Woodbridge is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County lies beside the Potomac River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 482,204, making it Virginia's second most populous county. The county seat is the independent city of Manassas. A part ...

, United States, located south of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the 2020 census. Woodbridge offers a variety of amenities for residents and visitors, including Potomac Mills shopping mall and Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center. Woodbridge is served by the

Prince William County Public Schools Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is a school division in Virginia with its headquarters in the Kelly Leadership Center located in the unincorporated community of Independent Hill in Prince William County, Virginia. As of the 2020 c ...

, and the Woodbridge campus of

Northern Virginia Community College Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC and, informally, NOVA) is a public community college with six campuses and four centers in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. It is the third-largest multi-campus community college in t ...

borders the district. Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, a non-profit hospital, formerly Potomac Hospital, recently expanded and now has the capacity to serve 183 patients. Transportation includes access to

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

, two VRE commuter train stations, bus service, and a local " slugging" system, offering residents a variety of transit options. Woodbridge offers a wide range of recreational opportunities for resident and visitors. The Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a natural habitat for a variety of plant and animal life including the bald eagles and ospreys. Veteran's Park and

Leesylvania State Park Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William County, Virginia. The land was donated in 1978 by businessman Daniel K. Ludwig, and the park was dedicated in 1985 and opened full-time ...

are located on the Potomac River and provide swimming, boating, picnic and hiking services. Close by is Rippon Lodge, the oldest house in Prince William County, which is open for tours throughout the summer. Trails at Leesylvania Park lead to the ancestral home of the

Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...

family.

Etymology

Woodbridge takes its name from a wooden toll bridge built in the

18th century The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to ch ...

to span the

Occoquan River The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties. The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the r ...

. The bridge was constructed by Thomas Mason, son of Founding Father George Mason, as part of the King’s Highway, a colonial route that connected northern and southern settlements. The structure itself was built along the Occoquan connecting present day Woodbridge to Fairfax County, it became a recognizable landmark and eventually lent its name to the surrounding communities. Though the term "Woodbridge" does not appear frequently in early records, early

19th-century The 19th century began on 1 January 1801 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 (MCM). It was the 9th century of the 2nd millennium. It was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolished in ...

maps and land documents identify the bridge and nearby ferry sites as key transportation points in Prince William County. The area around the bridge gradually developed into a modest river town-like community, with its growth later influenced by river trade and the expansion of railroad lines later into the

19th century The 19th century began on 1 January 1801 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 (MCM). It was the 9th century of the 2nd millennium. It was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was Abolitionism, ...

The U.S. Census Bureau defines Woodbridge as a Census-designated place (CDP) limited to a section east of

and north of Rippon Boulevard. Prince William County defines the borders of the Woodbridge Magisterial District along roughly similar lines to that of the

Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

with the addition of most of Leesylvania and a portion of northern

Cherry Hill Cherry Hill often refers to: * Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a township in Camden County, New Jersey * Cherry Hill, Prince William County, Virginia, a census-designated place Cherry Hill may also refer to: Places Canada * Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia, a ...

. Despite these definitions, Woodbridge tends to be used more broadly to include nearby communities such as Lake Ridge and Dale City and commercial areas such as Potomac Mills and County Center. All of these areas reside within Woodbridge ZIP codes 22191, 22192, and 22193. Originally part of a larger land grant, the area became more residential during the post–

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

suburban expansion of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.

History

Woodbridge was initially a village composed largely of plantations and later farms and industrial complexes. Formally dating to at least 1731 when Prince William County was formed out of the

Stafford County, Virginia Stafford County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is approximately south of Washington, D.C. It is part of the Northern Virginia region, and the D.C area. It is one of the fastest-growing and highest-income counties in ...

. Initially, the first Prince William County Courthouse was erected in Woodbridge owing to its location halfway between

Dumfries, Virginia Dumfries, officially the Town of Dumfries, is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William County, Virginia. The population was 4,961 at the 2010 United States census. Geography Dumfries is located at (38.567853, −77.324591). ...

and

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

, the two largest Cities which were then in Prince William County. With the incorporation of

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most p ...

