A D.C. suburb tucked away from busy commuter routes
Once a stop along the early 20th-century Chesapeake Beach Railway, Brown Station has since transitioned into a quiet, suburban community for Washington, D.C., commuters. Cul-de-sacs, produce farms and a few Prince George’s County-owned facilities now make up the area. Though locals have to drive to the nearest Metro Station and shopping centers, seclusion is the community’s appeal. “There’s a lot less traffic in Brown Station compared to other D.C. commuter places because none of the major highways run directly through it,” says Alexis Wise, a Realtor with Realty One Group Performance who grew up in the area. “But you’re still within driving distance of the important ones.” Interstate 495, locally known as the Capital Beltway, is 4 miles west, and U.S. Route 50 is 9 miles north.
Some houses cost less than the national median
Houses built between the 1980s and early 2000s line Brown Station’s asphalt roads. Split levels and New Traditional houses are common. They typically have three to five bedrooms, and some have one to two car garages. Oak trees cover yards, with lot sizes ranging from a quarter to 1 acre. Older homes can start at $400,000, which is a little lower than the national median, while newer properties nearly double it at $750,000.
Locals drive to D.C. and the Downtown Largo Metro station
Brown Station Road connects with several other state routes to reach Route 50, making D.C. a less than 18-mile drive west. Depending on traffic, the drive can take between 45 minutes and an hour. “Just about everybody owns a car here because there aren’t any bus stops,” Wise says. “People either drive directly to D.C. or a Metro station.” The Downtown Largo Metro station, 5 miles north, follows the silver and blue lines, both reaching downtown D.C. in about 40 minutes. Commuters can pay a daily rate to park in the station’s garage, which has 2,200 spots. The nearby Capital Beltway circles the entirety of D.C. Joint Base Andrews, 11 miles south, employs more than 20,000 people.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 23 miles west, while Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is 30 miles north. The University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, less than 6 miles north, is the closest hospital.
Specialty programs at Largo High
Kids can attend Perrywood Elementary, earning a C-plus grade from Niche. They may continue to Kettering Middle and Largo High, both graded a C. The high school has four-year specialty programs in finance and health and bioscience. The prekindergarten through 12th grade Riverdale Baptist School gets an A-minus. Prince George’s Community College, 4 miles north, offers 10 associate degree programs, including theatre performance and graphic design.
The Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill is in the neighborhood
On the community’s central street, the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill takes up 1,250 acres. The site is expanding, and because of the construction, it’s not currently accepting household waste. A reopening date hasn’t been announced. The landfill's groundwater and methane levels are tested regularly, but Wise says environmental issues and smells aren’t an issue for the community. “I lived on that road for 17 years and never once smelled anything,” Wise says. “I still never hear people complain about it. If it weren’t for the signage, you wouldn’t know [the landfill] is there.” The county’s Animal Services Facility & Adoption Center is on the same street.
Big-box grocery stores and shopping centers are nearby
An Aldi grocery store, TJ Maxx and BJ’s Wholesale Club anchor Ritchie Station Marketplace, a strip mall about 5 miles west. Chain restaurants, like Olive Garden, and fast-food options, like Chick-fil-A, are in the same area. The Centre at Forestville, about 7 miles west, is an indoor mall with stores like Target and Foot Locker. Shoppers will also find a Petco and Burlington at the open-air Penn Mar Shopping Center across the street.
Watkins Regional Park has a Festival of Lights for Christmas
The 864-acre Watkins Regional Park is just north of Brown Station. Walking paths weave between tent campsites, baseball diamonds and a five-court tennis complex. A yellow brick road leads to the “Wizard of Oz”-themed playground, where equipment includes red ruby slipper slides and poppy field climbing structures. Kids can see animals like cows, chickens and horses at Old Maryland Farm, the park’s agriculture zoo. There’s also a carousel from 1905, a bright red miniature train and an 18-hole mini golf course. But even with all these amenities, Wise says the green space is best known for the Festival of Lights, a drive-through Christmas light display held throughout December. “I used to take my daughters through it every year,” she says. “You can turn on a special radio station, and the Christmas music syncs up with how the lights blink.”
Brown Station is near other attractions, like Six Flags America, about 6 miles north. The amusement park has over 100 rides, ranging from Batman-themed roller coasters to the 40-foot-tall RipQurl Blaster waterslide. Oak Creek Golf Club, less than 6 miles northeast, offers an 18-hole course, a women’s league and lessons for kids. Several Chesapeake Bay beaches are about 30 miles east, including Annapolis’ Sandy Point State Park, home to boat ramps and a mile-long beach.
