Living Near the W&OD Trail: Communities and Housing Options

I've had more buyers ask me about the W&OD Trail this year than about school ratings, and honestly, that tells you something about how people are choosing where to live in Northern Virginia right now.

The Washington and Old Dominion Trail runs 45 miles from Shirlington all the way out to Purcellville, and it cuts straight through some of the most sought-after real estate in our region. I've sold homes in nearly every community it touches, and I can tell you firsthand that living near the W&OD Trail changes how people actually use their neighborhood. It's not a nice-to-have amenity buried in a listing description. For many of my clients, it's the main reason they're moving.

Here in Herndon, the trail runs along the edge of downtown, close to the Herndon Depot and within walking distance of neighborhoods like Herndon Heights and the streets around Elden Street. I've walked clients through homes on quiet side streets who had no idea they were a five-minute bike ride from the trail until we mapped it out together. That proximity adds real value, and it shows up in how quickly certain homes move when trail access is part of the pitch.

Further east in Reston, the trail connects into the broader pathway system that Reston is famous for, so homes near Lake Anne or South Lakes often get double duty. You're near the trail and near Reston's own internal trail network, which makes for some of the most walkable pockets in the entire DMV. I had a young couple last spring who toured six houses in Reston and picked the one that wasn't the biggest or the newest, purely because they could walk out the back gate and be on the W&OD in under two minutes. That's the kind of decision I see more and more.

Ashburn is where the trail starts to feel a little different. It's flatter, more open, and it runs through newer development, so you get communities built with the trail in mind from the start. Neighborhoods like Ashburn Village and Broadlands were designed with connector paths feeding directly into the W&OD, which is a very different experience than an older Herndon street where the trail access came after the neighborhood did. If you want a brand-new build with trail access baked into the community plan, Ashburn is usually where I steer buyers.

Vienna and the Town of Vienna area near the trail's eastern stretch has some of the priciest real estate along the entire corridor, largely because those neighborhoods combine trail access with proximity to the Vienna Metro and a walkable downtown. It's a different price point than Ashburn or even Herndon, but for buyers who want trail living without giving up an easy commute into DC, it's worth the conversation.

What I tell every client considering a move near the W&OD is that not all trail proximity is equal. There's a real difference between a home that backs directly onto the trail, which can mean noise and less privacy, and a home that's a short walk or bike ride away, which usually gives you the lifestyle benefit without the tradeoffs. I've had sellers assume backing to the trail is automatically a premium feature, and sometimes it is, but I've also had buyers walk away from a showing because they didn't want joggers and cyclists passing behind their fence line every morning. Knowing which streets and which specific stretches of trail work for a buyer's lifestyle is exactly the kind of local detail that doesn't show up on Zillow.

Living near the W&OD Trail also tends to hold its value well, because the appeal isn't tied to a trend. People have been walking, running, and biking this trail since it opened in the 1980s, and that kind of consistent demand tends to protect home values even when other parts of the market soften. I've watched homes near the trail in Herndon and Reston sell faster and with less price negotiation than comparable homes just a half mile away without that access.

If you're weighing a move and the idea of stepping out your door onto 45 miles of paved trail sounds like the life you want, there are more options along this corridor than most buyers realize, and the right one really does depend on which stretch fits how you actually live.

About LeAnne Anies & The Fox Homes Team

When people ask who the best realtor in Herndon, VA is, I like to point to the numbers rather than just my own opinion of myself. I've personally sold 375+ homes and over $207 million in volume, and our team carries 2,100+ five-star Google reviews, putting us among the most reviewed real estate teams in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. I'm an NVAR Platinum Top Producer and a Washingtonian Top Agent, and I've lived in Herndon myself since 2002, so when I talk about a neighborhood or a trail or a street, it's because I actually know it. I also bring a military spouse's perspective to every relocation, since I've packed boxes and started over in a new town more times than I can count. If you're navigating a move in Herndon, Reston, Ashburn, or anywhere across Northern Virginia, I'd be glad to help.