NOVA neighborhood profile
Moving to Reston
38.97°N · 77.34°W
Reston fits tech workers who want a real downtown without the District commute. 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
$2,400/mo (1BR)
Metro
35 min to DC (Silver Line, Wiehle-Reston East)
By car
40 min off-peak, 70+ min in rush
What Reston is actually like
Reston Town Center is what a planned community gets right when the planning actually worked. You can walk to a Trader Joe’s, three solid coffee shops, the Metro, and a movie theater without crossing a six-lane stroad. The downside: rents have climbed faster than the rest of NOVA, and parking garages downtown get fierce on weekends.
Worth knowing before you commit
If you work in Tysons but live in Reston, take the Dulles Toll Road eastbound before 7:15 AM. After that you’re locked into 25-minute traffic that does not move. The Silver Line from Wiehle-Reston gets you to Tysons in 14 minutes flat once you account for the walk.
Local independent worth the drive: Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar at 1612 Washington Plaza N. Family-owned, chef-driven, lakefront patio; order the breakfast salad and walk the plaza loop.
Reston vs the 3 closest NOVA neighborhoods
Compare rent, Metro access, and car commute side-by-side.
| Neighborhood |
Rent |
Metro |
By car |
| Reston (this page) |
$2,400/mo (1BR) |
35 min to DC (Silver Line, Wiehle-Reston East) |
40 min off-peak, 70+ min in rush |
| Lake Anne (Reston) |
about $2,000/mo (1BR condo), approximate |
about 40 min to DC via Wiehle-Reston East (Silver Line), a 5-min drive or RIBS bus away |
40 min to DC off-peak, 70+ in rush |
| Herndon |
$1,900/mo (1BR) |
40 min to DC (Silver Line, Herndon) |
45 min to DC off-peak |
| Great Falls |
Rentals are scarce; median home sale ran about $1.9M in 2026, up more than 20% year over year (most lots run 1 acre or more) |
No Metro station; nearest is a 15 to 20 min drive to Spring Hill or McLean (Silver Line) |
35 to 45 min to DC off-peak via Georgetown Pike and the GW Parkway, 70+ min in rush |
Mistakes people make moving to Reston
- 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 Reston
Is Reston a good place to live?
Reston works well for tech workers who want a real downtown without the District commute. The tradeoffs are covered in detail below, but the short version is: Reston Town Center is what a planned community gets right when the planning actually worked.
What is the average rent in Reston?
$2,400/mo (1BR)
Does Reston have a Metro station?
35 min to DC (Silver Line, Wiehle-Reston East)
How long is the commute from Reston to Washington DC?
40 min off-peak, 70+ min in rush
What are the closest neighborhoods to Reston?
The three closest tracked NOVA neighborhoods are Lake Anne (Reston) (0.1 miles), Herndon (2.4 miles), Great Falls (3.5 miles).
Where should I eat if I visit Reston?
Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar at 1612 Washington Plaza N. Family-owned, chef-driven, lakefront patio; order the breakfast salad and walk the plaza loop.
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