McLean, Virginia 22101 Real Estate: Neighborhoods, Home Sales, and What Has Changed

McLean, Virginia: A Fairfax County Community Worth Watching

McLean, Virginia is not an incorporated town. Like most of the communities that make up Fairfax County, it is an unincorporated area, though it functions in every practical sense like one of the region’s most recognizable addresses. McLean has an estimated population of roughly fifty thousand people according to recent Census estimates, though figures for unincorporated communities can vary by source, and the area consistently ranks among the higher per-capita wealth communities nationally. The area is known for spacious lots, mature tree cover, and a mix of long-established estates alongside newer construction.

Matt Cheney first covered McLean’s history and character on an earlier episode of Onsite, looking at the two zip codes that make up the area, 22101 and 22102. This update returns to McLean’s primary zip code, 22101, to revisit the neighborhoods, boundaries, and sales activity that define it, and to put the numbers from that original video in context against where the market stands today.

Fairfax County as a whole is Virginia’s most populous county and stretches from the DC line out through the Northern Virginia suburbs, but McLean occupies a particular niche within it. The area sits close enough to Washington to make a downtown commute practical, close enough to Tysons Corner to reach one of the region’s largest employment and retail hubs in minutes, and still offers the kind of lot sizes and privacy that are harder to find closer to the District. That combination is a large part of why McLean shows up so consistently in conversations about the DC metro’s higher end of the market.

A Bit of McLean’s History

McLean takes its name from John Roll McLean, a former owner of The Washington Post, and the community grew up in earnest around a train depot that once served the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad. That original depot site is now the heart of McLean’s central shopping district, a detail that still shapes how the area is laid out today. Longtime residents and newcomers alike will recognize the pattern in a lot of older Northern Virginia communities: a small commercial core built around a rail stop, with residential neighborhoods branching out from it as the area grew.

That layered history is part of what gives 22101 its character. Some of the area’s homes date back decades, sited on large, mature lots that were assembled well before McLean became one of the region’s most sought-after addresses. Others are newer construction, built or substantially renovated to take advantage of the same lots and, in the case of homes along the Potomac, the same river views that have always been part of McLean’s appeal.

Where Is 22101? Boundaries and Neighborhoods

McLean’s 22101 zip code centers on the McLean central shopping area, which grew up around the site of the original train depot. Its borders are easy to describe using the surrounding landmarks: the Capital Beltway to the north, Arlington County to the south, Tysons Corner to the west, and the Potomac River to the east. That river frontage is part of what makes 22101 distinctive within Fairfax County, with a number of the area’s most substantial homes sited to take advantage of Potomac views.

Within 22101, buyers will find a range of established neighborhoods, including Langley Farms, Salona Village, Crest Lane, and Franklin Park, each with its own character but sharing the larger lot sizes and mature landscaping McLean is known for. The Langley name may sound familiar for reasons beyond real estate. It is also home to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency, a detail that has made its way into more than a few spy films over the years.

Beyond those four neighborhoods, 22101 covers a wide swath of McLean’s residential fabric, from streets close to the central shopping district to quieter, more wooded pockets nearer the river. Lot sizes vary considerably across the zip code, and that range is part of what gives buyers options within a single McLean search, from properties on a fraction of an acre closer to the commercial core to multi-acre riverfront parcels on the Potomac side of the zip code.

Getting Around: Commute and Access

One of the practical reasons McLean draws consistent buyer interest is location. The Capital Beltway forms the zip code’s northern edge, giving residents direct access to the broader Northern Virginia and Maryland highway network. Tysons Corner sits just to the west, putting one of the region’s largest concentrations of office space, retail, and dining within a short drive, along with Metro’s Silver Line stations that connect Tysons to downtown DC and on to Dulles International Airport. Arlington and the District itself are within a comparatively short commute to the south and east, which has long made McLean attractive to buyers who want proximity to federal offices, downtown employers, or Tysons-based companies without giving up space or privacy.

Schools and Community Considerations

McLean falls within Fairfax County Public Schools, and school assignments and program availability can change from year to year. Buyers weighing a move to 22101 for school-related reasons should verify current boundaries and program details directly with Fairfax County Public Schools rather than relying on secondhand information, since assignment lines and offerings are subject to change and can vary block by block within a single zip code.

