Growing convenient suburb 10 minutes from Richmond
Glen Allen is a sprawling area of western Henrico County with access to baseball, botanical gardens and national retailers. Beginning at the gates of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, which is just 3.5 miles, or 10 minutes, from the home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team in Richmond, it then stretches west toward the retail-rich neighborhood of Short Pump. Commercial corridors like Brook Road ensure that getting to-and-fro is easy. “Glen Allen has that convenience factor, anything you need from sushi to soccer balls, you can get to it in less than five minutes,” says Max Williams, a Realtor with United Real Estate Richmond.
But movement isn’t all that’s on the checklist of those moving to Glen Allen, Realtors say. The city’s diverse homes and highly rated schools are also big factors. One of the biggest employers is Markel, an insurance company located in the Innsbrook office park. The median age is 40, in line with other nearby suburban areas like Mechanicsville. With this new growth comes a call from those who wish to preserve the area’s existing character. The 2026 Comprehensive Plan, informed by discussions with residents, calls for establishing a network of sidewalks and pedestrian paths on the Brook Road Corridor, while emphasizing the need to preserve historic properties.
An aerial view of Glen Allen shows both greenery and major highways.
Glen Allen residents can take a quick trip to watch The Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Short Pump Town Center is a Glen Allen favorite to find anything they could need.
Markel is one of the largest employment sources found in Glen Allen.
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Single-level living is a huge draw to the area
Realtors say that midcentury homes, like brick ranch-styles with three beds and two baths, represent the starter homes here. Newer homes being built tend to be large modern traditional styles, ranging from $600,000 to $800,000 and typically on a quarter acre lot. It’s this mix that keeps Glen Allen interesting. “You’ll see townhouses in one portion, then go a few blocks and be in a $1 million-dollar home subdivision, which is a big difference in a half square-mile radius,” Williams says. Condo and townhouse prices range from $360,000 to $570,000.
John Daylor, a Realtor with Joyner Fine Properties who’s sold more than 100 homes here, says Wyndham and Twin Hickory are generally considered Glen Allen’s flagship communities. Wyndham is a master-planned community with a private country club and athletic facilities, while Twin Hickory features several community pools. The Burroughs at Chickahominy Falls and The Villas of Virginia Center are also popular for their single-level living. “We are seeing a lot of people moving to the area, like retirees from the north to be closer to their kids, who sell their house and want one level,” Daylor says. “So there has been a lot of new construction focused on the one-level living.” These communities come with perks of their own. “Typically, they’re all-inclusive of exterior care,” says Williams. The median for single-owner homes in Glen Allen is $540,000. According to data from U.S. News & World Report, the national median price for homes is $327,667 while the Virginia median is $340,608.
Brick ranch homes found in Glen Allen are the perfect starter home for growing families.
As Glen Allen grows, families find modern construction homes to be perfect.
Find spacious homes perfect for your growning family in Glen Allen.
Glen Allen has a variety of town homes perfect for new residents coming to the area.
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Advanced courses in teaching and child development at Glen Allen High
“People with school-aged children gravitate out here because of the high-quality schools and strong public library system,” says Williams. “Henrico was one of the first counties in the state and even the region to assign laptops to high schoolers and middle schoolers, about 10 years ago. So when COVID hit, they were already ahead of the curve and transitioned right into web-based learning.”
Henrico County Public Schools receives a B-plus rating overall from Niche, with an A-minus in the college prep category. Glen Allen High strikes a modernist look, having been built in 2010 as a Gold Level LEED Certified building – the only one of its kind in the county. The Center for Education and Human Development prepares students for a career track in teaching and child development.
Glen Allen High supports approximately 2,000 Glen Students.
The Springfield Elementary School is an A rated Glen Allen school according to Niche.
Since its inception, Glen Allen High School has become known for its strong academic programs.
Hungary Creek Middle School has a reputation for providing its students with a high-quality education and preparing them for success in high school an
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Interstate 295 is the community's backbone
Interstate 295, running east-west through Glen Allen, is the community’s transportation backbone. “You can be downtown in the city of Richmond in 20 minutes,” says Daylor. “It’s one hour to get to the mountains, an hour and a half to get to Washington and under two hours to get to the Atlantic Ocean. The interstate systems make it really easy to get around.” Williams mentions that Richmond bus service isn’t yet at a point where it serves the counties, so owning a car is essential. “It’s not very walkable compared to many parts of the area,” he says.
Historic buildings at Crump Park
The biggest green spaces here are on opposite sides, with small recreational parks mixed in between, like the Glen Allen Softball Complex. On the west side is Crump Park and Meadow Farm Museum, which is a living history venue with costumed re-enactors demonstrating the area’s agricultural past. Buildings on site include a tobacco barn and central farmhouse whose Greek Revival stylings date to the 1840s. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden hosts events, too, including its biggest, the GardenFest of Lights. The holiday display includes thousands of lights throughout the gardens, model trains, a fire with hot chocolate and s'mores, a fairy village and a light tunnel. The event, which runs from mid-November to early January, was voted best botanical garden holiday lights display in the United States by USA Today in 2023.
The athletic field of Glen Allen Youth Athletic Association.
Spend time fishing with family and friends at the fishing pond inside Crump Park.
Meadow Farm Museum historic buildings show Glen Allen residents the ways of the past.
Glen Allen residents visit tha Meadow Farm Museum to see the real to life re-enactments.
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Concerts and classes at the Cultural Arts Center
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is focused on the visual and performing arts, offering performances, exhibits and art classes. Music fans will find everything from classical symphonies to country concerts. Every December since 1999, the center has hosted the county’s annual tree lighting ceremony, where a large cedar in front of the center is decked out with festive decorations. “It’s also worth noting that in about 15 to 20 minutes you can get to world-class museums like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond,” says Williams.
The Cultural Arts Center has a beautiful campus which is very inviting to Glen Allen residents.
The Cultural Arts Center is central hub for many activities found in Glen Allen.
Family and friends are playing games together at the Cultural Arts Center.
Residents of Glen Allen can visit the museums in Richmond for a day of beauty and entertainment.
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National retailers and small businesses along Brook Road
One of the prime destinations for errands is on Brook Road, where Virginia Center Marketplace and Creeks Virginia Centre are located next to each other. Big-name stores include Target, Dick’s and Publix supermarket. But locally owned franchises appear here as well, like Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant. Fast food chains like Chick-fil-A are also available. Short Pump is 10 miles west, offering not only a mall with brand names like Apple, but also more grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Popular restaurants include Peter Chang Café, designed by the internationally famous and award-winning chef it’s named after.
Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant is a Glen Allen favorite for authentic and fresh food.
Glen Allen residents visit the west end to visit Apple and many other retail options.
Whole Foods is a Glen Allen favorite to refill the family pantry.
Peter Chang Cafe is a popular lunch destination in Glen Allen.
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More funding delivered to county police
Similar to portions of Hanover County like Mechanicsville, there has been a spike in car break-ins for Henrico. In 2022, auto thefts were up by 20%. That same year, nearly 250 guns were stolen from vehicles. For 2023, Henrico police have reported a 14% increase in aggravated assaults but say that rise is tied to a wider trend of increasing assaults in Virginia since 2017, as tracked by the FBI. Amid a staffing shortage, the department is receiving an additional $7 million in funding for 2024 compared to the previous year.
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