Credit and debit cards are accepted at most places. Cash is useful mainly for small vendors or tips.

ATMs

ATMs are common at banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and convenience stores. Out-of-network fees usually range from $2.50 to $5.00.

Schools
Local only

Served by Fairfax County Public Schools, highly rated. Instruction primarily in English. No international schools in Herndon, but options exist nearby.

Available Schools:
Fairfax County Public Schools

Work & Digital💻

Coworking Spaces
Available
7
Available Spaces:
Regus Herndon
Multiple locations with professional spaces.
24/7 Access
Spaces Herndon
Modern coworking with good amenities.
24/7 Access
WeWork Reston
Nearby coworking with good community.
24/7 Access
Work-Friendly Cafés
Good
Starbucks
Multiple locations with Wi-Fi and seating.
Panera Bread
Casual café with Wi-Fi.
Green Lizard Cycling and Coffee
Local café popular with remote workers.
Alternatives:
Herndon Fortnightly Library
Quiet space with free Wi-Fi.
Hotel lobbies
Comfortable seating and Wi-Fi.
Digital Nomad Community
Good
6

Part of the Northern Virginia and DC tech area with some remote worker groups and coworking spaces nearby.

Nature & Activities🌿

Green Spaces
Excellent
8

Parks and trails provide shaded walking and good green spaces, great for running.

Running
Excellent
8

W&OD Trail provides a safe, scenic running route through town.

Gyms
Available

Several gyms and community fitness centers offer a variety of workout options.

Available Gyms:
Gold's Gym Herndon
Anytime Fitness Herndon
Herndon Community Center
Planet Fitness
Tennis
Good
6

Public tennis courts available in local parks; usually first-come, first-served.

Padel
Poor
0

No padel courts reported.

Yoga
Good
7

Several yoga studios offer different styles and drop-in classes with English-speaking instructors.

Martial Arts
Good
6

Several dojos offer Taekwondo, Karate, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with English-speaking instructors.

Skiing
Poor
2

Ski resorts are 2-3 hours away by car.

Water Sports
Limited
4

Nearby rivers offer kayaking and paddleboarding, with rentals further away.

Surfing
Poor
0

No surfing opportunities; Herndon is inland.

Diving
Poor
0

No diving options; Herndon is inland.

Health & Safety🏥

Healthcare
Excellent
9

Access to high-quality healthcare with English-speaking staff at local hospitals and clinics. Pharmacies are common, with some open 24/7.

Hospitals:
Reston Hospital Center
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
Pharmacies:
CVS
Walgreens
Tap Water Safety
Safe to drink

Tap water meets all federal and state safety standards and is safe to drink.

Common Scams
Online scams, Phone scams like IRS impersonation, Credit card skimming

Community & Family

Family Friendly
Excellent
8

Several playgrounds and family-friendly cafés. Baby supplies are easy to find. Herndon Community Center offers programs for kids.

LGBTQ+ Friendly
Excellent
8

Generally accepting community with strong protections regionally.

Pet Friendly
Excellent
8

Many parks allow leashed dogs, with a designated dog park. Pet-friendly hotels and restaurants are available.

Communities
Herndon Community Facebook Group (Social)
Nextdoor (Social)
Fairfax County Government (Official)
Herndon Parks and Recreation (Official)
Patch Herndon (News)

Quick Facts

Population
24,655
Power Reliability
Excellent
8/10

Power is generally reliable with occasional outages from storms, usually restored quickly.

Mountains
Available

Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park are about 1-1.5 hours away, offering hiking and scenic drives.

Languages
English(80.6%)
Spanish(13.1%)
Other Indo-European Languages(3.7%)
Asian and Pacific Islander Languages(2.6%)
Emergency
911
Emergency Services
703-435-6846
Herndon Police Department

⚠️Natural Disasters Risk

🌊
Tsunami
Very Low Risk
0
🏔️
Earthquake
Very Low Risk
2

🌦️Seasonal Issues

Extreme heat
June, July, August
Summers can be hot and humid.
Snow/Ice
December, January, February
Winter snow and ice sometimes disrupt travel.
Pollen
March, April, May
Spring pollen counts are high.

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