1764 Blue Spruce St, Dumfries
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Houses for Sale in Dumfries VA
Dumfries, Virginia, is located in Prince William County, just off I-95 along Route 1. It is only 28 miles from the nation's capital, which makes houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, a great option if you need to commute to D.C. and want a nice balance between urban and suburban living. There are many military households living in Dumfries due to the close proximity to the Quantico Marine Corp Base and the Fort Belvoir Army Post.
Houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are strategically located in one of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Region's fastest-growing areas. Dumfries homes offer a number of nearby amenities, such as museums, historical buildings, national and state parks, and a wide variety of dining and shopping options. Residents of Dumfries real estate also have close access to the Amtrak passenger service and Reagan Washington National Airport. It really is a unique place to live, work and visit.
Dumfries History
The Town of Dumfries is steeped in history, and the community still celebrates the rich heritage and traditions the town was originally founded on. The area was once a major port on the East Coast and is the oldest continuously chartered town within the state. Its history dates back to 1690 when Richard Gibson built a gristmill on Quantico Creek. A warehouse and customhouse soon followed in 1731. By 1732, a number of other warehouses cropped up along the estuary.
The Town of Dumfries was originally established at the head of the Quantico Creek harbor on 60 acres of land provided by John Graham. The town was named after the place where Graham was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Dumfries was established on May 11, 1749, as the first of seven of the county's chartered townships. After being established as colonial America's second leading port that received tobacco from upland, Dumfries soon rivaled Philadelphia, New York and Boston. It reached its peak in 1763 and was a thriving port for 15 years. However, the Revolutionary War, siltation and erosion, and a shift from tobacco as the main shipping commodity to sugar and wheat led to the demise of the port.
For a brief time, from 1950 to 1960, Dumfries and Triangle were combined to form Dumfries-Triangle. In 1960, the two areas were once again separated. Today, Dumfries real estate covers 1.63 square miles of land and is home to more than 5,000 residents. It is governed by an elected town council that consists of a mayor and six members.
Some of the areas of interest around houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, include the local cemetery, where you will find some of the pioneers of Dumfries buried. There is also Henderson House, built by Alexander Henderson, who was a merchant when the port was booming. The home still stands today and includes land in Prince William Forest Park. Alexander's son, Archibald Henderson, was a well-known commandant in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Weems-Botts Museum, Old Hotel and the Leesylvania Archeological Site.
Living In Dumfries
Dumfries is one of Virginia's most diverse suburbs and was ranked 27 out of 165 suburbs. It is also ranked 129 out of 164 for Virginia suburbs with the best public schools. The Dumfries real estate market has a sparse suburban feel, and most of the residents living here own their own homes in Dumfries, VA. The average household income is $64,000, which is above the national average of $63,000, and the unemployment rate is 5.2 percent.
Some of the things that residents of Dumfries homes love about their community are its wide range of easily accessible grocery stores, including Costco, Aldi, Lidl, Walmart, Target, Wegmans, J&J, Global and Shoppers.
Most residents of Dumfries real estate consider the community to be an all-ages-friendly area with great schools. Houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are in a growing market due to new developments happening in the area. For example, Brunswick Crossing is a new community that will have its own new shopping and retail center. Dumfries real estate includes a nice mix of single-family homes, townhomes and condominium communities to suit your needs.
Potomac River and C&O Canal
Houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are near the historic Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) canal that runs along the Potomac River. Residents of Dumfries homes can enjoy scenic biking and walking trails, go fishing, take a kayak out on the water, or arrange a float trip for the family.
Easy Access to Downtown Excitement
Aside from having easy access to nearby amenities, houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are just a short drive away from the historic downtown area of Frederick, Maryland, where you can shop along Market Street, visit a variety of antique shops, grab lunch with a friend, or do dinner and a show. Additionally, Washington D.C. and all it has to offer is less than an hour away from Dumfries homes.
Historic Harpers Ferry
Take a step back in time at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where you can visit the famous John Brown Fort. Enjoy the quaint and picturesque streets in the community, take historic tours and hikes along the Potomac River, and visit the area's museums and exhibits. It's a great day or weekend away from your Dumfries home, and it offers something for everyone.
