Suburban Long Branch is cradled by parks along Accotink Creek
During Northern Virginia’s housing boom in the early 1960s, a suburb was built around the churning Long Branch Stream, which flows from Accotink Creek. The community was named after this picturesque tributary and has retained much of the area’s natural beauty through several pocket parks for residents to explore. Residents are only a few miles from the Capitol Beltway for commutes, and popular shopping districts around Fairfax County, from Fair City Mall to the newer Mosaic District.
Long Branch Stream Valley Park is a county-favorite spot for hiking
Long Branch Stream Valley Park is the main park in the area. Its paved 2.75-mile trail snakes through the community and offers serene views of wildlife under shady trees and footbridges across Long Branch Stream. The park is popular in Fairfax County and has received several renovation projects to improve trail infrastructure, with one back in 2021, and another in 2025. Rutherford Park connects to the trail and features a playground and an outdoor swimming pool where residents can sign up for membership. Smaller green spaces like Olde Forge Park and Smokewood Park have open grass fields for a community picnic, just steps away from many residents' doorsteps.
Single-family homes along quaint cul-de-sacs
Single-family homes are priced from $700,000 to $2 million, varying by age, square footage and lot size. The community's tree-lined suburban streets often end in cul-de-sacs, surrounded by midcentury split-levels, Cape Cods and Colonial Revivals. At the same time, New Traditional-style homes built in the last decade are also available at the higher end of the price range. Along Olley Lane is the apartment community of Olley Glen, for senior residents, and Braddock Glen, an assisted living facility.
Plenty of shopping options around Fairfax County
Fair City Mall and Pickett Shopping Center sit just across Main Street. Residents can head less than a mile north to grab groceries at Trader Joe's or Safeway, or shop at Marshall's, Burlington and HomeGoods. The Mosaic District is also a trendy, walkable retail area four miles north in Merrifield. Locals browse Mosaic's shops and head to Urbano Tex-Mex Restaurant for tacos, tortas and margaritas, or watch the latest hit movies at Angelika Film Center. District Avenue in Mosaic is also regularly closed for foot traffic due to events like the FreshFarm Mosaic Market, outdoor yoga and concerts.
Served by high-ranked Fairfax County schools
Fairfax County Public Schools is the main district serving Long Branch. Students can attend Olde Creek Elementary with a B-plus rating on Niche, while Robert Frost Middle and Carter G. Woodson High School both get A-ratings. Woodson High hosts a planetarium and the Comprehensive Services Site, or CSS, a wing of the school that serves students with emotional disabilities.
Residents live just beyond the Beltway for D.C. access
Long Branch is three miles from the Outer Loop of the Capitol Beltway, or I-495, a major commuter road to employers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Metrobuses make several stops along Little River Turnpike and Olley Lane for public transit options around Northern Virginia. Travelers seeking domestic or international flights can head to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just 18 miles east, while Dulles International Airport is 22 miles northwest. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus is a nearby hospital just four miles north of home.
Written By
Maxwell Olarinde
