Facebook Youtube Instagram X-twitter Google

Living in Lorton

A southern Fairfax County community along I-95 and Richmond Highway, with townhouse neighborhoods built around the Lorton VRE station, established detached subdivisions, and regional parks on the Occoquan River a short drive away.
Talk To Our Team
View Available Homes

On This Page  >

Location Market Snapshot For Sale Past Sales Insights Contact

Living in Lorton

An overview of Lorton’s townhouse and detached neighborhoods, its commuter rail station and its nearby regional parks.
Lorton lies in the southern corner of Fairfax County, between Fort Belvoir and the Occoquan River, with I-95 and Richmond Highway running through it. For most of the twentieth century it was best known for the District of Columbia’s correctional complex, which closed in 2001. Since then the surrounding land has been rebuilt with housing, parks, schools and an arts center. This page follows the Census-defined Lorton area; the former prison grounds to the west are counted as Laurel Hill. Townhouses account for about two-thirds of recent sales. The largest group was built in the 2000s in Lorton Station, a planned neighborhood beside the VRE station, and in Lorton Valley off Lorton Road, both with garage townhouses. Older townhouse communities from the 1970s and 1980s offer lower prices. Detached houses, roughly 30 percent of sales, are found in older subdivisions such as Pohick Estates and in newer sections, and there is a small condominium presence at Lorton Station. New townhouses were still being built off Lorton Road in the 2020s. Shopping is spread among centers on Lorton Road, Lorton Station Boulevard and Richmond Highway, with supermarkets, restaurants and services. The Workhouse Arts Center, opened in 2008 in former prison buildings just west of the area, offers galleries, classes and performances. Occoquan Regional Park, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Pohick Bay Regional Park and Mason Neck State Park are all within a short drive. The Lorton VRE station on the Fredericksburg Line carries commuters to Alexandria, Crystal City, L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station. Lorton is also the northern terminal of Amtrak’s Auto Train to Florida. There is no Metrorail; Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line is the nearest station, several miles north. I-95 with its express lanes, Richmond Highway and the Fairfax County Parkway handle most trips, and I-95 congestion is the main trade-off. I’m glad to help you compare Lorton’s neighborhoods and to share what recent sales show for each home type.

Key Highlights:

  • Housing character — 2000s garage townhouses at Lorton Station and Lorton Valley, older townhouse communities, and detached houses from the 1960s to today
  • Green space — Occoquan Regional Park, Pohick Bay Regional Park, Mason Neck State Park and Laurel Hill Golf Club nearby
  • Daily essentials — supermarket-anchored centers on Lorton Road, Lorton Station Boulevard and Richmond Highway
  • Transit — Lorton VRE station on the Fredericksburg Line; no Metrorail, with Franconia-Springfield the nearest Blue Line station; I-95 and Route 1
  • Schools — Fairfax County Public Schools; South County High School serves much of the area, with elementary schools varying by address
  • Market character — about 159 sales a year, two-thirds townhouses, with an overall median near $590,000 and 13 days on market
Talk With a Lorton Specialist

Lorton Real Estate FAQs

Insight into the nuances of buying and selling in one of the country’s most complex urban markets.

Lorton is known for its VRE commuter rail station, the Amtrak Auto Train terminal, and the nearby Workhouse Arts Center, which reuses buildings from the correctional complex that closed in 2001.
Lorton is in southern Fairfax County along I-95 and Richmond Highway, between Fort Belvoir on the east, Laurel Hill on the west and the Occoquan River on the south.
Lorton has a Virginia Railway Express station on the Fredericksburg Line with commuter service to Alexandria and Washington DC. There is no Metrorail; the nearest station is Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line.
About two-thirds of sales are townhouses, many built in the 2000s with garages. Detached houses make up roughly 30 percent, and condominiums are a small share.
The 12-month median was about $590,000 across 159 sales. Townhouses had a median of $525,000 and detached houses about $850,000.
The median time on market was 13 days, compared with 8 days a year earlier. Homes sold for an average of 99.8 percent of original list price.
Shopping centers on Lorton Road, Lorton Station Boulevard and Richmond Highway have supermarkets, restaurants and services. Larger stores are a short drive away in Springfield and across the river in Woodbridge.
Lorton is in Fairfax County Public Schools. South County High School serves much of the area, and elementary assignments include Lorton Station, Gunston and Halley depending on address. Confirm with the district’s boundary locator.

