Franconia is a historic farm turned suburb
A mix of old and new, Franconia started as 19th-century farmland carved off from George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, evolved into an early 20th-century railway hub and ultimately blossomed into a modern-day residential community. Housing now fills the area that was occupied by the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Company railroad station in the 1870s, and the circa-1960s Hayfield Farm community sprawls across acres once owned by the Founding Father.
Subdivisions make up some of the community
Throughout Franconia, single-family ranch-style and split-level houses dating back to the 1950s to the 1970s mingle with more recent construction. Planned subdivisions like Kingstowne offer individual neighborhoods of townhouses, condos and single-family houses. Franconia’s variety of housing types and styles means more choices for homebuyers, as well as more price options. The average sale price of a house in Franconia is about $600,000, and houses typically stay on the market for close to 10 days, says Faith Saunders, Realtor with Fox Home Team, who is also a neighborhood resident. A 1990s attached townhouse lists for about $400,000, while an end-unit 1,300-square-foot townhouse goes on the market for $550,000. A mid-1950s split-level single-family house sells for about $675,000.
Local restaurants include an Italian kitchen and a Peruvian spot
Independently owned restaurants give Franconia a foodie scene of its own. LaFiamma Italian Kitchen serves classic Italian food with a bar menu, and Mi Rico Peru specializes in Peruvian favorites like ceviches and yuca. The community is near Kingstowne Town Center, with a Wal-Mart, Safeway and chain restaurants. Neighborhoods within Kingstowne often provide their own amenities, including playgrounds, clubhouses and pools.
Residents can also go to Springfield Town Center, located within a mile of Franconia, for big-box retail stores like Home Depot and Target, as well as Regal Cinemas.
Fairfax public schools serve the community
The neighborhood is home to public elementary schools and some private schools. Hayfield Elementary School, part of the Fairfax Public Schools district, teaches prekindergarten through sixth grade students. The school often gets an assist from Hayfield Secondary School students who serve as tutors and volunteers. Niche.com gives both schools an overall grade of B-. “Franconia is great for families and great for commuters,” Saunders says.
Community parks include forested trails and a historic home
These commercial and retail centers strike a balance with the area’s many parks and green spaces. Huntley Meadows Park, an award-winning park, features beautiful forests for outdoor enthusiasts, a wetlands sanctuary for those more inclined to watch nature rather than interact with it and is the site of the former mayor of Alexandria, Thomas Francis Macon's, historic home. Meanwhile, Franconia District Park caters to the younger crowd with a Chesapeake Bay-themed sprayground complete with misting sunflowers. Finally, for golfers, Greendale Golf Course's 148 acres of lush green fairways are just to the southeast.
“Franconia really offers a suburban life where you are located close to shopping and conveniences but also get a lot of greenery, nature and parks,” says Saunders.
D.C. and Alexandria are nearby
Franconia’s Fairfax County location also attracts homebuyers – residents are close to cities and the D.C. area while being able to access county resources like schools and libraries. Telegraph Road takes you all the way to Alexandria, Interstate 495 runs along the northern tip of the neighborhood and the Franconia-Springfield Station makes weekday work travel easy.
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Tyson Le
