NOVA neighborhood profile
Moving to Kingstowne
38.76°N · 77.14°W
Kingstowne fits commuters and families who want a townhouse, two Blue Line stations, and walkable shopping without a long drive. If that description does not sound like you, one of the 4 nearby neighborhoods below is probably a better read.
The 60-second read
Rent
Apartments average about $2,344/mo; most buyers land in townhomes, with condos at the lower end (approx)
Metro
Between Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line; roughly 35 to 45 min to DC
By car
About 25 to 40 min to DC via I-95/395 or the Beltway, longer in weekday rush
What Kingstowne is actually like
Kingstowne is a 1,200-acre master-planned community in the Fairfax County slice of Alexandria (zip 22315), the second-largest planned community in the county with more than 5,300 homes. Townhomes are the most common style, with condos at the affordable end and single-family homes mixed in across North, Middle, and South Villages. The draw is everyday convenience: Kingstowne Towne Center (Safeway, theater, restaurants) and Hilltop Village Center (Wegmans), plus community pools, tennis and volleyball courts, trails, and two fitness centers in the HOA. The 2026 HOA baselines are modest, around $78 a month for condos and $132 for townhouses. You are close to Ft. Belvoir, the Pentagon, and two Blue Line stops, a favorite for military, federal, and contractor families. The honest catch is that Kingstowne is car-oriented by design: Metro is a drive or bus from most homes, and the Beltway and I-95 crawl in summer.
Worth knowing before you commit
Smyrna Restaurant at 7588 Telegraph Road, in the Kingstowne corridor, is the independent spot to know first. A family-run Turkish and Greek kitchen at about 4.8 stars across hundreds of OpenTable and Yelp reviews; regulars come back for the lamb chops and moussaka.
Local independent worth the drive: Smyrna Restaurant at 7588 Telegraph Road, Alexandria 22315. Family-run Turkish and Greek; ~4.8 stars across hundreds of OpenTable and Yelp reviews. Order the lamb chops or moussaka.
Kingstowne vs the 3 closest NOVA neighborhoods
Compare rent, Metro access, and car commute side-by-side.
| Neighborhood |
Rent |
Metro |
By car |
| Kingstowne (this page) |
Apartments average about $2,344/mo; most buyers land in townhomes, with condos at the lower end (approx) |
Between Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line; roughly 35 to 45 min to DC |
About 25 to 40 min to DC via I-95/395 or the Beltway, longer in weekday rush |
| Franconia-Springfield |
Apartments $1,900 to $2,400/mo; townhomes $2,200 to $2,700; single-family $550K to $800K (approximate) |
Franconia-Springfield (Blue Line, terminus), ~35 min to Metro Center |
15 miles to DC; 25 to 35 min off-peak via I-395, 50 to 60 in rush |
| Springfield |
$1,900/mo (1BR), ~$2,100/mo (2BR), approximate |
35 min to DC (Blue Line, Franconia-Springfield) |
25 min to DC off-peak, 60+ min in rush |
| Cameron Station |
About $2,200/mo (1BR), approximate; most stock is townhomes and condos |
Private shuttle to Van Dorn Street (Blue Line); about 35 to 40 min to downtown |
About 25 to 35 min to DC via I-395, longer in weekday rush |
Mistakes people make moving to Kingstowne
- Underestimating rush-hour math. Off-peak commute times posted on rental sites are often the ONLY times most tenants will experience. Add 30 to 60 percent to any drive that crosses I-495, I-66, or the American Legion Bridge between 7 and 9:30 AM eastbound or 4 to 7 PM westbound.
- Treating “close to Metro” as walkable. Half a mile in DC is walkable. Half a mile in most of NOVA means crossing a stroad with no sidewalk and a parking lot. Check Google Street View before touring anywhere that markets itself as Metro-adjacent.
- Ignoring HOA and condo fees. NOVA condo fees frequently run $400 to $800 per month on top of the mortgage. Get the resale package early, read the reserve study, and price the full monthly nut before falling in love with a unit.
- Assuming the school pyramid is stable. Fairfax, Loudoun, and Arlington counties redistrict every few years. If school assignment is a factor, verify current boundaries directly with FCPS, LCPS, or APS admissions rather than trusting the address on Zillow.
Frequently asked questions about Kingstowne
Is Kingstowne a good place to live?
Kingstowne works well for commuters and families who want a townhouse, two Blue Line stations, and walkable shopping without a long drive. The tradeoffs are covered in detail below, but the short version is: Kingstowne is a 1,200-acre master-planned community in the Fairfax County slice of Alexandria (zip 22315), the second-largest planned community in the county with more than 5,300 homes.
What is the average rent in Kingstowne?
Apartments average about $2,344/mo; most buyers land in townhomes, with condos at the lower end (approx)
Does Kingstowne have a Metro station?
Between Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line; roughly 35 to 45 min to DC
How long is the commute from Kingstowne to Washington DC?
About 25 to 40 min to DC via I-95/395 or the Beltway, longer in weekday rush
What are the closest neighborhoods to Kingstowne?
The three closest tracked NOVA neighborhoods are Franconia-Springfield (1.3 miles), Springfield (2.9 miles), Cameron Station (3.1 miles).
Where should I eat if I visit Kingstowne?
Smyrna Restaurant at 7588 Telegraph Road, Alexandria 22315. Family-run Turkish and Greek; ~4.8 stars across hundreds of OpenTable and Yelp reviews. Order the lamb chops or moussaka.
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