Location & Neighborhood

In southern Fairfax County along I-95 and Richmond Highway, between Fort Belvoir and the Occoquan River.

The Lorton area on this page reaches from the Newington line near the Fairfax County Parkway on the north to the Occoquan River on the south. Fort Belvoir and the approach to Mason Neck lie to the east, and Laurel Hill, the site of the former correctional complex, lies to the west toward Ox Road. I-95, the railroad and Richmond Highway run side by side through the middle. Lorton Station sits beside the VRE platform, other neighborhoods lie along Lorton Road and Pohick Road, and Richmond Highway holds much of the commercial frontage.

Rail and I-95 Access

I-95 has interchanges at Lorton Road and at the Fairfax County Parkway, with reversible express lanes toward the Pentagon and DC. Richmond Highway offers a parallel route north to Fort Belvoir and south across the Occoquan to Woodbridge. The VRE station on Lorton Station Boulevard has commuter trains on the Fredericksburg Line, and Fairfax Connector buses link Lorton with the Franconia-Springfield Metro station.

Supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants and services are found in the centers along Lorton Road, Lorton Station Boulevard and Richmond Highway, and the county’s Lorton Library is on Richmond Highway. Springfield Town Center to the north and the stores of Woodbridge to the south handle bigger shopping trips. The Workhouse Arts Center and Occoquan Regional Park are a few minutes away, just west of the area.

Neighboring Area:

  • Laurel Hill — west, the former correctional complex with the Workhouse Arts Center
  • Newington — north, along I-95 and the Fairfax County Parkway
  • Fort Belvoir — east, along Richmond Highway
  • Mason Neck — southeast, by Gunston Road to Pohick Bay
  • Woodbridge — southwest, across the Occoquan River in Prince William County

A Day In The Life - Snapshot

The quick details buyers ask about most.

Metro Access
No Metrorail. The Lorton VRE station has Fredericksburg Line commuter trains to Alexandria, Crystal City, L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station. Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line is several miles north.
Walkability
Lorton Station was laid out with sidewalks, pocket parks and shops near the VRE platform. Elsewhere, neighborhoods are separated by highways and most errands are done by car.
Typical Home Types
Garage townhouses from the 2000s, older townhouses from the 1970s and 1980s, detached houses from several decades, a few condominiums near the station, and new townhouses built in the 2020s.
Parking
Newer townhouses have one- or two-car garages plus driveways. Older townhouse communities use assigned surface spaces, and detached houses have driveways and garages. The VRE station has a commuter lot.
Vibe
Planned townhouse streets with small greens near the rail station, wooded older subdivisions, and large tracts of parkland at the edges. I-95 and the rail line are heard nearby.
Best For
Buyers who want a newer garage townhouse or a detached house near commuter rail and regional parks, and who accept I-95 traffic and no Metrorail station.

Lorton Market Snapshot

A high-level look at current pricing, demand, and sales activity in the Lorton real estate market.
$590,000

Median Sales Price

$307

Median Price Per Sq Ft

13

Median Days On Market

159

Annual Closed Sales

-12.9%

YoY Median Price Change

Lorton is primarily a townhouse market, with detached houses making up about 30 percent of sales and only a few condominium sales. The snapshot covers every closed sale inside the Census-defined Lorton boundary over the trailing twelve months through September 2026 — 108 townhouses and semi-detached homes, 48 detached houses, and 3 condominiums. Price per square foot uses interior living area.

Across all home types the median sale was $590,000 at about $307 per square foot, with a median of 13 days on market and sales averaging 100% of original list price. The median fell about 13% from the prior twelve months. Within segments, the townhouse median fell about 4% to $525,000 and the detached median fell about 3% to $850,000. Much of the overall change reflects the mix of homes that sold rather than a broad shift in values.

