The name Occoquan is derived from a Doeg Algonquian word translated as "at the end of the water".

Wolf Run Shoals was an important crossing point on the Occoquan between Alexandria and Richmond during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first is at the town of Occoquan, a reservoir belonging to the Fairfax County Water Authority, which serves as a source of drinking water for parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties.

The dam that creates Lake Jackson is at Virginia State Route 234, Dumfries Road, and is a former hydroelectric facility.

Sandy Run Regional Park is at Fairfax Station and consists of the northeastern arm of the Occoquan Reservoir.