Willoughby's Ridge

Centreville sits at the western edge of Fairfax County, about 20 miles from Washington DC, where Interstate 66, Route 28 and Route 29 come together. The town dates to 1792, but nearly everything a buyer sees today was built from the late 1970s onward, as farmland became planned subdivisions. The result is a large, practical suburban market with a wide range of prices and a road network that reaches Dulles, Fairfax and Manassas without much fuss.

Housing is the main story. Townhouses account for about 60 percent of recent sales, in communities such as Newgate, London Towne, Centre Ridge and The Meadows. Detached houses fill subdivisions such as Little Rocky Run, Sully Station, Country Club Manor and Green Trails, most with garages, driveways and association pools. Condominiums form a smaller third tier at the lowest prices. Most homes date from the 1980s and 1990s, so updated kitchens, baths, roofs and mechanical systems are what separate one listing from the next.

Daily errands run along Route 29 and around its interchange with Route 28, where several shopping centers hold supermarkets, a wide range of restaurants, banks and services. The Centreville Regional Library is here as well. For open space, Bull Run Regional Park lies just beyond the southwestern edge with trails, a water park and campgrounds, and Ellanor C. Lawrence Park is just north on Route 28 with athletic fields, wooded trails and the Walney Visitor Center.

There is no Metrorail station in Centreville. Most trips are by car on I-66, Route 28 or Route 29, and the I-66 express lanes are an option for a toll or with a qualifying carpool. Fairfax Connector buses run from the Stone Road and Stringfellow Road park-and-ride lots to the Orange Line at Vienna. Dulles International Airport is a direct drive north on Route 28.

I’m glad to walk you through which Centreville subdivisions match your budget, what their association fees cover, and how recent sales on a given street compare.