Tysons

Tysons, originally known as Tysons Corner, is in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia. It is best known for its shopping malls and restaurants.

Understand

The original Tyson's Corner was the intersection of Leesburg Pike (VA-7) and Chain Bridge Road (VA-123), named for 19th-century landowner William Tyson. Since the completion of the Tysons Corner Center shopping mall in 1968, it has developed rapidly into a central business district in its own right, home to many consulting and technology companies, a variety of restaurants, and the largest concentration of retailers in the area outside of Washington, D.C. This growth has manifested largely as suburban office parks and sprawling shopping centers, however. After a long wait, Phase 1 of the Metrorail Silver Line was opened in 2014, which has stations in Tysons.

Get in

By public transport

WMATA, which operates the DC Metrorail, operates several stations in Tysons. For more information on riding the Metrorail, see Washington, DC#By public transportation.

By car

There is plenty of free parking. Tysons is conveniently located right by the intersection of I-495 (the Capital Beltway), I-66, and VA-295.

Get around

Tysons is small enough to get around on foot, although it is quite auto-friendly.

Capital Bikeshare operates in Tysons.

Buy

• 1 Tysons Corner Center (Tysons I), 1961 Chain Bridge Rd (Located on Tysons Silver Line Metro station with access to the mall via a covered walkway), ☏ +1 703 893-9400. M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-7PM. Unless you are here on business, it's rare to visit anything other than the huge mall itself. At 2.2 million square feet, this massive mall is among the largest in America, and includes a torrent of higher end and traditional mall anchors such as Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Nordstrom, a large AMC theater, an expansive Barnes & Noble bookstore, and Bloomingdale's. It also has destination retailers such as an Apple store (the first ever). Also, there is a new skating rink from the end of November to early March which has an admission fee of $10 and skate rentals for $9 (adults), $6 (child/senior/military). The skate rental shop is inside the mall on level 2 near Lord & Taylor. (updated Jul 2023)
• 2 Tysons Galleria (Tysons II), 2001 International Dr, ☏ +1 703 827-7730. M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su noon-6PM. Located right next to the much larger and prominent Tysons Corner Center, Tysons Galleria stands at a smaller 800,000 square feet figure and is home to super high end brands and luxury retailers such as Chanel, Versace, David Yurman, Coach, Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, Burberry, and Gucci. It is a higher-end mall alternative to the more middle-class oriented Tysons Corner Center.  

Eat

• 1 Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, ☏ +1 703 442-8384. M-Th 5PM-10PM, Sa 5PM-10:30PM, Su 5PM-9PM. Just next to the mall is one a great steakhouse (there is a Ruth's Chris up the street too, which is another chain to be reckoned with). Beyond the steak, the wine list received the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator three years running. $25-55. 
• 2 Seasons 52, 7863L Tysons Corner Center, ☏ +1 703 288-3852. Su-Th 11AM-9PM; F-Sa 11AM-11PM. Fresh grill and wine bar offering a seasonally inspired menu and international wine list. $30 or less. 
• 3 Coastal Flats, 7860 Tysons Corner Center, ☏ +1 703 356-1440. Su-M 11AM-10PM, Tu-Th 11AM-10:30PM, F-Sa 11AM-11:30PM. Specializes in fresh fish and seafood options, but also happy to serve you a burger and beer. $30 or less. 

Sleep

Many of the hotels that include "Tysons Corner" in their names are actually located in McLean and Vienna, as well as one in Falls Church.

• 1 Courtyard Tysons Corner, 1960-A Chain Bridge Rd, ☏ +1 703 790-0207. A big Marriott with conference facilities. $95-285. 
• 2 Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Rd, ☏ +1 703 847-5000. A notable, if not that huge, step up from the Courtyard. $105-320. 
• 3 Ritz Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd, ☏ +1 703 506-4300. The one four-diamond hotel anywhere in the area. It's the Ritz; it's nice. $230-550. 

Go next

Great (non-chain) food is not far away. Falls Church in particular has fabulous destination dining, just across the Beltway at 2941 Restaurant (contemporary American, and easily some of the best in the D.C. area), as well as some of the best Vietnamese food outside Vietnam, particularly at Eden Center.

Routes through Tysons

Bethesda ← McLean ←	N  S	→ Falls Church → Springfield
Winchester ← Great Falls ←	W  E	→ Falls Church → Alexandria
Leesburg ← Reston ←	W  E	→ McLean → Falls Church
Ashburn ← Reston ←	W  E	→ McLean → East End