Loudoun County enforces outdoor lighting standards through Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance §5-652 (Outdoor Lighting Performance Standards). New installations must use full-cutoff fixtures directing light downward. Maximum illuminance at property lines specified. Data center campuses in Ashburn have specific lighting standards to limit spillover. Middleburg area and rural western Loudoun have stronger dark-sky interests due to horse country and agritourism. Sky Meadows State Park nearby is a designated IDA Dark Sky area. Incorporated towns have their own standards.
Loudoun County Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance §5-652 (Outdoor Lighting) establishes performance standards for exterior lighting. Key requirements: (1) Fixtures must be full cutoff (0% lumens above 90 degrees from nadir) or fully shielded, preventing direct upward light. (2) Maximum illuminance at residential property boundaries: 0.1 foot-candle measured at grade for residential-adjacent commercial; 0.5 fc for commercial-to-commercial. (3) Parking lot lighting: pole heights capped at 25-35 ft in most zones; fixture spacing and photometric plan required for commercial site plans. (4) Mounted fixture output limited by zone — residential 1,200 lumens per fixture typical without shielding; higher with full cutoff. (5) LED color temperature: newer Loudoun standards favor 3000K or cooler to reduce blue light emissions harmful to nocturnal wildlife. (6) Sports field lighting (Franklin Park, Philip A. Bolen Park) has extended allowances with time limits (lights off by 10:30 PM post-event). Data center campuses in Ashburn's 'Data Center Alley' follow specific lighting performance standards per approved SPEX — many voluntarily exceed county baseline using IDA-compliant fixtures due to LEED and neighbor-relations concerns. Sky Meadows State Park (straddling the Loudoun-Fauquier line) is a designated International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Urban Night Sky Place (2021), raising awareness of rural Loudoun dark-sky preservation. Middleburg and horse-country areas have heightened concerns about equestrian impacts of artificial lighting. Town of Leesburg has its own lighting ordinance (Town Code §18 zoning) with similar standards.
Non-compliant fixtures (§5-652): notice of violation + 30-60 days to correct. Failure to correct: $100-$1,000 civil penalty. Repeated violations: daily fines + site plan reopened for commercial. Glare complaints: Code Enforcement action.
Loudoun County, VA
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Loudoun County, VA
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Loudoun County, VA
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Loudoun County, VA
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Loudoun County, VA
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Loudoun County, VA
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See how Loudoun County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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