Loudoun County Sister Cities
Loudoun County has Sister County/City relationships with many International localities. These partnerships promote economic, cultural and student exchange programs.
Loudoun County has a Sister City partnership with Canelones, Uruguay. Situated 20 minutes north of Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, Canelones is a major agricultural contributor to the country’s economy.
Much like Loudoun, the cultivation of grapevines is widespread, and the area is a major contributor to Uruguay’s burgeoning wine industry. Virginia and Canelones share a bond as the only 2 localities outside of France that currently grow tannat grapes. In addition to grapes, cereal crops – principally maize – are produced, as are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Learn more about Canelones at the the city’s official website.
Loudoun County has a Friendship City Partnership with Gangneung City, located in the Gangwon-do Province on the eastern coast of South Korea.
Gangneung City stands as the economic center of its region and attracts many tourists. Like Loudoun County, Gangneung City seeks to commemorate and preserve its heritage. The city hosts multiple historical festivals and is home to several ancient building and museums that exemplify a previous way of life.
Learn more about the area from the English-language version of the Visit Korea website and the city’s website:
Loudoun County has a Sister City partnership with Goyang City, a city of about one million residents which is located north of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. Goyang City and Loudoun County share many similarities, including a vibrant agricultural industry and a growing tourist industry.
Goyang’s motto is “the city where the people are more beautiful than the flowers.” Goyang is known for its International Flower Foundation. The floricultural industry sprang up in the early 1970s. The Goyang Flower Show has grown into an international horticultural event attracting people from all over the world.
Learn more about Goyang City by visiting the English version of the city’s official website.
What began as an informal conversation between community leaders about protecting the life and safety of residents culminated in the spring of 2022 in the signing of a formal Sister County agreement between Loudoun County, Virginia, and Holmes County, Mississippi, and in the delivery of a much-needed fire engine for Holmes County. Loudoun County also provided training for firefighters in Holmes County to familiarize themselves with the equipment.
Loudoun and Homes counties have committed to “beneficial exchanges between schools, cultures, business relationships, as well as connections between citizens and the institutions designed to serve them.”
Loudoun County has a Sister County/City Relationship with the Karsiyaka Municipality, which is part of Izmir, one of Turkey’s major port cities. Its unique culture makes it an active center of commerce and tourism.
Loudoun County and the Karsiyaka Municipality possess a number of similarities. The most notable are the effective education system and a large sports culture. As a region, Karsiyaka is recognized as having one of the highest overall levels of education in Turkey.
The Turkish people are united by the “Karsiyaka Sports Club” which possesses eight sports branches including soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and swimming.
Learn more about the Izmir Province:
Loudoun County has a partnership with the German County of Main-Taunus-Kreis, which lies within the greater Frankfurt metropolitan region.
Similarities
Loudoun and Main-Taunus-Kreis share striking similarities, including:
- A geographic location near a major international city
- Excellent schools
- Governments focused on providing the best services possible for citizens and business communities
- Robust economies and attractive conditions for business developments
- Towns with a commitment to preserving and integrating their many historic treasures with 21st century development
Sister County Relationship
The sister county relationship involves mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges in key areas of business, culture, history, and education, including a government career exploration for Germany Gymnasium or college-preparatory school pupils.
These visitors come to Loudoun County to work with various departments or in local businesses and nonprofit organizations for a two-week period. Pictured, at right, are members of the first group of students from Germany to participate in the program.
Learn more about Main-Taunus-Kreis by visiting the English version of the county’s official website.
Loudoun County has a Sister City partnership with New Taipei City, Banqiao District,Taiwan. Situated in the northern part of Taiwan, surrounding the country’s capital, New Taipei City, Banqiao District has an estimated population of over 3.9 million.
Technology, service and tourism are among the major industries that offer abundant employment opportunities in New Taipei City, Banqiao District.
Learn more about New Taipei City, Banqiao District by visiting the English version of the city’s official website.
Loudoun County has a Sister City partnership with Tema, Ghana, in the region of Greater Accra. Situated on the Atlantic coast, Tema is nicknamed the “Harbour City” because of its status as Ghana’s largest seaport.
With multiple direct flights to Greater Accra from Washington D.C. each week, the two regions are well connected for business collaboration and culture-sharing. Because of their deep water port, Tema is a leader in shipping and logistics, similar to Loudoun’s influence via Dulles International Airport.
Tema and the Greater Accra region were named to Time Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places 2021” and the Greenwich Meridian passes directly through Tema city.
Access to Key Customers
Locating in Loudoun puts you within commuting distance of your existing and future customers, including the U.S. federal government, defense and federal contractors, major telecom and financial entities, and the largest dark fiber and data center hub on Earth.
Whether your services are best suited for public, private or institutions of higher education, Loudoun has the access you want and we can make the introductions that you need.
To give you better access to the region and beyond, Loudoun is home to Dulles International Airport and four stops on the Washington D.C. Metro Silver Line.
Loudoun County is home to Washington-Dulles International Airport, which offers nonstop capital-to-capital service to New Delhi three times weekly aboard Air India.
As the largest airport on the American East Coast, Dulles offers Loudoun companies a degree of certainty that other markets cannot. With both north-south and east-west directional runways, planes can take off from Dulles Airport even when inclement weather delays and cancels flights. This has contributed to Dulles frequently landing as the most reliable airport on the East Coast for on-time departures.
Starting in 2021, Dulles Airport will be further connected to the D.C. region via the Metrorail’s Silver Line, offering walkable access from Loudoun’s Metro-connected developments to more than 57 international destinations.
With You Every Step of the Way
Loudoun Economic Development is a full-service economic development organization, which is like adding growth specialists to your business team.
Strategic Partnerships and Introductions: Bob McCollar is our international business development expert, who has forged relationships with embassies and international chambers of commerce, rolling out the runway for a soft landing in Loudoun. Leverage his connections to help your company integrate seamlessly into the professional community.
Work with us for customized ombudsman services for real estate, permitting and process navigation, and workforce development—all at no cost to you. Bob will make connections to help you:
- Locate In Loudoun: Bobby Klancher is our real estate intelligence manager and will pull available land and building reports that meet your business needs and specifications.
- Navigate the Process: Katy Lowitz can work with you on any zoning and permitting questions, as well as helping you navigate the county’s process to open your business. She is also the administrator of our Fast-Track Commercial Incentive Program, which can shorten the development process by up to 75% for qualifying projects.
- Develop Your Workforce: Nancy Evanko is our workforce development specialist and is a dedicated resource for talent development. Whether your team needs help with workforce attraction, retention or upskilling, she can provide the introductions and access to resources to keep up with your growth plans.
