Neighborhoods of Fort Hunt Road

Those who live here know this to be a special place, a small town next to a big city beside the most powerful city in the world. The neighborhoods of Fort Hunt Road lie just south of Alexandria Virginia and north of Mount Vernon. These well-established neighborhoods are characterized by towering hardwoods and green lawns, quiet streets near everything, upscale and economy shopping.  The area schools are top-notch and there are many activities available to residents. 

There are two parts of Alexandria that are perfect. Old Town is about a 10 minute drive from DC, at ANY TIME. The George Washington Parkway is an unspoiled route to DC that rarely has heavy traffic.

From DC, you just cross any bridge, and exit immediately onto the GW Parkway. It is a straight shot south past George Washington National Airport to Old Town Alexandria. There are no stoplights until you reach Old Towne, which is only about 2 miles south of DC. There are some awesome townhomes and apartments in Old Towne. Other than parking hassles, the biggest setback with Old Towne is that it is VERY EXPENSIVE. You will find nothing cheap in Old Towne.

If you continue on the GW Parkway through Old Town, you'll end up in the Fort Hunt area of Alexandria. The GW Parkway continues along the Potomac River to Mount Vernon. Fort Hunt Road is a two lane road that runs parallel to the GW Parkway through Alexandria. The Alexandria area between Route 1 and the Potomac River is wonderful. It has a small town feel because there are no large developments in this area. There are plenty of grocery stores and small shopping centers that are only used by the residents of this area, which gives it even more of a small town feel. The best residences are between Route 1 and the Potomac in neighborhoods like Bucknell Manor, Belle View, Belle Haven, and River Towers. Once you go west of Route 1, it's a lot more commercial.

The best part about this location is that compared to most of Northern Virginia, housing is very affordable. If you can afford to step up a level, there are many luxury homes in this area as well. This area has the perfect commute to DC: scenic, low-traffic and low-mileage. It's also easy to get from here Prince George's County. There are no interstates to deal with and the stoplights in Old Town are timed well for rush hour. The commute from the Fort Hunt area of Alexandria to DC via the GW Parkway is about 15-20 minutes.

The same rule goes for Old Town as it does for the Fort Hunt area. Between Route 1 and the Potomac is the best. Zip codes from the Fort Hunt area are 22307, 22308... There may be a few more but that's what I can think of.

Good luck!


I love the Fort Hunt area because the River is a wonderful escape from the city. When I'm in places like Springfield, Burke, Falls Church, Centreville or Dale City, I get this horrible feeling of being enclosed in endless subdivisions, strip malls, chain restaurants, and interstates. Almost anywhere you live in the DC area, you are surrounded by development. From Old Town and the Fort Hunt area, you are bordered to the East by Park property, the GW parkway, the Mount Vernon Trail and the Potomac River.

These neighborhoods have easy access to Old Towne which is a big plus because Old Towne has countless restaurants, bars, shops, etc. It's one of the oldest parts of the DC area, but it's one of the most exciting, trendy and touristy locations as well! Rt. 1 is going through a major redevelopment and is now the place to find warehouse restaurants and big-box stores.

For rentals or purchases, you definitely want to check out Huntington Club, Montebello,  Belle View, Bucknell Manor, River Towers and Belle Haven.