Dranesville is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Dranesville is located on the Leesburg Pike at its intersection with Georgetown Pike. The U.S. Census Bureau defines Dranesville as a census-designated place with a population of 11,921 as of 2010. At the 2020 Census the population was 11,785.The town is named for James Drane, a settler who moved there from Maryland in 1810 and began the operation of Drane's Tavern.