McLean 22101 Single-Family Home Sales: A Look Back and What’s Changed

When Matt Cheney recorded this update in the summer of 2022, the trailing twelve months of sales data told a clear story about McLean’s trajectory. In that period, five hundred ten single-family homes changed hands in 22101, at an average sales price of $1,977,000, spending an average of thirty-one days on the market before going under contract. As of August 2026, the picture has shifted from those 2022 figures. Per Bright MLS data pulled in early August 2026, three hundred single-family homes sold in 22101 over the most recent twelve-month period, at a higher average sales price of $2,841,264, a roughly 44 percent increase from the 2022 figure, and a longer average of thirty-nine days on the market. MLS figures are subject to revision and may shift as additional transactions are recorded; contact Matt Cheney directly for the most current figures.

The pace of high-end activity has also grown. Sixty-eight properties in the zip code sold for $3,000,000 or more during the twelve months covered in the original video. Per the current Bright MLS pull, that number has climbed to eighty-two properties selling at $3,000,000 or more, with an average sales price of $5,468,896 among that group. For additional context, back in 2019, only seventeen homes in 22101 traded above the $3,000,000 mark, at an average sales price of $1,383,000 across the whole zip code that year. Taken together, the 2019, 2022, and current figures point to a market that has kept climbing at the upper end year over year rather than leveling off.

Days on market have also shifted, from thirty-one days in the period covered in the original video to thirty-nine days today, and further to forty-eight days for condos and co-ops, discussed below. That’s a modest cooling in pace compared to 2022’s faster-moving market, though homes are still transacting at higher average prices than they were then.

These current figures are per Bright MLS, data pulled August 2026. For a live, day-of look at active listings and pending activity in 22101, readers are encouraged to contact Matt Cheney directly.

A Landmark Sale on the Potomac, Then and Now

The most expensive home to sell in 22101 during the period covered in the original video was a contemporary riverfront estate built around 2017, with 180-degree views of the Potomac River. The design team behind the home worked with elements of wood and stone intended to sit in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The multi-tiered residence spans roughly 8,600 square feet on a 3.07-acre lot, with five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, three half bathrooms, 250 feet of riverfront footage, and parking for eighteen vehicles. It sold in November 2021 for $15,000,000. Per publicly available property transfer records at the time of publication, the seller was identified as former Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer; readers should verify independently if this detail is material to their research.

That record has since been surpassed. Per Bright MLS, the highest-priced single-family sale in 22101 over the most recent twelve-month period was 6501 Bright Mountain Road, a 21,837-square-foot home with six bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, and four half bathrooms. Listed at $29,990,000, the home sold on September 19, 2025, for $27,508,500, or roughly $1,259.72 per square foot, a sold-to-list ratio of about 91.7 percent.

Sales at that level are the exception rather than the rule in 22101, but they illustrate how much higher the ceiling has climbed for the zip code’s top tier of riverfront and estate-scale properties since 2021, nearly doubling the prior record in this post’s original coverage window.

Condo and Co-Op Activity in 22101

McLean’s condo and co-op market moves on a different scale than its single-family market, but it saw meaningful activity over the same period. Thirty-nine condo and co-op units traded in 22101 in the period covered in the original video, at an average sales price of $752,000 and an average of twenty-six days on the market. Per Bright MLS data pulled in August 2026, the most recent twelve-month period saw thirty-two condo and co-op units sell in 22101, at a notably higher average sales price of $1,495,278, nearly double the 2022 figure, with an average of forty-eight days on the market.

The top condo sale in the period covered in the original video was penthouse unit 301 at the Evans Farm Condominium. The 3,300-square-foot unit spans two floors with three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and one half bathroom, and lives more like a townhome than a typical apartment inside a turnkey, twelve-unit boutique building. It sold with three deeded parking spaces in October 2021 for $1,750,000, or roughly $521 per square foot.

Per the current Bright MLS pull, the top condo sale in 22101 over the most recent twelve-month period was unit 903 at 6718 Lowell Avenue, a 2,214-square-foot condo with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and one half bathroom. Listed at $2,499,900, it sold on September 4, 2025, for $2,522,900, or roughly $1,139.52 per square foot, closing above asking price at a sold-to-list ratio of about 100.9 percent.

