Wakefield blends suburban calm with city convenience near the Beltway
Established subdivisions with sidewalk-lined streets comprise Wakefield, a leafy suburb bordering the Capital Beltway in central Fairfax County. “It’s got that convenience factor. You’re just a mile down the road from the Beltway,” says Chris Owens, a Realtor with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty who specializes in the Northern Virginia area. Though less than 20 miles from Washington, Wakefield offers a true suburban atmosphere with traditional homes, highly rated schools and neighborhood parks. The community delivers city access without city noise, allowing residents to enjoy peaceful living without sacrificing urban convenience. Wakefield also has an overall CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
The city of Fairfax sits less than 5 miles west of Wakefield Fairfax.
Many residents enjoy taking strolls along the residential streets in Wakefield Fairfax.
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Classic homes tend to sell fast in this suburb's leafy subdivisions
Wakefield features several residential subdivisions with classic homes and tree-lined streets. “There are more colonials with larger lots, so the homes are a little bit pricier,” Owens says. Colonial Revivals dominate the area, with traditional split-level and ranch-style homes scattered throughout the community. Most properties were built in the 1960s and ’70s and sit on quarter- to half-acre lots with mature landscaping. Prices typically range from around $730,000 for smaller split-level and ranch-style homes to upwards of $1.2 million for larger Colonial Revival and New Traditional builds. In Wakefield’s southeastern corner is a townhouse development where units generally sell for $600,000 to $690,000. Properties tend to sell quickly, averaging just over two weeks on the market.
Colonial Revival homes offer stately traditional appeal in Wakefield Fairfax.
Ranch-style homes are an affordable option for prospective homebuyers in Wakefield Fairfax.
Larger homes offer elegance and luxury to homebuyers in Wakefield Fairfax.
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Living near two elementary schools in the highly rated FCPS system
The community is home to two top-rated elementary schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools system: Wakefield Forest Elementary School and Canterbury Woods Elementary School. Older kids can attend nearby Frost Middle School and Carter G. Woodson High School, with all four schools earning an A from Niche. High school course offerings include Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses through which students can simultaneously earn high school and college credit.
Holy Spirit Catholic School is a private school in Wakefield that covers prekindergarten through eighth grade alongside Holy Spirit Catholic Church. In the community’s northeastern corner is the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), which serves more than 18,000 students each year.
Discover the academic excellence and vibrant community at Wakefield Forest Elementary School.
Canterbury Woods Elementary School is where many younger students in Wakefield Fairfax begin their education.
Frost Middle School offers quality education for students in Wakefield Fairfax.
Woodson High School has a large campus with plenty of parking in Wakefield Fairfax.
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Commuters can access the Capital Beltway and buses to Pentagon Station
Residents typically rely on their cars to get around beyond Wakefield. The Capital Beltway and Interstate 395 offer a direct route to Washington, less than a 20-mile drive away, though they're known for rush hour traffic jams. For public transit, the Fairfax Connector provides a weekday rush hour bus service to Pentagon Station, offering an alternative for commuters. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport are within 25 miles of Wakefield. Inova Fairfax Hospital is less than 5 miles away and stands out as Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is less than 20 miles from Wakefield Fairfax.
The bus stop at Inova Fairfax Hospital is perfect for quick access from Wakefield Fairfax.
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Community parks, pools and trails encourage residents to get outside
According to the Trust for Public Land, 89% of Wakefield residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Active living is a big part of life here, as many subdivisions have swim and racquet clubs, walking paths and pocket parks with playgrounds. Members of these clubs may also attend community events such as movie nights, aerobics classes and raft floats at the pool, while kids can join competitive swim and dive teams. “Wakefield Chapel is known for its neighborhood pool. Their swim and dive team is phenomenal,” Owens says. Green spaces such as Canterbury Woods Park provide access to the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail, a nearly 3-mile stone-dust path linking Wakefield to Rutherford Park.
The 292-acre Wakefield Park stretches along the community’s eastern edge and features playgrounds, various athletic facilities and a concrete skatepark. It’s also home to the Audrey Moore Rec Center, which has an indoor gym, Olympic-sized pool and a pottery lab with classes for all ages. Each week from May through October, locals gather at the rec center for the Wakefield Farmers Market. Multi-use trails in Wakefield Park are popular for mountain biking, jogging and birding.
Wakefield Park hosts local events and offers several amenities to residents of Wakefield Fairfax.
The Audrey Moore Recreation Center is a great spot to get in exercise in Wakefield Fairfax.
The pool at Canterbury Woods Swim & Tennis Club has a water slide and diving board for residents to use during the warmer months in Wakefield Fairfax.
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Shopping centers with supermarkets, restaurants and name-brand stores
Wakefield is located between Virginia State Routes 620 and 236, allowing locals to hop on the highway and drive to several shopping plazas in the area. The Kings Park Shopping Center is about a mile away and has a Giant, CVS and a handful of small businesses. It also features casual eateries such as Hunan West and Giardino Italian Restaurant, known for its brick-oven pizzas. There are more retail options in the Springfield Town Center, an indoor mall less than 10 miles from Wakefield. It has department stores like Macy’s, Target and JCPenney, alongside a Regal Cinemas. The biggest mall in the Baltimore-Washington area, Tysons Corner Center, is about a 10-mile drive away.
Residents and visitors alike frequent the popular Tysons Corner Center Mall near Wakefield Fairfax.
Enjoy a day out shopping at one of the many shops lining the streets at Mosaic District located near Wakefield Fairfax.
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Written By
Sally Stimpson
Photography Contributed By
Kyle Keyes
Video By
David Strayer
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Michelle Gordon,
an experienced agent in this area.
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