Clarke County
Boyce, Virginia
Clarke County's second town: a few hundred people on the Shenandoah River side of Route 340, with the State Arboretum of Virginia at its edge.
Boyce is Clarke County’s second town, after Berryville: a few hundred people on a few streets near the Shenandoah River, with farmland in every direction and the State Arboretum of Virginia at the edge of it.
The town
A handful of streets around Main Street and the old rail line, holding late 19th and early 20th-century houses on town water and sewer. It has its own mayor, council, and town tax on top of Clarke County taxes. Sales inside the town limits come up a handful of times a year.
Blandy
Just north off Route 50, the State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm covers some 700 acres, operated by the University of Virginia and free to visit. Its boxwood and ginkgo collections are among the largest in the country. It is the area’s best-known amenity and a permanent one.
Why the county looks like this
Clarke County has maintained some of the most restrictive rural zoning in Virginia for decades, with large minimum lot sizes outside the towns, and a great deal of land under conservation easement. The result is countryside that has stayed farmland. That is what most buyers here are choosing — and it also means very little new inventory, ever.
Outside the town, private wells and septic systems are the norm, and many parcels are enrolled in land use taxation, which lowers the bill and carries roll-back taxes if the use changes.
The river
The Shenandoah runs east of town, with water access and long views on the properties above it. Anything near the river deserves a check on floodplain designation and insurance before an offer.
Schools
Clarke County Public Schools is a small division with a single high school, Clarke County High School in Berryville. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address.
Getting around
Route 340 runs north to Berryville and south to Front Royal, with Route 50 crossing just north and Route 7 beyond it. Winchester is about fifteen minutes northwest, I-81 about twenty. There is no rail or bus. Northern Virginia is a long drive east.
Buying or selling here
Buyers should read the easement where one exists, test the well, check the septic permit and the floodplain, and understand that Clarke County’s zoning limits what can be done with land — which cuts both ways. Sellers benefit from scarcity: with so few properties available in a county that will not build many more, a well-documented listing finds its buyer.
Communities in Boyce
- The town
- A handful of streets around Main Street and the old rail line, with late 19th and early 20th-century houses.
- Blandy and Route 50 edge
- Land near the State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm, on the Route 50 corridor.
- Shenandoah River corridor
- Properties along and above the river east of town, with water access and floodplain to check.
- Wickliffe and Long Marsh Road
- Rural roads with farms and larger parcels between Boyce and Berryville.
- Route 340 south
- The corridor toward Front Royal, with farms and scattered houses.
Schools
Clarke County Public Schools serves the town and the surrounding area — a small division with a single high school, Clarke County High School, in Berryville. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with Clarke County Public Schools.
Commuting
Route 340 runs through town, north to Berryville and south to Front Royal, with Route 50 crossing just north and Route 7 further north again. Winchester is about fifteen minutes northwest and I-81 about twenty. There is no rail or bus service; Northern Virginia is a long drive east on Route 50 or Route 7.
Market
Boyce is a very small market — a few hundred residents and a handful of sales a year — surrounded by Clarke County farmland that trades in larger parcels. In-town houses are mostly late 19th and early 20th-century, on town water and sewer; properties outside the town are generally on private wells and septic systems, and much of the surrounding land is under conservation easement or in land use taxation. Town residents pay a town tax on top of county taxes. Clarke County's strict zoning is the reason this area looks as it does, and it is a large part of what buyers are paying for.
Common questions
How small is Boyce?
A few hundred residents on a few streets, with its own mayor, council, and town tax on top of Clarke County taxes. Sales inside the town come up a handful of times a year, so this market is read one property at a time rather than by averages.
What is the State Arboretum of Virginia?
A 700-acre public arboretum and research farm at Blandy Experimental Farm, operated by the University of Virginia, just north of Boyce off Route 50. It is free to visit, holds one of the largest boxwood and ginkgo collections in the country, and is the area's best-known amenity.
Why does Clarke County look so undeveloped?
Deliberate policy. Clarke County has long maintained some of the most restrictive rural zoning in Virginia, with large minimum lot sizes outside the towns and extensive land under conservation easement. The effect is that the countryside has stayed farmland — which is what most buyers here are choosing, and which also means very little new inventory.
What schools serve Boyce?
Clarke County Public Schools, a small division with one high school — Clarke County High School in Berryville. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with the division.
Do properties have public water and sewer?
In the town, generally yes. Outside it, private wells and septic systems are the norm. Properties near the Shenandoah River should also be checked for floodplain designation and insurance requirements before an offer.
Current Boyce listings are available through my search site.
Last updated 2026-09-08.