Spotting Lexington Park on a map, it is hard to miss the Patuxent River Naval Air Station next door. In 1943, eminent domain transformed a collecton of local tobacco farms and fishing communities into a major military base that today employs 25,000 people, accounts for most of the economy in St. Mary’s County, and supplies billions of dollars to the Maryland economy. The name “Lexington Park” comes from the USS Lexington aircraft carrier lost during World War II. “Buyers are attracted to Lexington Park for its proximity to the navy base,” says Jimmy Hayden with Re/Max Realty Group. Hayden has lived in the area his whole life, serves as the chairman of St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce, and has been a local Realtor since 2007. “Most businesses, government entities and developments are around the base, which affects almost everything.” With highly-rated schools, a wide range of homes, several shopping and recreation areas, and more on the way, Lexington Park is also a community that promises quality suburban living.
Check out some of the Navy’s most famous aircraft up close at the Pax River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park.
Lexington Manor Park Arts Park is a primer green space in Lexington Park that holds many festivals throughout the year.
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Mix of single-family homes and townhouses
The median home price in Lexington Park is $355,000, over 30% lower than the national median. The community is relatively new compared to other parts of Maryland; single-family homes closest to Three Notch Road, which separates the town from the naval air station, were built in the late 1940s through the 1970s. Most are three- and four-bedroom colonial-, ranch- and split-foyer styles, sometimes with carports or attached garages. Two- and three-bedroom townhouses built later in the ’70s through the ’10s occupy developments on either side of Great Mills Road, which runs perpendicular to Three Notch.
Between the military base and the Chesapeake Bay, the Southgate neighborhood has a similar mix of housing options, except homes here tend to be newer, typically dating from the ’80s up, and include colonial-styles, ramblers, and townhouses with bay views and one-car garages. Neighborhoods south of the base that follow Willows Road are the newest, largest and highest priced. Most are four- and five-bedroom colonial-styles built in the 2000s; some are more recently constructed. “It’s still a sellers' market in Lexington Park,” Hayden says. “Inventory remains low, which has prompted new building and drives up prices.”
Neighborhoods of townhomes are popping up in Lexington Park to fill the demand of the growing population.
Newer single family homes in Lexington Park offer families more space than before.
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Exceptional public schools and colleges serving Lexington Park
St. Mary’s County Public Schools receives an overall A-minus from Niche, and the district enrolls over 17,000 students. Four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school serve Lexington Park. Children can also enroll at the K-8 Chesapeake Charter School, which scores an A-minus. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University both have campuses near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. St. Mary’s College of Maryland, one of only two public honors colleges in the U.S, is 7 miles south of town. The Leonardtown Campus of the College of Southern Maryland, a community college, is 13 miles east.
St. Marys College of Maryland in Saint Marys City, is ranked number 5 in the best public liberal arts college in the nation.
Become a hornet by attending Great Mills High School in Great Mills Md.
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STS buses and other resources for Lexington Park residents
The St. Mary’s Transit System (STS) buses run along Three Notch Road and Great Mills Road, and connect passengers to neighboring areas, including California, Leonardtown and Calvert County. While Route 235 is a frequently traveled road for local shopping and the Pax River Naval Air Station, Routes 4 and 5 connect drivers to Washington, D.C., 70 miles north, and localities across the Patuxent River, such as Johnstown and White Sands. The St. Mary’s County Regional Airport is in California, 7 miles north. The nearest hospital is MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, 13 miles west.
St. Marys Regional Airport has a 4,150ft runway in Wildewood Md.
Travel from Leonardtown or Lexington Park to anywhere in the county from the STS bus system.
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Parks for sports lovers and community events
A handful of green spaces fill the town center, like John G. Lancaster Park. Named after a Black elected official and advocate for quality education and civic engagement, Lancaster features a newly-built accessible playground with a music station, baseball and multi-sport fields, basketball courts, and a dog park. Lexington Arts Park next door was designed as an escape from city life, a place to recharge, stroll among its walking paths or sit on its artful benches painted by local artists. The Lexington Manor Passive Park is nearby, too. It features public art and pavilions for the town’s Cherry Blossom Festival in March, a family-friendly event called “Community, Culture and Cuisine” in June, and Pride SoMD events, which celebrate South Maryland’s LGBTQIA-plus community, in October. The park also features a community garden where residents can learn about horticulture and enjoy social events like recipe swaps.
Other local parks include Jarboesville Park, the name of which harkens back to the town’s original name before it was annexed by eminent domain to build the naval air station. The park features a baseball diamond, basketball court, tennis courts and a multi-function field. Nicolet Park several blocks north has a spray ground for children and adults to cool off during the summer months and a skatepark for boarders. Chancellor’s Run Regional Park is just outside town and offers more sports fields and courts.
Let those doggies play at the Lexington Manor Passive Park in Lexington Park.
The paved trails of the Lexington Manor Passive Park are a favorite place in Lexington Park to take a walk.
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Three Notch Road eateries, shopping and attractions
The main shopping corridor in Lexington Park runs along Three Notch Road from Gate 1 to Gate 2 of the naval air station. Along this stretch, diners will find the Pax River Alehouse, a casual bar and grill with huge burgers and 30-plus beers on tap. Next door, Saturday’s Choice Seafood is open Thursday through Saturday. Operating out of a trailer, this food-truck-esque business sells pans of steamed crab and shrimp fresh off the boat served with potatoes and corn. The AMC Lexington Park 6 cinemas are nearby off FDR Boulevard, and for live performances, the Newtowne Players stage plays for children and adults at the Three Notch Theatre off South Coral Drive.
The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum is at the northeast corner of Lexington Park on Three Notch. The museum’s Test and Evaluation Hall features multiple aircraft and other military hardware.Weapons fans can see cruise missiles and torpedoes on display, and visitors can get hands-on with the museum’s aircraft simulation technology. Big-box stores and chain restaurants are 5 miles north on Three Notch in California, which has a Walmart, a Target and a Lowe’s.
Target is right next door in California Md. for everything on your shopping list.
Pax River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park preserves the history and heritage of the Patuxent River Naval Air Base.
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Lexington Park crime and climate numbers
According to the Maryland State Police Uniform Crime Reporting Program, property and violent crimes in St. Mary’s County have decreased by 47% over the past five years of reporting, with a 20% uptick during the final year. FBI crime data confirm these numbers.
Lexington Park is classified as a humid subtropical zone. Residents can expect long, hot and humid summers with highs in the mid-80s. Winters are often short and mild, with lows in the mid-20s.
FDR Boulevard and Pax River Village
The 3.7-mile FDR Boulevard Project, to be completed in 2025, will provide an alternative route for local traffic traveling along the congested Route 235/Three Notch Road. The new two-lane road will run parallel to Three Notch from Route 4 in California to Pegg Road near Gate 1 of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The project includes traffic calming devices, including a raised median, narrower lanes and roundabouts. A pedestrian walkway, bike lanes and decorative lighting are intended to create a more attractive corridor for travelers.
In June 2024, a developer broke ground on the new Pax River Village near Gate 2 of the naval air station. The 25-acre shopping center, formerly Millison Plaza, will feature an Aldi, a military-themed Starbucks and other retailers. Not far away, a new Royal Farms convenience store is also being built which will include eight fuel pumps and a car wash.
The newly constructed FDR Blvd. in California makes traveling by bike much safer.
Built as an alternate to Three Notch Rd. FDR Blvd. has bike lanes and wide sidewalks for getting around.
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