Garrisonville

A bustling little outpost in rapidly growing Stafford County, Garrisonville is a quiet bedroom community about 40 miles south of the nation’s capital. “This is a great DC suburb because you’ve got easy access to 95, and the newly created express lanes extend beyond Garrisonville now, so you can commute in about an hour,” says William Montminy with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. “There’s also a train station nearby that takes you right into the city.” This unincorporated territory with a population of about 20,000 is popular with the military community, set 12 miles south of Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Homebuyers will find a lot to like about Garrisonville, which promises more house for less money than you will get closer to the District in Northern Virginia. In October 2023, the price per square foot in DC was $515, compared to $219 in Garrisonville. “A lot of the communities are going to be your classic colonial with a full basement, a main level, and then four bedrooms upstairs,” Montminy says. They line street after street, adorned with classic shutters, stone accents, and meticulously maintained yards. Homes range in price from around $280,000 on the low end to over $1 million. The area also offers the opportunity for residents to spread out, should they desire. “There are a lot of new communities that are developing that offer a wide variety when it comes to land,” Montminy says. “You can live on a decent amount of land, or you could get a fraction of an acre.”

Families with children in Garrisonville are served by Stafford County Public Schools, an above-average district with a B-plus grade from Niche. Students may start their education at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary, a walkable community school that sits adjacent to Aquia Creek. With a B from Niche, the school has a comprehensive long-term plan implemented to increase test scores. Considered above average with an A in diversity, A.G. Wright Middle School offers courses in STEM, digital art and consumer sciences. North Stafford High School is the 14th most diverse public high school in Virginia and is graded B+ by Niche. The school operates North 6 News, its own in-house news network.

Situated directly adjacent to I-95, Garrisonville Road is the commercial core of this buzzing locale. “There has been a lot of commercial growth lately with new shopping centers popping up and adding retail and restaurants,” Montminy says. Residents will find everything they need in this commercial center, which boasts many well-known national chains like Starbucks, Jersey Mikes and Five Guys. For stocking up on groceries and essentials, SHOPPERS Stafford is a full-service supermarket with a bank and a pharmacy. Nearby, the Stafford Marketplace houses Lowes, Old Navy and PetSmart. Pancho Villa is an authentic Mexican restaurant with a robust menu of classic dishes and top-shelf margaritas, which are a diner favorite.

Just 50 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Garrisonville is surrounded by natural scenic beauty and large swathes of undeveloped land. It is within driving distance of some of the most picturesque scenery in the mid-Atlantic and is home to Smith Lake Park. Smith Lake is a 295-acre lake managed by the county as a reservoir that allows fishing with a permit – there are two boat launch sites on Smith Lake Road. The park itself features three baseball diamonds and two multi-use synthetic turf fields. Enjoy a leisurely walk on the 1.3-mile paved walking trail and rent out one of two pavilions available to the public. There are quaint walking bridges over the creek that feeds Smith Lake.

Written By

Amber Steinmetz-Cole

Photography Contributed By

Caleb Jones

Video By

Curtis Newkirk