Paris, Virginia

Paris
Unincorporated Village
Paris in autumn (Trinity United Methodist Church with Ashby Inn behind it) Paris in autumn (Trinity United Methodist Church with Ashby Inn behind it)
Paris Location within the Commonwealth of Virginia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Fauquier
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	20130
FIPS code	061
GNIS feature ID	1493393

Paris is a small unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. Located in Virginia's hunt country, it was established in a strategic spot at the eastern base of Ashby Gap along U.S. Route 17 and U.S. Route 50. Paris has a population of 51. There is one church in Paris, the Trinity United Methodist Church on Federal Street, but as of 2011 it is no longer in use. The Ashby Inn is two doors from the church.

The place was named after the Marquis de Lafayette in 1819. There is no account why the place was not directly named after the Marquis. The Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District and Paris Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nearby attractions

Paris is just north of Sky Meadows State Park and a 10-minute drive from the Thompson Wildlife Management Area. The Appalachian Trail passes through both of these public recreation areas. The village is in Hunt Country and celebrated its 200th anniversary on Dec. 28, 2010. A five-minute drive west on Route 50 is the Shenandoah River, just on the other side of the mountain, where there is a boat landing. The peak of the Blue Ridge, overlooking Paris is called Ashby Gap. The view looking east from the gap has been deemed worthy of a "Scenic Easement", intended to keep this view unmolested for future generations to enjoy.