Only 245 Virginians inhabit this tiny town west of Washington. Known as The Plains, Virginia, the town in Fauquier County is known as an equestrian town.
Despite its small size, the famous Actor and Director Robert Duvall aka Tom Hagen from The Godfather and Joseph Palmer from The Judge owned a restaurant known as “The Rail Stop” in The Plains for many years and still owns a 360-acre farm home just north of the small town known as Byrnley Farm. The restaurant is still in business, but Duvall no longer owns the railroad dining spot.
A farming and equestrian town, The Plains is home to Great Meadow, the 374-acre grounds for the annual Virginia Gold Cup Steeplechase Horse Race. Each May, the race brings in an additional 50,000 visitors to The Plains (only slightly offsetting the population)! The meadow is worth a weekend trip especially for equestrian lovers or Godfather fans who want to try The Rail Stop!
Other events take place on Great Meadow throughout the year keeping a regular influx of visitors and tourism. NASA’s Team America Rocketry Challenge, the annual rocket modeling competition also takes place in May in The Plains.
The entire town is 0.3 square miles and currently has 110 homes. There aren’t any hotels in town so show goers have to look elsewhere in Fauquier County.
The town’s population decreased from 266 to 217 between 2000 and 2010. Then it steadily grew again to 245 from 2010 to 2020. The current population is 252 according to census reports.