Aquia Harbour

Back in 1968, before the suburbs of Northern Virginia expanded all the way down to Stafford County, Aquia Harbour would not have been called a suburb. It was a remote place for D.C. workers and their families to escape the suburbs for a vacation-style retreat on the water. Today, the remnants of this lifestyle are still very much present, and the only difference is that grocery stores are much closer than they were in the 60s. “We’re a very nature-oriented and outdoorsy community,” says Realtor Mike Unruh of Keller Williams Capital Properties, who has lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years. “It was originally designed to be a vacation community, so boats and RVs kind of come with that.”

Aquia Harbour is a gated community built in a semicircular shape that stretches around the north end of a series of canals feeding into Aquia Creek. Within is a community of streets with freshly painted shoulder lines that separate the quiet streets from homes built in all sorts of styles and sizes – everything from raised-ranches on medium-sized lots to neo-colonials built on massive lots. “A lot of people call it the ‘anti-cookie cutter community,’” says Unruh. “There’s been probably 30-plus builders through here and very few have built the same house over and over again.” Some waterfront properties even have a private slip for small craft, which allows residents to skim across the canal and visit their neighbors for a dinner party, because in some cases it’s faster to take the boat than to drive. One might expect a waterfront community with so many amenities and freedom in home design to be very expensive, however, Aquia Harbour exhibits a relatively affordable range of home prices. In general, a single-family home could sell for anywhere between $316,000 to $550,000, though some homes closer to the water can sell for over $800,000.

Students in Aquia Harbour attend Stafford County Public Schools, which are distinguished for both their academic programs and outside of classroom experiences. Young students begin at either Hampton Oaks Elementary or Widewater Elementary, both of which earn a B-minus from Niche. From there, students transition to Shirley C. Heim Middle School, which earns a C-plus from Niche and is a member of the national program Common Sense, which teaches students and adults how to use technology responsibly. Finally, students move on to Brooke Point High, which earns a B from Niche. The school offers several programs for students to meet with and learn from working professionals, such as their health and medical sciences pathway, or the school’s firefighter training program that awards passing students with NFPA certification. For those interested, there is also a private option in town through the St. William of York Catholic School.

Staying true to its history, living in Aquia Harbour is almost like living within a nature reserve. “We have everything you could ever want to do within the boundaries of the neighborhood,” says Unruh. Whether you’re looking to play a game of Horse or go horseback riding, Rudolph Park and several other neighborhood parks have well-maintained courts for basketball, tennis and other sports, while an 18-barn horse stable accommodates the needs neighborhood’s equestrians. Many locals also frequently head to the neighborhood’s nine-hole golf club and café for an afternoon of birdies and cold beer. But if you want a more reclusive outing, you’re sure to find it at Government Island, a park whose history is almost as rich as its sandstone quarry, which was used to build bricks for both the White House and US Capitol Building. And if you happen to live in a house that isn’t waterfront, you can still take the Boston Whaler out for a day of fishing thanks to a public boat ramp at Widewater State Park.

But on those rare occasions when you must leave the neighborhood, the Towne Center at Aquia is located right beyond the neighborhood gate, where locals head to get their fix of sizzling fajitas and huge margaritas at El Gran Charro. One stoplight further is an entrance ramp to Interstate 95 and just a stone’s throw past that is a corridor of chain restaurants and big box stores such as Walmart and Target along Garrisonville Road.

Written By

Tom Jakob

Photography Contributed By

Caleb Jones

Video By

Houston Knight