Enjoy Nearby Virginia Wine Country
Just across the Brunswick Bridge is Northern Virginia’s wine country, including the Potomac Cluster on the Virginia Wine Trail. Enjoy wine tours and the variety of craft breweries in the area, as well as the beautiful and diverse landscape of the first area in the country to grow grapes for wine. The growing began in 1607 in Jamestown, and 400 years later there are more than 300 wineries spread across Virginia.
Getting Around Dumfries
Dumfries may be a small town, but it has a lot of people commuting for work from Dumfries homes every day. From public transportation to major roadways, and depending on where you work, you may spend an average of 30 minutes commuting each day.
Dumfries is just off of Interstate 95, which connects with Interstate Drive and Route 1. Those considering houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, have a number of public transportation options. For example, Omni Ride's OmniLink service serves the Virginia to D.C. commute. There is also the Martz Commuter Bus and the Virginia Railway Express at Quantico Station, along with many public bus lines within the community. There are areas to park and ride so that you don't have to drive yourself.
Dumfries Neighborhoods
The Dumfries real estate market has many neighborhoods and communities. Some of the more expensive areas with houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are Montclair, Cherry Hill, Garfield Estates, Town Center, and the areas of Northgate Drive/Cranberry Court, Edgewood Drive/Sheffield Drive, Dumfries Road/Waterway Drive, and Colonial Port Road/Possum Point Road. There have been a lot of new developments over the past couple of years that will add more houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, to this ever-growing area.
Dumfries Town Center
Town Center is considered a rural neighborhood, with most homes made up of medium to large single-family homes and townhomes. The neighborhood was established between 1970 and 1999, with some homes being built after 2000. You will find a lot of row houses and attached homes, which add to the area's charm. Many residents in these Dumfries homes work for the government or are active in the military. An interesting fact for history buffs is that the area has links to British and Finnish ancestry.
Summerpark
This is a fairly new community of houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, that has been around for just over 10 years. You will find a variety of semi-detached and detached medium to large single-family homes. In fact, each house is unique from neighboring homes. These houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, have been designed with spaciousness in mind and have modern interiors and traditional exteriors. You will love the well-looked-after tree lined streets here, and the area has great local facilities and biking and walking paths.
Southbridge
Southbridge is an unincorporated master-planned community that is just north of Dumfries Town Center. Built across 600 acres and close to the Potomac River, Southbridge was founded in 1990. It is adjacent to Potomac Shores, its sister community. It has a park-like setting with mature trees and beautifully landscaped green areas to enjoy. The community has an 18-hole golf course, two Catholic school campuses, a swim and racquet club, nature trails and tot lots, as well as being near three major shopping centers. These houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, provide a mix of a rural atmosphere with the convenience of having urban amenities close by.
Cherry Hill Crossing
Cherry Hill Crossing is a suburban neighborhood with houses for sale in Dumfries, VA. It's a great area if you are looking for larger homes because there are many houses with at least four bedrooms here. A lot of the Dumfries homes here are fairly new, with the community dating back to 2013. This community has seen continued growth over the years. If you want to live in an area with newer homes and growth potential, this could be the right neighborhood in the Dumfries real estate market for you.
Potomac Shores
Potomac Shores is another newly developing neighborhood community with houses for sale in Dumfries, VA. This huge planned community has a hotel and shopping center, and there is a new station being added for the VRE. Within this 1,920-acre area of Dumfries real estate, around 3.7 million square feet has been allocated for commercial use that blends in with the residential community. Dumfries homes in this community include townhomes and nearly 4,000 single-family homes. The neighborhood sits along the banks of the Potomac River and has stunning views. If you are looking for houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, where work is close by, Potomac Shores could be the perfect place for you.
Brunswick Crossing
If you are looking for houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, in a neighborhood community that offers nearby retail options, Brunswick Crossing is for you. You can walk, bike or take a short drive to the incorporated marketplace for groceries, entertainment and a variety of restaurants. There is also a Holiday Inn nearby, which is perfect if you tend to have visitors. This community of houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, has its own pool house, 25-meter pool, splash zone, kiddie pool, a fitness center that includes a yoga studio, and 26 miles of walkways and trails, all of which you can access without having to leave the neighborhood. Brunswick has a nice community feel to it and is a pet-friendly area that has dog parks for both large and small dogs. One thing residents love about this community of Dumfries homes is that it has its own community garden, where you can have your own plot to grow vegetables, fruit or flowers.
