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Gainesville

Newer homes, golf communities and I-66 access on the edge of horse country.

Prince William County (unincorporated)32 miles from the White House
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Schematic map · not to scale

Population18,1122020 Census
Land area10.11 sq mi
People per sq mi1,7912020
To the White House32 mistraight-line
Real estate tax$0.937per $100 · tax year 2026 ($0.865 base + $0.07 fire & rescue levy + $0.002 pest levy)

Overview

What Gainesville is like

Gainesville sits where I-66 meets Route 29 in western Prince William County, next to the small Town of Haymarket. Since the 1990s it has grown from a railroad crossroads into one of the county's fastest-growing suburbs.

Good to know about addressesHomes out here may have Gainesville (20155), Haymarket (20169) or Bristow (20136) mailing addresses. Only Haymarket is an incorporated town with its own town tax.

History

How Gainesville came to be

  1. 1856

    A depot on the Manassas Gap Railroad was built on land sold by Thomas B. Gaines, and a village grew around it.

  2. 1862

    Civil War fighting swept the area; Union troops burned nearly all of neighboring Haymarket.

  3. 1882

    Haymarket was incorporated as a town.

  4. 1994

    Large-scale suburban building began, and a proposed Disney theme park near Haymarket was defeated.

  5. 1995

    The amphitheater now called Jiffy Lube Live opened.

  6. 2014

    Haymarket Medical Center opened; it is now part of UVA Health.

  7. 2022

    The 66 Express Lanes opened all the way from the Beltway to Gainesville.

Homes you'll find

  • Single-family and townhouse communities, mostly built since the mid-1990s
  • 55+ golf communities such as Heritage Hunt, plus Dominion Valley in Haymarket
  • Larger lots and rural properties toward Haymarket and the Bull Run Mountains
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Gainesville market today

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Getting around

  • I-66 with the 66 Express Lanes (tolled) all the way to the Beltway
  • Route 29 and Route 55; Route 15 near Haymarket
  • OmniRide commuter buses to DC; nearest VRE is Broad Run station in Bristow

About 32 miles in a straight line to the White House. Real drive times vary a lot with traffic — test your commute at rush hour before you buy.

Weather

January45° / 30°avg high / low
July90° / 72°avg high / low
Rain & snow43 inper year · 12 in of snow
Hot days37days of 90°F+ per year

Four real seasons: humid summers, colorful falls, mostly mild winters with a few snowstorms. Frost-free roughly March 27 to November 18. NOAA 1991–2020 averages at Reagan National Airport (the Dulles corridor runs a few degrees cooler at night and usually gets more snow).

Economy

Where people work

  • Data centers along the I-66 and Route 29 corridors
  • UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center
  • Prince William County Public Schools
  • Virginia Gateway and Route 29 retail

Local favorites

Places people love

  • Jiffy Lube Live (Bristow)
  • Manassas National Battlefield Park
  • Virginia Gateway
  • Silver Lake Regional Park

Local government

Gainesville is unincorporated and governed by Prince William County; the Town of Haymarket has its own mayor and council. Parts of the area are in the Brentsville District — check an address.

  • Chair At-Large, Prince William Board of County SupervisorsDeshundra L. Jefferson
  • Supervisor, Gainesville DistrictGeorge T. Stewart
  • Governor of VirginiaAbigail Spanberger (since January 2026)

As of September 2026. Officials change with elections — confirm on the official websites.

Taxes

Real estate tax: $0.937 per $100 of assessed value (tax year 2026 ($0.865 base + $0.07 fire & rescue levy + $0.002 pest levy)), set by Prince William County. Official rates ↗

Example: a home assessed at $700,000 would owe about $6,559 a year at the Prince William County rate.

Virginia also taxes cars and other vehicles yearly (personal property tax), and some areas add small special-district taxes. Older adults and people with disabilities may qualify for tax relief programs.

Before you buy

Points to consider

  • I-66 and Route 29 traffic at rush hour; no Metro
  • Data centers are a big land-use issue in western Prince William — ask about sites near any home

Schools

Public schools

Served by Prince William County Public Schools. Test scores and school details are in the official links below. Boundaries change — always confirm the assigned schools for a specific address.

Research this area

Official data on Gainesville

Crime, school test results and population details come straight from official sources. Each link opens in a new tab, so this page stays open.

Census QuickFactsPopulation, age, income, housing and more — official U.S. Census data↗Prince William County Police crime mapOfficial crime data from the local police department↗Virginia School Quality Profile: Prince William County Public SchoolsTest results, graduation rates and more from the Virginia Department of Education↗PWCS Find Your School (check any address)Confirm which schools serve a specific address↗FEMA flood mapsCheck whether an address is in a flood zone↗Metro trip plannerPlan a commute by Metro and bus↗Prince William County real estate assessmentsAssessed values, sales history and property details↗Find your elected officialsLook up your state and federal representatives by address↗

Nearby

Also worth a look

Manassas (City)

A historic small-city downtown, its own schools, and a VRE ride to DC.

City of Manassas (independent city)

Centreville

More space for your money along I-66, with history next door.

Fairfax County (unincorporated)

Chantilly

Room to grow near Dulles Airport and major employers.

Fairfax County (unincorporated)

See all 22 areas →

Sources: 2020 U.S. Census; county, city and town government websites; NOAA climate normals; Virginia Department of Education. Updated September 2026. General information only — verify details that matter to your decision.

Contact

Thinking about Gainesville?

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