Because McLean is an unincorporated Census-Designated Place, it does not have a mayor, city council, or independent municipal government. Instead, local governance and public services are administered by Fairfax County.
McLean lies within the Dranesville Magisterial District, electing one representative to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Essential services, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, water management, and public schooling, are entirely provided by Fairfax County. At the federal level, McLean is primarily represented within Virginia's 8th Congressional District, with some peripheral areas falling into the 11th District.