Dumfries Housing Market
As of July 2021, Dumfries real estate is a hot seller's market with an average home value of $479,000, which is above the national average and up 15.4 percent since this time the previous year. Three- and four-bedroom houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are high in demand at this time, and the median sales price has been around $510,000, up 11.5 percent from this time the previous year. Many Dumfries homes stay on the market an average of nine days, less if the home is in a hot area. Some houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, are selling above their listing price, but on average they sell for their listing prices. One area of Dumfries real estate to keep an eye on is new developments, which will bring more inventory to the real estate market and potentially lower prices.
Dumfries Schools
There are a total of 14 schools in Dumfries: 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, 10 pre-K schools, and two high schools. Nine of these are public schools and five are private. Some of the top-rated schools based on academic performance are:
- Pennington School
- Mary G. Porter Traditional School
- Forest Park High School
- John F. Pattie Sr. Elementary School
- Swans Creek Elementary School
Public schools for Dumfries are part of the Prince William County Public School division of Virginia. It's the second-largest division in Virginia, with approximately 90,000 students. All the schools are accredited. The on-time graduation rate for the entire division is 93 percent.
There are also a number of colleges and universities close by, including:
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Stratford University: Woodbridge Campus
- USMC Research Library - Library of the Marine Corps
- Potomac Science Center
Things To Do In Dumfries
Rotana Hookah Lounge
Rotana is a non-alcoholic Mediterranean hookah bar that serves great food and has a wide variety of 25 hookah flavors. It has a relaxing atmosphere where you can enjoy a range of hot and cold drinks and snacks ranging from popcorn baskets and Italian pizzas to shawarma and kabob wraps.
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Sitting on 135 acres and just across from the Quantico Marine Corps, the museum is a tribute to all past, present and future U.S. Marines. It is run under a public and private partnership between the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and the U.S. Marine Corps. The heritage foundation was established as a non-profit organization in 1979.
As construction continues, new galleries will be added to the existing ones, which includes the Legacy Walk, which was created for those who are limited on visiting time. It takes you through all of the era galleries and more than two centuries of Marine Corps history. The Making Marines exhibit shows you how a citizen is turned into a Marine during their 12 weeks of boot camp. You can also see the American Revolution, Global Expeditionary Force, World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam galleries.
Quantico National Cemetery
Once part of the training base of the U.S. Marine Corps, the land that is now Quantico National Cemetery has been in military use for over 200 years. It was first used in 1775 for Navy operations, as well as used during the Civil War by the Confederate army as a point of a blockade. It was established as a national cemetery in 1983 for the burial of veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The cemetery is home to seven monuments: Edson’s Raiders, Purple Heart Memorial, the Fourth Marine “Fighting Fourth” Division Memorial, Commonwealth of Virginia Memorial dedicated to honor all the nation’s veterans, First Marine Division Memorial, and the 6th Marine “Striking Sixth” Division Memorial.
Weems-Botts Museum
The museum was the home of Mason Locke Weems, who wrote the first biography of George Washington, which included the “I cannot tell a lie” cherry tree story. Along with the landmark home, the small museum has an annex that is home to the Lee Lansing Research Library and Archive, both of which are located in Merchant Park. There is a commemorative bandstand to one of the county's most respected citizens, William Grayson, who was also one of the first senators of Virginia.
Prince William Forest National Park
If you love history and nature, Prince William Forest Park is a dream come true. Just 35 miles south of D.C., it has 37 miles of trails to hike and 21 miles of bike-accessible trails across 15,000 acres of the beautiful Piedmont Forest. You can find evidence of human history that goes as far back as 8,000 B.C.!
Real Estate Taxes for Dumfries
Where you live in Northern Virginia will determine how much you will pay in property tax. For example, some homeowners pay for both county and city real estate tax. The average national property tax is around 1.08 percent. Prince William County's tax rates are set annually. The taxes fund public services, such as volunteer fire and rescue services.
Are You Ready to Move to Dumfries?
Houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, offer a lot to potential residents. What we've listed here is just a small part of what the area has to offer. Those who live in Dumfries homes have easy access to other neighboring areas, including Washington D.C. Each neighborhood with houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, is unique in its own way, and we are sure that you will fall in love with one that suits your needs.
The easiest and best way to find a home that is right for you among the houses for sale in Dumfries, VA, is to give our real estate advisors a call at 703-462-0700. We have a lot of experience with Dumfries real estate and Prince William County and can help you find your perfect forever home.