NOVA neighborhood profile
Moving to Linton Hall
38.75°N · 77.58°W
Linton Hall fits families who want new-build space, top schools, and I-66/Route 29 access, without an inside-the-Beltway price tag. 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
About $2,100/mo (townhome), approximate; single-family homes run $650K to $900K+ to buy (Census median value $617,000)
Metro
No Metro; VRE Broad Run station in Bristow is about a 10-min drive, then roughly 70 min to L’Enfant/Union Station
By car
About 35 miles to DC; 45 to 50 min off-peak via I-66, 75+ in rush
What Linton Hall is actually like
Linton Hall is less a single neighborhood than a run of connected subdivisions along Linton Hall Road, about seven miles west of Manassas and five miles north of Bristow. Braemar, Foxborough, and Independence are the names locals actually use, each its own HOA with pools and trails, but the Census lumps more than 41,000 people under one designation anyway. There is no downtown to speak of. Braemar Shopping Center is the anchor for groceries and dinner, and almost everything else runs off Linton Hall Road or Wellington Road. What you are really buying here is space and Piney Branch Elementary’s Gifted & Talented magnet program, not a walkable town center.
Worth knowing before you commit
Skip the chains near Braemar and go to El Tio Tex-Mex Grill at 7527 Linton Hall Road, ranked the #1 restaurant in Gainesville with a 96% recommend rate across 500-plus reviews. Order the tamales de pollo or the steak, and go early on a Friday if you want a table without a wait.
Local independent worth the drive: El Tio Tex-Mex Grill, 7527 Linton Hall Road (Gainesville postal address, sits directly on Linton Hall Road in the heart of the community). Tripadvisor #1 of 107 Gainesville restaurants, 96% recommend across 500+ combined Yelp/Tripadvisor/Restaurantji reviews. Tamales de pollo and steak are the regulars’ orders.
Linton Hall vs the 3 closest NOVA neighborhoods
Compare rent, Metro access, and car commute side-by-side.
| Neighborhood |
Rent |
Metro |
By car |
| Linton Hall (this page) |
About $2,100/mo (townhome), approximate; single-family homes run $650K to $900K+ to buy (Census median value $617,000) |
No Metro; VRE Broad Run station in Bristow is about a 10-min drive, then roughly 70 min to L’Enfant/Union Station |
About 35 miles to DC; 45 to 50 min off-peak via I-66, 75+ in rush |
| Bristow |
Townhomes $2,000 to $2,500/mo; single-family homes $550K to $900K (approximate) |
No Metro; VRE Broad Run station (Manassas Line) is in Bristow, ~65 min to L’Enfant / Union Station |
35 miles to DC; 45 to 55 min off-peak via I-66, 75+ in rush |
| Gainesville |
About $2,050/mo (1BR), approximate; most rental stock is townhomes and single-family |
No Metro; VRE Manassas Line from Broad Run or Manassas, about 70 min to L’Enfant and Union Station |
About 35 miles to DC, 50 min off-peak and 75+ min in rush via I-66 |
| Haymarket |
Rentals are scarce; median home sale ran about $725K in early 2026 (mid-$400s in Crossroads Village to $1M+ in Dominion Valley) |
No station; nearest rail is a ~25-min drive to Vienna (Orange), then about 45 min to DC |
Roughly 50 to 75 min to DC via I-66, longer in weekday rush |
Mistakes people make moving to Linton Hall
- 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 Linton Hall
Is Linton Hall a good place to live?
Linton Hall works well for families who want new-build space, top schools, and I-66/Route 29 access, without an inside-the-Beltway price tag. The tradeoffs are covered in detail below, but the short version is: Linton Hall is less a single neighborhood than a run of connected subdivisions along Linton Hall Road, about seven miles west of Manassas and five miles north of Bristow.
What is the average rent in Linton Hall?
About $2,100/mo (townhome), approximate; single-family homes run $650K to $900K+ to buy (Census median value $617,000)
Does Linton Hall have a Metro station?
No Metro; VRE Broad Run station in Bristow is about a 10-min drive, then roughly 70 min to L’Enfant/Union Station
How long is the commute from Linton Hall to Washington DC?
About 35 miles to DC; 45 to 50 min off-peak via I-66, 75+ in rush
What are the closest neighborhoods to Linton Hall?
The three closest tracked NOVA neighborhoods are Bristow (3.1 miles), Gainesville (3.4 miles), Haymarket (5.0 miles).
Where should I eat if I visit Linton Hall?
El Tio Tex-Mex Grill, 7527 Linton Hall Road (Gainesville postal address, sits directly on Linton Hall Road in the heart of the community). Tripadvisor #1 of 107 Gainesville restaurants, 96% recommend across 500+ combined Yelp/Tripadvisor/Restaurantji reviews. Tamales de pollo and steak are the regulars’ orders.
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