Fairfax County
Fort Hunt and Belle Haven
The riverfront neighborhoods along the George Washington Memorial Parkway south of Alexandria — established, wooded, and close to the water in both senses.
Between Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon, along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, sits a run of established neighborhoods that are among the higher-priced in southern Fairfax County: wooded, close to the river, and five to ten minutes from Old Town.
The neighborhoods
Belle Haven lies beside the country club and the Parkway, with substantial older houses on mature lots. Fort Hunt holds mid-century single-family neighborhoods inland toward Fort Hunt Road. Waynewood and Stratford on the Potomac are 1950s and 60s subdivisions with community pools. Wellington and Tauxemont are smaller enclaves — Tauxemont notable for its 1940s cooperative origins and modest modernist houses, which trade in a small market of their own. New Alexandria and the streets nearest the tidal edge are the lowest-lying.
Flood risk is the first question
On the low streets nearest the Potomac and the tidal inlets, this is not a footnote. Parts of this area have flooded; flood insurance requirements and costs vary sharply parcel to parcel; elevation certificates matter.
Get the flood zone determination and an insurance quote before an offer on anything near the water. Within these neighborhoods, elevation is the single largest variable in both price and insurability.
Parkland
Fort Hunt Park occupies the site of a former coastal artillery fort — later a wartime intelligence facility — and is now National Park Service parkland with trails beside the Parkway. With the Parkway itself and Dyke Marsh to the north, it protects a long stretch of riverside permanently.
County, not city
An Alexandria mailing address here means Fairfax County taxes and Fairfax County Public Schools, not the city’s. Old Town’s proximity is part of the appeal; its tax rate and school division are not what apply.
Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools, generally the West Potomac High School pyramid. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with FCPS.
Getting around
The Parkway along the river, Fort Hunt Road and Route 1 inland. Old Town five to ten minutes north, the Huntington Yellow Line station roughly ten minutes northwest, Reagan National about fifteen. The Parkway drive to the Pentagon and the District is one of the better commutes in the region.
Buying or selling here
Buyers should settle flood zone and insurance before falling for the trees, then judge the house — 1950s stock on mature lots means mechanicals and trees both need attention. Sellers on higher ground should say so; sellers near the water should have the elevation certificate and insurance history ready, because a buyer who discovers those late usually walks.
Communities in Fort Hunt and Belle Haven
- Belle Haven
- An established neighborhood beside the country club and the Parkway, with substantial older houses on mature lots.
- Fort Hunt
- Mid-century single-family neighborhoods between the Parkway and Fort Hunt Road, near the park of the same name.
- Waynewood and Stratford on the Potomac
- 1950s and 60s subdivisions with community pools, close to the river and the Parkway.
- Wellington and Tauxemont
- Smaller established enclaves, Tauxemont notable for its 1940s cooperative origins and modest modernist houses.
- New Alexandria and the tidal edge
- Low-lying streets nearest the Potomac, where flood risk is a defining consideration.
Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools serves the area, generally through the West Potomac High School pyramid. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with FCPS.
Commuting
The George Washington Memorial Parkway runs along the river with Fort Hunt Road and Route 1 parallel inland. Old Town Alexandria is five to ten minutes north and the Huntington Metro station on the Yellow Line roughly ten minutes northwest. The Pentagon and the District are a straightforward Parkway drive, and Reagan National is about fifteen minutes.
Market
These are established riverfront-adjacent neighborhoods of mostly 1940s through 1960s houses on mature wooded lots, with an Alexandria mailing address and Fairfax County jurisdiction. Prices are among the higher ones in southern Fairfax County, driven by the Parkway access, the trees, the schools, and proximity to Old Town. The single largest variable within the area is elevation: flood risk on the low-lying streets is a material factor in both price and insurability.
Common questions
Are these neighborhoods in Alexandria?
They carry an Alexandria mailing address and sit in Fairfax County, not the independent city. That means Fairfax County taxes and Fairfax County Public Schools. Old Town is five to ten minutes north, which is part of the appeal, but the jurisdiction is different and so are the tax rate and the schools.
How serious is the flood risk?
On the low-lying streets nearest the Potomac and the tidal inlets, serious enough to be the first question about a property rather than the last. Parts of this area have flooded, flood insurance requirements and costs vary sharply by parcel, and elevation certificates matter. Get the flood zone determination and an insurance quote before an offer on anything near the water.
What is Fort Hunt Park?
A National Park Service park on the site of a former coastal artillery fort, later a wartime intelligence facility, now open parkland with trails and picnic areas beside the Parkway. Along with the Parkway itself and Dyke Marsh to the north, it protects a substantial stretch of riverside permanently.
What is Tauxemont?
A small enclave founded in the 1940s as a cooperative community, with modest modernist houses on wooded lots and a continuing community association. It is architecturally and socially distinctive, and its houses trade in a small market of their own.
What schools serve the area?
Fairfax County Public Schools, generally the West Potomac High School pyramid. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with FCPS.
Current Fort Hunt and Belle Haven listings are available through my search site.
Last updated 2026-09-08.