Woodbridge, Virginia

Woodbridge takes its name from a wooden toll bridge built in the 18th century to span the Occoquan River. The bridge was constructed by Thomas Mason, son of Founding Father George Mason, as part of the King's Highway, a colonial route that connected northern and southern settlements. The structure itself was built along the Occoquan connecting present day Woodbridge to Fairfax County, it became a recognizable landmark and eventually lent its name to the surrounding communities. Though the term "Woodbridge" does not appear frequently in early records, early 19th-century maps and land documents identify the bridge and nearby ferry sites as key transportation points in Prince William County. The area around the bridge gradually developed into a modest river town-like community, with its growth later influenced by river trade and the expansion of railroad lines later into the 19th century. ==History==

Early era Woodbridge was initially a village composed largely of plantations and later farms and industrial complexes. It dates to at least 1731, when Prince William County was formed out of the Stafford County, Virginia. The first Prince William County Courthouse was erected in Woodbridge, owing to its location halfway between Dumfries and Alexandria, the two largest cities then in Prince William County. Most of the Grayson farm was redeveloped as various subdivisions named after Marumsco Creek. Later, the Woodbridge postal delivery area became the hub that included Dale City and Lake Ridge, which had previously been forged as a planned community in the 1960s and 1970s. The Freestone Point Confederate Battery and Rippon Lodge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ;Tent city Since , numerous people have been trespassing in a tent city adjacent to the Potomac Mills mall. It is tolerated by the private landlord. In 2018, part of the residents were directed to leave. ==Geography==

Woodbridge is at (38.643517, −77.260843). It is located on the peninsula of Linton Neck. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.87%, is water. Woodbridge is about from Washington, D.C. The 2010 census reconfigured Woodbridge so that the majority of its land area was redesignated Marumsco and Neabsco, Virginia. The southern border of Woodbridge was now Occoquan Road, with the area between Occoquan Road and Opitz Boulevard–Rippon Boulevard being part of Marumsco. All of the former Woodbridge CDP south of Marumsco was designated as Neabsco. However, the areas continued to be addressed Woodbridge. At the 2020 census, the Marumsco CDP was reincorporated into the Woodbridge CDP, and Neabsco was renamed Leesylvania. Climate Woodbridge has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated as Cfa on climate maps. Nearby towns and communities • Dale City • Dumfries • Lake Ridge • Lorton • Montclair • Occoquan ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Woodbridge had a population of 44,668. The median age was 32.7 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.7 males age 18 and over. There were 14,404 households in Woodbridge, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.3% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. As of 2013, the average home sale price was $222,940. ==Education==

Public schools Woodbridge is in the Prince William County Public Schools school division. Nearby public high schools include: • Forest Park Senior High School • Freedom High School • Gar-Field Senior High School • C.D. Hylton Senior High School • Potomac Senior High School • Woodbridge Senior High School Middle schools include: • Fred Lynn Middle School • Lake Ridge Middle School • Rippon Middle School • Woodbridge Middle School Elementary schools include: • Antietam Elementary School • Belmont Elementary School • Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School • Featherstone Elementary School • Lake Ridge Elementary School • Marumsco Hills Elementary School • Neabsco Elementary School • Occoquan Elementary School • Potomac View Elementary School • R. Dean Kilby Elementary School • River Oaks Elementary School • Springwoods Elementary School • West Ridge Elementary School Private education Private high schools: (Pre–12) • Heritage Christian School (K–12) • Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School Private middle schools, elementary schools, and preschools: (Pre-8) • Young World Development Center (Pre-4) Colleges and universities • Northern Virginia Community College, Woodbridge Campus • Stratford University (permanently closed as of 2022) ==Attractions and culture==

Woodbridge experienced its current development boom in the mid-1980s, after being a municipality composed largely of either farms or industrial complexes, as an annex of sorts of Dale City, which had been forged as a planned community in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodbridge is home to Potomac Mills Mall (managed by Simon Property Group), one of the largest shopping centers in northern Virginia. Woodbridge is a suburban city because many of its residents are employed in nearby Washington, D.C. Due in part to the I-95 and I-66 HOV waiver given to hybrid vehicles, many D.C. government workers have relocated to the area to take advantage of the lower-priced housing. However, in July 2006, the hybrid/HOV privilege was revoked. Vehicles registered prior to July 2006 were exempted from occupancy requirements in all (HOV) facilities in Virginia until July 1, 2009. Other cultural resources include Rippon Lodge, one of the oldest houses in Prince William County, which was opened as a park and museum in October 2007. Sports Woodbridge was the former home of the Potomac Nationals minor league baseball club, before their relocation to Fredericksburg. Their former stadium, the Pfitzner Stadium, is located in Woodbridge. The stadium is now the source of many community events. On May 24, 2022, the Washington Commanders announced potential plans for a new stadium complex in Woodbridge, to include a stadium, amphitheater, retail hub, and office space. ==Transportation==

Highways Passing north—south through Woodbridge is U.S. Route 1, with Interstate 95, which forms the western boundary of the CDP, running parallel to it further west. Three other major routes, all of which have interchanges with I-95 and terminate at U.S. 1, are VA 123 (Gordon Boulevard), which runs north to Fairfax and ends in Arlington at the Washington, D.C. border, VA 294 (Prince William Parkway), which runs northeast to and ends in the Manassas area, and SR 784 (Dale Boulevard)—which heads northeast to Dale City and ends west of Hoadly. Other major roads in Woodbridge include SR 639 (Horner Road), SR 906 (Occoquan Road), and SR 2000 (Opitz Boulevard). Public transportation The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), which operates its OmniRide and OmniRide Local bus services throughout Prince William County, is headquartered in Woodbridge. Two routes operate in Woodbridge; the Woodbridge/Lake Ridge (WOODLOC) route—serving the two communities of Woodbridge and Lake Ridge, and the Route 1 (RT1LOC) route, which runs from the Woodbridge train station down to Quantico. Woodbridge station, at 1040 Express Way, is owned by Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and serves Amtrak's Northeast Regional line and VRE's Fredericksburg Line. The train station receives bus service from the OmniRide Woodbridge/Lake Ridge and Route 1 routes. ==Notable people==

• Jeff Baker, professional baseball player • Brian Bates, soccer player • Brandon Brown, professional stock car racing driver • Russell Davis, professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers • Michael Edwards, soccer player • James Eike, birdwatcher and former president of the Virginia Society of Ornithology • Benita Fitzgerald-Brown, 100 metres hurdles gold medal winner, 1984 Summer Olympics • Christine Fox, acting U.S. Secretary of Defense • William Grayson, Revolutionary-era Lawyer and military leader • Da'Shawn Hand, professional football player, Miami Dolphins • Emmylou Harris, singer, songwriter, musician, and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee • Meyers Leonard, professional basketball player, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Portland Trail Blazers • Tony Lilly, professional football player, Denver Broncos • Nelson Martinez, professional soccer player, Loudoun United • David Robinson, professional basketball player, San Antonio Spurs • Zuill Bailey, three-time Grammy Award winning cellist • Shaboozey, musician, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and record producer • Tommy Richman, singer and songwriter • Alex Taylor, distance runner ==References==