Bristow, VA

About the Bristow, Virginia Area

A small town on the periphery of the Washington DC metropolitan area, Bristow is set in the beautiful rolling hills of Northern Virginia. Richly patriotic and steeped in the history of our nation, Bristow offers a wonderful combination of scenic and recreational opportunities and all the advantages of its strategic location within one of the country’s major concentrations of population.

Location

Bristow is an unincorporated community located in Prince William County, close to Route I-66 in northern Virginia. Bristow is about four miles from Manassas, twelve miles from Dale City, and thirty-five miles from Washington DC.

Geography

Bristow is situated in gently rolling wooded country, not far from Lake Manassas.

Jobs

Prince William County’s highly-educated work force and strategic location adjacent to the Greater Washington, DC metropolitan area give rise to a wide range of employment opportunities. Almost a quarter of county residents are employed in the government occupations, and there are also large numbers employed in the defense and education sectors. There is a growing influx of high-tech firms to the area.

The average travel time to work for Prince William County commuters is 39 minutes.

Housing

Prince William County’s population and economy are growing, and there is a strong demand for housing. The median price of a home is $385,500. This is notably lower than in neighboring Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

The county boasts many carefully maintained historic sections where lovely renovated homes can be found. Single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums, golf communities, lake communities, and retirement communities are all available.

Recreation

Bristow is close to the famous Manassas National Battlefield Park, where two of the great dramatic events of the Civil War, the first and second Battles of Manassas, took place. Now visitors to this 5,000 acre park can retrace the paths of the cavalry troops on foot or on horseback on over 50 miles of bridle paths or take a 12 mile driving tour of prominent battle sites through a landscape that retains much of its original wartime character.

Also close at hand, the more than 17,000 acres of Prince William Forest Park offer streams, ponds, waterfalls, over 35 miles of scenic hiking trails, a scenic driving loop and camping amongst rare scenic beauty.

The Bristow area contains some of the best fishing in Virginia, with excellent fly fishing on the watersheds draining the area around Quantico Marine Corps Base and on historic Bull Run Creek bordering Manassas National Battlefield Park. For lake anglers, Lake Manassas is known as one of the best lakes in the State for freshwater fishing, and the current state record flathead catfish, weighing in at 66 pounds and 4 ounces, was taken from the 2,100 acre Occoquan Reservoir.

There are plenty of terrific courses for golfers to choose from in the Bristow area. Manassas Hills Golf Academy is a 2300 yard par 54 course with all amenities that is only a few minutes away from Virginia’s most visited attraction, Potomac Mills Outlet Mall and Value Center.

For a family outing or for those wanting to improve their short game, a visit to the 9-hole Lake Ridge Golf Course can combine golf with history, family fun and beautiful scenery. Close to the charming 18th century mill town of Occoquan, with its excellent restaurants, unique shops and spectacular riverfront views, Lake Ridge also offers miniature golf and a marina with row boats, pedal boats and canoes available for hire.

Special Attractions/Events

Bristow is home to the fabulous Nissan Pavilion, a multi-million dollar concert and event venue located close to I-66. With giant video screens, state-of-the-art sound system, and a range of innovative seating options including a spacious lawn, this venue is the place to go to see the top entertainers and acts in the country. A few minutes’ drive up I-66 is another extraordinary entertainment venue. Located within America's National Park for the Performing Arts, Wolf Trap includes the magical Filene Center, an outdoor venue featuring over 90 world-class performances of every genre annually as well as a variety of education programs, artist master classes, special events, and a yearly community Sing-A-Long for families and friends. As well as an internationally acclaimed opera, Wolf Trap is also home to The Barn, a 382-seat venue for intimate performances by stars of genres ranging from jazz, bluegrass, and chamber music to folk, comedy, cabaret, and country.

East of Bristow, bordered by the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is an ecological treasure where natural habitats and wildlife that are rare or nearly extinct elsewhere in Northern Virginia thrive. Once the home of Indians, who were followed by colonial farmers, the tidal shorelines, marshes, meadows, and woods now hold 650 plant species, 218 bird species, 55 butterfly species and vigorous populations of small mammals. Visitors can enjoy wonderful walks and lookouts and watch ospreys, bald eagles and a host of other interesting wildlife in beautiful surroundings.

Historic Buildings and Places

The Bristow and Manassas areas have deep historical connections with the Civil War. The two huge battles of Manassas in 1861 and 1862 resulted in thousands of casualties as the two sides fought bitter battles for the control of the strategic rail junction linking Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. with the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond.

The fine Federal-style house, built in 1837, at the Ben Lomond Historic Site was used as a hospital for soldiers from both sides, and its walls still bear the signatures of Union soldiers. Also at this site is the Old Rose Garden, at 5200 square feet the largest public rose garden in the US. Inspired by a French garden it contains over 160 separate cultivars & 200 individual rose shrubs. Not far from the Manassas Museum, the Mayfield Civil War Fort is the last remaining Confederate earth-work in the City of Manassas. Other historic buildings in the area are the Manassas Railroad Depot, which now serves as the Historic Manassas visitor center and also contains the James and Marian Pain Railroad Heritage Gallery, and the Brentville county courthouse, which was built in 1822 and now sits in an 18-acre Historical Recreation Area.

More recent military history is commemorated in the Freedom Museum at Manassas, which displays artifacts and memorabilia of U.S. military involvement in 20th century wars and conflicts, and the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum at Quantico where the dramatic history of the U.S. Marine Corps air-ground team from 1900 through the Korean War is chronicled.

Request my Free Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket, Virginia area. Don't move here without it! Remember: I'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and I will send it right out... It's my job to know EVERYTHING about Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket! Ask me any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and I promise to get back to you quickly...

About You