Dunn Loring is the earliest platted subdivision in Fairfax County (and maybe in Virginia.) It was established in 1886 and is named after generals Dunn and Loring. It is a small area at 2 square miles. Early on the area had a railroad station, store houses and a post office. During the Spanish-American War there was a military camp called Camp Alger in the area (around 1898.)

These days Dunn Loring has a mix of single family homes and townhomes located around Gallows Road. On the southern end is the Dunn Loring Merrifield Metro on the Orange Line.