, Woodbridge ceased to be the center of the county and municipal function eventually shifted westward into Brentsville and eventually to Manassas where it is today. Later, the Woodbridge postal delivery area became the hub that included Dale City and Lake Ridge, which had previously been forged as a planned community in the 1960s and 1970s. The area takes its name from Thomas Mason's 1795 wooden toll bridge built to supplant the existing ferry, carrying the King's Highway traffic across the

. Mason's Woodbridge Plantation was located in the area of the present day Belmont Bay golf course community. The original bridge from which the area takes its name was washed away in 1807 following a heavy storm. Subsequently, industrial and economic development shifted toward Occoquan the next nearest river crossing. The bridge would not be replaced until the 20th century when an iron truss bridge was built. This bridge failed in 1972 during

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...

and was eventually replaced by the current structure. The Freestone Point Confederate Battery and Rippon Lodge are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. ;Tent city Since , numerous people have been trespassing in a

tent city A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents or other temporary structures. State governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house evacuees, refugees, or soldiers. UNICEF's Supply Division supplies expandable te ...

adjacent to the Potomac Mills mall. It is tolerated by the private landlord. In 2018, part of the residents were directed to leave.

Geography

Woodbridge is at (38.643517, −77.260843). It is located on the peninsula of Linton Neck. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, in 2000, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.87%, is water. Woodbridge is about from Washington, D.C. The 2010 census reconfigured Woodbridge so that the majority of its land area was redesignated Marumsco and Neabsco, Virginia. The southern border of Woodbridge was now Occoquan Road, with the area between Occoquan Road and Opitz Boulevard–Rippon Boulevard being part of Marumsco. All of the former Woodbridge CDP south of Marumsco was designated as Neabsco. However, the areas continued to be addressed Woodbridge. At the 2020 census, the Marumsco CDP was reincorporated into the Woodbridge CDP, and Neabsco was renamed Leesylvania.

Climate

Woodbridge has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated as ''Cfa'' on climate maps.

Nearby towns and communities

* Dale City *

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

* Lake Ridge * Lorton * Montclair * Occoquan

Demographics

As of the 2020 Census, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents with 13,107 households. The racial demographics were as follows: * 42.3% Hispanic or Latino * 23.5% White * 22.2% Black or African American * 8.6% Asian * 8.1% Two or More Races * 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native * 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 56.34%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 23.45%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.55% Native American, 4.90% Asian, 0.17%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 9.62% from other races, and 4.96% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 19.07% of the population. There were 10,687 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. Of all households 20.4% were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.40. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,525, and the median income for a family was $52,362. Males had a median income of $35,538 versus $28,587 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,810. About 4.6% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over. The estimate median house or condo value was $294,156 as of 2008. As of 2013, the average home sale price was $222,940.

Education

Public schools

It is in the

school division. Nearby public high schools include: * Forest Park Senior High School * Freedom High School * Gar-Field Senior High School * C.D. Hylton Senior High School * Potomac Senior High School * Woodbridge Senior High School The middle schools include: * Fred Lynn Middle School * Lake Ridge Middle School * Rippon Middle School * Woodbridge Middle School The elementary schools include: * Antietam Elementary School * Belmont Elementary School * Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School * Featherstone Elementary School * Lake Ridge Elementary School * Marumsco Hills Elementary School * Neabsco Elementary School * Occoquan Elementary School * Potomac View Elementary School * R. Dean Kilby Elementary School * River Oaks Elementary School * Springwoods Elementary School * West Ridge Elementary School

Private education

Private high schools: * Christ Chapel AcademyChrist Chapel Academy
/ref> (Pre–12) * Heritage Christian School (K–12) * Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School Private middle schools, elementary schools, and preschools: * Academy Day Care (Pre-1) * Cardinal Montessori School (Pre-4) * Christ Chapel Academy (Pre-12) * Cloverdale School (Pre-2) * Manassas Christian School * Manassas Christian School Academy * Minnieland Private Day School (Pre-K) * Prince William Academy (Pre-8) * Riverview Baptist Day School (Pre-K) * Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional School (Pre-8) * Young World Development Center (Pre-4)

Colleges and universities

, Woodbridge Campus * Stratford University (Permanently closed as of 2022)

Attractions and culture

Woodbridge experienced its current development boom in the mid-1980s, after being a municipality composed largely of either farms or industrial complexes, as an annex of sorts of Dale City, which had been forged as a planned community in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodbridge is home to Potomac Mills Mall (managed by

Simon Property Group Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust that invests in shopping malls, outlet centers, and community/lifestyle centers. It is the largest owner of shopping malls in the United States and is headquartered in Indian ...

