Brandywine is a growing suburb in southern Prince George's County
For much of its history, the community of Brandywine, originally built along the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, served little purpose beyond being a train stop and farming village. Since 2000, however, the area has seen continuous growth, starting with the construction of the Brandywine Crossing shopping center and several small suburban subdivisions. As of 2024, there were numerous townhouse communities in development, and the expectation is for Brandywine to grow into a much larger Washington-area suburb in the coming years, considering the ample land and the local housing market. “Before it was a little sleepy town, really just a town you would pass through on the way to Waldorf, Maryland,” says Russell Carter, Realtor with the WAR Team at Keller Williams Capital Properties in Washington, D.C., whose parents live in Brandywine. “I’m not trying to make it sound like it’s Bethesda, but it’s a southern town in Prince George’s County on the line of Charles County where you can benefit from being near both counties.”
Postwar homes and contemporary townhouses in Brandywine
Homes in Brandywine range from $125,000 to $975,000, varying by age, square footage and lot size. The community’s postwar brick split-levels, ramblers and Colonial Revivals are shrouded in trees, so it feels like living in a suburb just on the edge of the woods. Brandywine also has a significant market for land among its miles of undeveloped forest, so folks can purchase small half-acre lots for custom homes or multiacre parcels for hobby farming.
Southern Area Aquatics and Recreation Complex and Cedarville State Forest to explore
The Southern Area Aquatics and Recreation Complex in Brandywine is considered Prince George County’s first multigenerational rec center, with amenities that appeal to all ages. The complex features a fitness center, two high-school-sized gymnasiums, a lane pool, a plunge pool and a spa pool. To the southeast is Cedarville State Forest, a massive 3,500-acre park with 19 miles of trails fit for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders.
Brandywine Crossing for retail and nearby vineyards
Brandywine Crossing is the neighborhood’s biggest shopping center, with big-box stores like Target and Marshall’s and grocery options like Safeway and Costco. There are also several restaurants like Indish Exotic Indian Restaurant & Bar, with a weekend lunch buffet and tandoori chicken, and Bonefish Grill, a chain eatery serving seafood, steaks and cocktails. Several wineries sit on the pastoral land near Brandywine. Gemeny Winery and Vineyards operates from a 200-acre working family farm. Servers pour flights of sweet wines, dry whites and reds at Janemark Winery & Vineyard, which makes varietals like viognier and cabernet franc. Near the Patuxent River east of town is Robin Hill Farm and Vineyards, which offers a wine club and hosts weddings.
Centuries-old Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church is a historic house of worship in Brandywine. The church is a landmark in the Maryland Episcopalian community and was constructed back in 1733, though it was originally founded in 1692.
Commuters can reach D.C. or Joint Base Andrews in half an hour
"We get a lot of retired military people here who settle here and return to work as contractors for a second career," says Vince Payne, president of Realty Navigator's land and farm division. Joint Base Andrews is 11 miles north and employs over 20,000 military and civilian personnel. For those people, Brandywine provides much-needed proximity to work, with a satisfactory distance to unwind on the commute back home. Branch Avenue and Crain Highway are the main arteries running through Brandywine. Commuters can take Branch Avenue north to Washington after about 20 miles or travel just 12 miles north to the Branch Avenue Metro station, offering Green Line access through D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Crain Highway leads to Annapolis after a 34-mile drive northeast, taking under an hour. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 23 miles west in Virginia and offers domestic and international flights.
Specialized programs at Prince George's County schools
Prince George’s County Public Schools is the main district serving Brandywine. Students can attend Brandywine Elementary, with a C-rating from Niche, Gwynn Park Middle and Gwynn Park High, which both get C-minus ratings. Gwynn Park High features several Career and Technical Education courses in fields such as business, family and consumer sciences, and auto tech.
