Amazon HQ2 predictions get more specific

Loudon County Courthouse.Getty/Tasos Katopodis

• Amazon‘s highly anticipated announcement of where its second headquarters, or HQ2, will be is drawing closer.
• Industry insiders told Business Insider earlier this month that the new headquarters is likely to land in Northern Virginia. More specifically, location-data site Sperling’s Best Places has zeroed in on one Northern Virginia locale — Oatlands, Virginia — in its most recent HQ2 prediction. 
• The larger Washington, DC, area has long been considered a frontrunner for the project.
• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has said that the company will make its final HQ2 selection before the end of the year.

The wait is almost over for Amazon to announce the location of its new headquarters, and speculation is ramping into overdrive.

In recent days, some experts and insiders have gotten specific with their predictions.

Location-data site Sperling’s Best Places has named Loudoun County, Virginia — specifically the semi-rural town of Oatlands, Virginia — as the likely spot where HQ2 will land.

Sperling’s says the town, a suburb that lies about 35 miles west of Washington, DC, is perfect for a few reasons. It’s close to DC, but it has plenty of space to build Amazon’s second headquarters to its exact specifications.

Sperling’s may not turn out to be correct about Oatlands, but Northern Virginia as a whole has certainly been on experts’ radars. Two people who claimed to be in the know told Business Insider’s Allan Smith that the company had set its sights on Northern Virginia.

There are other reasons why Northern Virginia makes sense. The area is in what has been called the “bull’s-eye of America’s internet,” adding to its chances. A local news site called ARLnow.com said it saw an unusual spike in traffic from Amazon to a December article titled “County Wins Top Environmental Award from US Green Building Council” explaining how Virginia’s Arlington County was the first in the United States to be selected for an environmental award.

It’s also close to the power center of DC, where Bezos already owns an enormous house and the Washington Post.

Got an Amazon or HQ2 tip? Contact this reporter at [email protected].