Poplar Tree

Poplar Tree is the kind of hometown where kids play across yards and walk to school, and errands are made easier by multiple easy-reach plazas. From some homes, you can even walk to dinner or your appointments. “What’s really special about living in the Poplar Tree area,” says Carla Unterkofler, a Realtor with Century 21 New Millenium of Chantilly, who has been selling in the area for 20 years, “is its overall vibe. It’s the essence of true community. We’ve moved so far away from that feel today, and you still find that here. Residents share information in Facebook groups and enjoy activities together. They ask questions of each other about the latest happenings at the pool or at the schools. It’s neighbors connecting with neighbors.”

In Poplar Tree, you’ll find a collection of residential communities, built mostly from the 1980s through the 2010s with ample yards, multi-car garages and sturdy porches near major routes to nearby employment. Well-treed streets in communities such as Poplar Tree Estates, The Preserve at Wynmar and Greenbrier often curve into quiet cul-de-sacs.

Home styles range from a four-bedroom colonial with bright siding in the Cabell’s Mill community for around $670,000 to an 8,500-square-foot five-bedroom brick beauty built in 2006 on Autumn Glory Way for nearly $1.9 million. In Poplar Tree Estates, you’ll see traditional late-1980s colonials with long front porches for around $780,000 as well as multi-gabled brick-front homes with vaulted ceilings for $1.3 million. Further south in Hawthorne Forest, you can find 3,300-square-foot brick-front colonials built in the late ‘90s for just over $1 million. Unterkofler, who grew up in Northern Virginia and has lived in Chantilly for 29 years, says “It’s a great area for moving up as you grow. You can start out in a smaller home in Greenbrier, move up to Poplar Tree Estates and then move into a larger home in Wynmar.”

Public schools are in the Fairfax County Public School System, which earns an A grade from Niche. Adds Unterkofler, “I’ve had a lot of clients who are interested in moving here specifically because of its highly rated school pyramid. It’s also nice that schools are contained within the community so kids can walk to them.” Students can start at Poplar Tree Elementary School in the heart of Poplar Tree and move on to Rocky Run Middle School. Older students may head to Chantilly High School which boasts a championship-winning wrestling team. All three schools in this pyramid earn a solid A grade from Niche.

Poplar Tree’s residential pockets are embraced by three beloved parks: the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Poplar Tree Park and Greenbriar Park. Largely forested Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, which makes up Poplar Tree’s western edge, includes meadows, pollinator gardens and a pond across 650 acres. The park was long ago part of Walney farm, and you can still visit a historic kitchen garden, an 18th-century farmhouse and 19th-century outbuildings. Says Unterkofler, “You can walk through all three parks on connecting pathways. From Ellanor Lawrence Park, which will never be developed, you can connect to the Poplar Tree trail that leads to Greenbrier Park. And Ellanor Lawrence Park is getting ready to launch a huge new nature center.” The Sully Woodlands Stewardship Education Center is anticipated to open in the Fall of 2023, offering a community gathering place and a resource for camps and experiential programming.

You can also easily commute to area government agencies and large employers like Amazon, because you’re in the middle of Routes 28, 66 and 50. Travel outside Chantilly is also simplified by having the Dulles Airport only about 10 miles from home.

Several convenient shopping centers are thriving resources, including the Field at Commonwealth where residents shop for groceries at a new-to-Chantilly Wegmans, and dine out on globally inspired specialties at Lazy Dog. Neighbors also kick back with craft brew and pub fare at Dogfish Alehouse in the Greenbrier Town Center.

Friendly, well-kept Poplar Tree offers a walkable lifestyle with standout schools, plenty of parkland and convenient essentials.

Written By

Lia Girard

Photography Contributed By

David MacNeill

Video By

Adam Barkley