), one of the largest shopping centers in northern Virginia. Woodbridge is a suburban city because many of its residents are employed in nearby Washington, D.C. Due in part to the I-95 and I-66

HOV A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger, ...

waiver given to hybrid vehicles, many D.C. government workers have relocated to the area to take advantage of the lower-priced housing. However, in July 2006, the hybrid/HOV privilege was revoked. Vehicles registered prior to July 2006 were exempted from occupancy requirements in all (HOV) facilities in Virginia until July 1, 2009. Other cultural resources include Rippon Lodge, one of the oldest houses in Prince William County, which was opened as a park and museum in October 2007.

Sports

Woodbridge was the former home of the

Potomac Nationals The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were situated in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to ...

minor league baseball club, before their relocation to Fredericksburg. Their former stadium, the Pfitzner Stadium, is located in Woodbridge. The stadium is now the source of many community events. On May 24, 2022, the

Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...

announced potential plans for a new stadium complex in Woodbridge, with plans for a new stadium, amphitheater, retail hub, and office space.

Transportation

Highways

Passing north—south through Woodbridge is U.S. Route 1, with

, which forms the western boundary of the CDP, running parallel to it further west. Three other major routes, all of which have interchanges with I-95 and terminate at U.S. 1, are VA 123 (Gordon Boulevard), which runs north to Fairfax and ends in Arlington at the

border, VA 294 (Prince William Parkway), which runs northeast to and ends in the Manassas area, and SR 784 (Dale Boulevard)—which heads northeast to Dale City and ends west of Hoadly. Other major roads in Woodbridge include SR 639 (Horner Road), SR 906 (Occoquan Road), and SR 2000 (Opitz Boulevard).

Public transportation

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), which operates its OmniRide and OmniRide Local bus services throughout Prince William County, is headquartered in Woodbridge. Two routes operate in Woodbridge; the Woodbridge/Lake Ridge (WOODLOC) route—serving the two communities of Woodbridge and Lake Ridge, and the Route 1 (RT1LOC) route, which runs from the Woodbridge train station down to Quantico. Woodbridge station, at 1040 Express Way, is owned by

Virginia Railway Express Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksbur ...

(VRE) and serves

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's ''

Northeast Regional The ''Northeast Regional'' is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the ''NortheastDirect'', ''Acela Regional'', or ''Regional''. It is Amtrak's busie ...

'' line and VRE's Fredericksburg Line. The train station receives bus service from the OmniRide Woodbridge/Lake Ridge and Route 1 routes.

Notable people

* Jeff Baker, professional baseball player * Brian Bates, soccer player * Brandon Brown, professional

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...

driver * Benita Fitzgerald-Brown,

100 metres hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is ...

gold medal winner,

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

* Russell Davis, professional football player,

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

James Eike James W. Eike (September 29, 1911 – February 8, 1983) was a birdwatcher and former president of thVirginia Society of Ornithology The James W. Eike Service Award was created by the Society in his honor in 1984. Other than being president ( 195 ...

, birdwatcher and former president of the Virginia Society of Ornithology * Christine Fox, acting U.S. Secretary of Defense * Da'Shawn Hand, professional football player,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...

, singer, songwriter, musician, and

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

inductee * Meyers Leonard, professional basketball player,

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, and

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

* Tony Lilly, professional football player,

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

* Nelson Martinez, professional soccer player, Loudoun United * David Robinson, professional basketball player,

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

* Zuill Bailey, three time Grammy Award winning cellist * Shaboozey, musician, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and record producer * Tommy Richman, singer and songwriter * Alex Taylor, distance runner

References

External links

Prince William County Government
* North Woodbridge Future Looks Bright �
May 18, 2010 Prince William County Press Release
{{authority control Census-designated places in Prince William County, Virginia Census-designated places in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Virginia Washington metropolitan area