If you prefer a slower pace of life and country charm, but still want to be able to get to the city easily Fredericksburg is the place for you. It is located 49 miles south of Washington DC and 58 miles north of Richmond. Historic Fredericksburg still has buildings from the Civil War that were hit by cannon balls. The University of Mary Washington is downtown as is George Washington’s childhood home. The VRE train (Virginia Rail Express) offers service at 5am to get riders to and front downtown Washington DC.
Stafford: Stafford continues to grow with the extension of the HOV (high occupancy lanes). It is a good 45 minutes to an hour to Washington DC. It offers access to the Potomac River and more acreage than a person Stafford County currently has 138,000 residents and may commute out of County for work along I-95 and the rail (VRE). The commute offsets the home and acres available at a much more affordable price. There is a lot of history in the 1600’s in Stafford County and through the Civil War.