Reston sits in Fairfax County between Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner, with the Dulles Toll Road cutting through its center and defining its northern and southern sections. The planned community extends from Herndon to the west toward Vienna and Falls Church to the east, built around artificial lakes and a network of pedestrian paths that connect residential clusters to town centers. The local economy runs on technology companies, government contractors, and professional services, with major employers clustered in office parks along the toll road corridor and around Reston Town Center, while the population includes a significant number of federal workers and families drawn to the area's corporate headquarters and proximity to Washington, D.C.