Market data reflects recent 12-month activity. Individual buildings may vary.

For Sale

Homes for Sale in Lorton

Every active Lorton listing, pulled live from Bright MLS.

Don’t see the right home?

We track private and off-market opportunities before they reach the MLS.

Ask About Off-Market Homes

Recently Sold

Recently Sold in Lorton

Closed sales from the past 12 months — the comps that set today’s pricing.

Wondering what your home could sell for?

Get a pricing strategy built on these comps and current Lorton demand.

Request a Valuation

In-Depth Market Analysis

Lorton Market Insights

How pricing trends, absorption rates, and inventory levels are shaping buying and selling

Inventory & Absorption

Lorton recorded 159 closed sales in the past 12 months, up from 128 the year before. Nearly all of the increase came from townhouses, which rose from 71 sales to 108, while detached sales slipped from 53 to 48. Only three condominiums sold. The median time on market lengthened from 8 days to 13, and 99 of the 159 sales closed at or above the original list price.

Pricing Dynamics

The overall median fell about 13 percent, from $677,500 to $590,000, but that is largely a change in mix: townhouses went from 55 percent of sales to 68 percent. Within segments the declines were modest, with the townhouse median moving from $545,000 to $525,000 and the detached median from $880,000 to about $850,000. The median price per square foot rose from $286 to $307.

Buyer Profile

Townhouses are the most active segment and sold, on average, at their original list price, with sales from about $240,000 for older units to just over $1 million for new construction. Detached houses took a median of 12 days and closed at about 99 percent of original list, between $465,000 and $1.2 million. Garages, newer construction and proximity to the VRE station are features that show up at the higher prices.

Strategic Outlook

Sales volume grew while segment prices eased slightly and marketing times lengthened, which describes a market moving toward balance. New townhouse deliveries have added supply and choice. Commuter rail service and I-95 access are fixed features of the location. Federal and defense-related employment and interest rates will shape demand, and no price direction is assured.

Market Position Overview:

Inventory Level: Balanced with selective competition

Negotiation Environment: Moderate flexibility

Typical Days on Market: 25-45 (well-priced units)

Rental Demand: Consistent due to transit proximity

Long- Term Outlook: Stable, walkability-driven value

Lorton Housing & Architecture

Planned townhouse neighborhoods from the 2000s beside the rail station, older townhouse and detached subdivisions, and new construction still arriving.
Lorton Station
A planned neighborhood from the 2000s built around the VRE platform, with brick-front garage townhouses, detached houses, a few condominium buildings and a small retail center on Lorton Station Boulevard. Its sections are labeled Lorton Station North and South.
Lorton Valley
Off Lorton Road, Lorton Valley and the Village at Lorton Valley add townhouses and detached houses, most from the 2000s, and a newer townhouse section was still selling in the 2020s. Lorton Valley was the single most common community label among last year’s sales.
Older Townhouse Communities
Townhouse communities from the 1970s and 1980s offer the lowest prices in Lorton. Many have surface parking instead of garages, and townhouse sales in the past year began at about $240,000.
Pohick Road Subdivisions
Pohick Estates, Pohick Village and nearby sections are among the established subdivisions with regular sales. Homes sold in Lorton from the 1960s through the 1980s make up more than a third of the past year’s total.
Newer Detached Houses
Detached houses built since the late 1990s appear in several sections, including parts of Lorton Station and Lorton Valley. Detached sales as a whole had a median of about $850,000 last year and topped out at $1.2 million.
New Townhouse Construction
Thirteen of the past year’s sales were homes built in the 2020s, and the highest townhouse price reached just over $1 million. New townhouses off Lorton Road bring three- and four-level floor plans to the market.

Nearby neighborhoods

All Northern Virginia neighborhoodsAll neighborhoods

Ready to Talk About Your Next Move?

We’ll listen first, then recommend a strategy that fits your goals and timing.

Schedule Conversation
Call Our Team