Small-town Virginia living halfway between Richmond and Norfolk
Located nearly equal distance between Richmond and Norfolk, Wakefield is a rural Virginia town of about 750 people off Route 460. Dotted with churches and longstanding local businesses and surrounded by farmland, Wakefield exemplifies small-town living. "There are no strangers in Wakefield, though a lot of new people have migrated from urban areas like Richmond and Petersburg," says Tammy Goodrich, Wakefield native and former owner of Plantation Peanuts. "It's nice if you like solitude, if you like nature and the slow pace. I had a charmed childhood living there in the country."
Plantation Peanuts in Wakefield offers gourmet peanuts and snacks, popular with travelers.
The Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague in Wakefield is one of the town’s historic churches.
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Plantation Peanuts and Virginia Diner attract travelers
Wakefield has a few restaurants off Route 460, including Pino's Pizza & Restaurant, Q Daddy's Pitmaster BBQ and, most famously, Virginia Diner. Travelers stop at the Virginia Diner to purchase local peanuts and order Southern classics like ham biscuits and Virginian Brunswick stew. "People will drive that route just to stop at the diner and eat," says Anne Monahan, Wakefield's now-retired town clerk of 40 years. Other longstanding businesses like Plantation Peanuts and Wakefield Collectibles antique shop also operate off Route 460.
Wakefield Market is Sussex County's only grocery store. For larger trips, "You have to go either 30 miles to the Suffolk area, 30 miles to Petersburg or an hour to Richmond," Goodrich says.
Inside Virginia Diner, shelves are stocked with local peanuts alongside diners enjoying Southern fare.
Wakefield Market is the town’s only grocery store, serving the community for daily essentials.
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Shad Planking is an annual tradition
Each year in April, the Wakefield Ruritan Club hosts its Shad Planking fundraiser. For over 70 years, this event has attracted crowds coming to enjoy plates of the bony fish cooked on wooden planks over a flame while listening to political speeches. Traditionally, the Virginia governor attends the event alongside other political figures, especially in election years. "Cars would be lined up through Wakefield for it," Monahan says. "People stand around, talk and drink."
Wakefield's churches, community groups and volunteer fire department hosts community events and fundraisers as well. "They'll cook a stew or have a fish dinner to raise money. The fire department does Brunswick stew," Monahan says.
Ball fields next to the airport and hunting on private land
Just next to Wakefield Municipal Airport, which doesn't have any commercial flights, are three fields where youth teams play baseball and softball. The park also has a small playground and a picnic shelter that locals rent out for family gatherings and birthday parties. "There is no big park, but we lived on a lot of land, and I think a lot of people do have plenty of outdoor spaces," Goodrich says. Monahan says that, for more recreation, people walk all around town on the sidewalks and hunt on private land. For indoor fun, the non-profit Wakefield Foundation hosts the Troxler Memorial Library in the former Wakefield High School building.
Much of the land surrounding Wakefield is agricultural, and thousands of acres are dedicated to wildlife management areas. Among these is Big Woods State Forest, where visitors can hunt, hike and spot native birds, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. The Airfield 4-H Conference Center on the outskirts of Wakefield is just next to Big Woods State Forest. Sitting on over 200 acres of land, it welcomes campers, hikers and groups to its facilities.
Big Woods State Park near Wakefield offers hiking, birdwatching, and hunting in native forests.
Troxler Memorial Library in Wakefield is a community hub in the former high school building.
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Modest homes priced lower than nearby metros
The median price of a single-family home in Wakefield is $257,500, lower than Richmond's median single-family price of $395,000 and Norfolk's of $310,000. Move-in ready mobile homes, modest cottages and brick front ranches in Wakefield usually sell for between $50,000 and $300,000 depending on their condition and lot size. Larger homes or properties on several acres can range higher.
Rows of cottage-style houses line the quiet streets of Wakefield, offering modest living.
Wakefield’s brick ranch houses line peaceful streets, reflecting the town’s small-town charm.
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One school pipeline serves Sussex County
Sussex Central Elementary School has a B-plus from Niche, while Sussex Central Middle School and Sussex Central High School earn C and C-plus grades, respectively. The school district partners with Rowanty Technical Center to offer career and technical education classes in subjects including health and medical sciences, military science and technology education. Alternatively, Wakefield has a private K-12 school, Tidewater Academy. It has a B-minus grade from Niche. Ellen W. Chambliss Elementary School in Wakefield closed in 2014, though the town has identified the vacant campus as an opportunity for future redevelopment.
Tidewater Academy in Wakefield provides private K-12 education for Sussex County students.
Sussex Central High School is a key institution in nearby Sussex County, attended by local students.
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Working at Virginia Diner and commuting to larger cities
Although some residents can walk to businesses like Wakefield Market from their homes, the area is mainly car-dependent. Drivers can take Route 460 50 miles east to Norfolk or 65 miles east to Virginia Beach. Commuters can take Route 460 to Interstate 95 into Richmond, about 55 miles northwest. Norfolk Southern Railway operates a rail line that goes through Wakefield, but it doesn't have any commercial train routes. The closest international airports are in Newport News and Richmond.
The largest employer directly in town is Virginia Diner, and Sussex I State Prison employs several hundred Wakefield residents 18 miles away. Some people also commute to nearby cities. "A lot of people from this area work at Newport News Shipbuilding," Monahan says.
Two rescue squads connect Wakefield to larger hospitals
Wakefield is served by two volunteer rescue squads: One in Ivor, about 6 miles southeast along Route 460, and the other in Waverly, about 8 miles northwest along Route 460. "Wakefield is in the middle. If you call the Waverly Rescue Squad, you're going to go to Petersburg Hospital, which is now Bon Secours, and if you call the Ivor squad, you go to Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk," Monahan says. Additionally, Railroad Avenue in Wakefield has a physical therapy office.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office for Eastern Virginia is located just outside the town's limits and issues weather data and warnings for the region. Wakefield experiences four seasons with hot summers, and snowfall in the winter is rare.
Wakefield is served by the Sussex County Sheriff's Office. The county reported a slight increase in total crimes from 2021 to 2023, but from 2020 to 2024, Sussex County consistently had lower property and violent crime rates than Virginia and the U.S. at large.
The National Weather Service office just outside Wakefield helps forecast Eastern Virginia weather.
Sentara Physical Therapy in Wakefield serves locals seeking rehab and recovery in the small town.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