Condo buyers looking at McLean tend to fall into one of two groups: those who want a lower-maintenance alternative to a single-family home without leaving the neighborhood, and those drawn specifically to a smaller, boutique building like Evans Farm rather than a larger high-rise. Both preferences are common in a zip code where the surrounding housing stock skews heavily toward larger, detached homes, which makes the relatively limited condo inventory in 22101 worth watching closely for buyers focused on that segment of the market.

What Buyers and Sellers Should Take From This

McLean’s 22101 zip code has consistently drawn buyers seeking larger lots, established neighborhoods, and proximity to both Washington, DC, and Tysons Corner’s employment and retail center. The climb in $3,000,000-plus sales from seventeen in 2019, to sixty-eight in the period covered in the original video, to eighty-two per the current Bright MLS pull, reflects sustained, multi-year demand at the upper end of the McLean market rather than a single outlier stretch. Average sales prices have followed the same trajectory, up roughly 44 percent for single-family homes and nearly double for condos and co-ops since the period covered in the original video, alongside somewhat longer average days on market for both categories.

Past market performance does not guarantee future results; outcomes vary depending on the property, timing, and market conditions at the time of sale.

For sellers considering 22101, the combination of higher average prices and longer average time on market is useful context heading into a listing conversation, since it points to a market that still supports strong pricing but requires more patience than it did in 2022. For buyers, the same trend is worth understanding in reverse: a comparable home from 2021 or 2022 is a useful historical reference, but current inventory is pricing meaningfully higher. Matt Cheney can walk through both the historical trend and today’s active inventory for anyone considering a move in or out of McLean.

That is true whether the property in question is a smaller home closer to the central shopping district, a multi-acre estate along the river, or a condo in a boutique building like Evans Farm. McLean’s 22101 zip code covers enough range in lot size, home age, and price point that a general sense of “the McLean market” is rarely as useful as a conversation about a specific neighborhood, street, or property type, which is exactly the kind of detail Bright MLS data and local market knowledge can fill in.

Frequently Asked Questions About McLean, Virginia 22101

Is McLean, Virginia an incorporated town?

No. McLean is an unincorporated community within Fairfax County, Virginia, not a separate incorporated town or city.

What are the boundaries of the 22101 zip code?

The Capital Beltway generally borders the 22101 zip code to the north, Arlington County to the south, Tysons Corner to the west, and the Potomac River to the east.

What neighborhoods are located in McLean’s 22101 zip code?

Neighborhoods within 22101 include Langley Farms, Salona Village, Crest Lane, and Franklin Park, among others.

How much did homes sell for in McLean 22101 recently?

Per Bright MLS data pulled in August 2026, the average single-family sales price in 22101 over the most recent twelve-month period was $2,841,264. That’s up from $1,977,000 in the twelve months ending mid-2022, covered in the original video. For the most current figures, contact Matt Cheney directly.

Are there condos available in McLean 22101?

Yes. McLean’s 22101 zip code includes a smaller but active condo and co-op market, including buildings like the Evans Farm Condominium.

What school district serves McLean 22101?

Homes in 22101 fall within Fairfax County Public Schools. Assignment boundaries and program availability can change, so buyers should verify current details directly with the school system rather than relying on general area reputation.

How far is McLean from Washington, DC and Tysons Corner?

McLean sits along the Potomac River just across from the District, with the Capital Beltway forming its northern edge and Tysons Corner directly to the west, putting both DC and Tysons within a short commute for most 22101 residents.

What makes McLean’s real estate market distinct from nearby areas?

McLean combines larger residential lots and established, tree-lined neighborhoods with proximity to Tysons Corner’s employment and retail center and a comparatively short commute into Washington, DC, a combination that has kept demand for 22101 homes consistently strong.

McLean’s mix of established neighborhoods, riverfront estates, and proximity to both DC and Tysons Corner continues to make 22101 one of the more closely watched zip codes in Matt Cheney’s coverage area, and the numbers show that demand at the upper end has only grown since this update was first filmed. Reach out directly for the latest Bright MLS-sourced look at what is happening in McLean today.