Lorton hasn’t always been the commuter town 20 miles outside Washington, D.C. that it is today. In fact, it was once the site of Lorton Reformatory, a sprawling prison complex that housed prisoners from the early 1900s until its closure in 2001. Since then, Lorton has worked to preserve its past while transforming its prison-industrial landscape into a more residential suburb. Efforts in recent years have included repurposing the old reformatory into apartments and houses, building a new community center and remodeling the library. The town also has several projects in the pipeline, including a park on a former landfill site and an indoor ski center. “Having lived there, it’s a great community with beautiful parks, lots of new shopping and a great location,” says Susan Mertz, Realtor Team Leader at Keller Williams Capital Properties. “It’s a very friendly area.”
Large single-family homes line the streets of Lorton.
An old guard tower from the Lorton Reformatory now serves as a roundabout.
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Newer suburban homes and a converted prison
The median housing price in Lorton is about $695,000, above the national median. Single-family home prices start around $600,000 for cottages built in the 1960s and reach up to $2 million or higher for sprawling contemporary builds. “Most homes in the neighborhood are younger than the surrounding area,” Mertz says. Townhouses can start as low as $250,000 and range up to $850,000, depending on their condition and age.
In 2018, Liberty Crest Apartments opened off Silverbrook Road on the former site of the Lorton Reformatory. The development preserved many of the prison’s original details, including the red brick buildings, signage and a central courtyard. The site also has some newly constructed townhouses and single-family homes.
The Liberty Crest Apartments sit on the former site of the Lorton Reformatory.
Quaint townhouses are popular among residents of Lorton.
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Biking, hiking and golfing in Lorton
Occoquan Regional Park has 350 acres of outdoor space including hiking trails, kayak rentals and an event space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Occoquan River. Laurel Hill Mountain Bike Trails have off-road cycling through rolling hills and forests and along fields of wildflowers. Adjacent to the bike trails, Laurel Hill Golf Club has an 18-hole course on the former site of the D.C. Department of Corrections.
On the town’s western side is the former site of the Lorton Landfill. It closed and was capped in 2021. Since then, Fairfax County has proposed the development of a new public park on the site. As of January 2025, the Overlook Ridge Park project has not yet broken ground, and the proposal is going through the approval process with the Park Authority and county government.
Laurel Hill Golf Club offers a great driving range for both current and aspiring golfers.
Kids in Lorton love to spend their days on the playground at Occoquan Park.
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New cultural centers signal a resurgence for the community
The old workhouse of the Lorton Reformatory, just down the road from the main prison site off Workhouse Road, has been converted into a 55-acre cultural arts center. Today, The Workhouse Art Center has galleries, painting demonstrations, music performances and history events, and there are future plans for a new brewery and café on the site.
Lorton continues to invest in new community spaces. The new Lorton Community Center and remodeled library opened in 2022. The modern facility offers extensive programming including fitness classes, afterschool and summer camp programs, sports leagues, technology education and more. Alpine-X filed a 2018 proposal to build a 450,000-square-foot indoor skiing facility on part of the former landfill site. The project has not yet broken ground as of January 2025, but negotiations are ongoing.
The Lorton Community Center offers fitness classes as well as after school programs for kids.
The Workhouse Art Center in Lorton features artists who practice painting, sculpting, and pottery.
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The largest school system in Virginia serves Lorton
Fairfax County Public Schools has an overall A grade from Niche and is the largest school system in the state. Students living in Lorton may begin their education at Laurel Hill Elementary School, which has an A-minus from Niche, before continuing to A-rated South County Middle School and A-minus-rated South County High School. Some students are zoned for Lorton Station Elementary School for kindergarten through sixth grade and Hayfield Magnet Secondary School for seventh through 12th grade. Hayfield Magnet Secondary School focuses on STEM subjects with a highly regarded robotics team.
South County Middle School faithfully serves the community of Lorton.
Lorton students can attend Laurel Hill Elementary School.
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Major military bases and commuting into D.C.
The Fort Belvoir Army Base, just east of Lorton, and Marine Corps Base Quantico, about 17 miles northeast, are major employers in Fairfax County. The Davidson Army Airfield, part of Fort Belvoir, is just outside Lorton’s town limits. In addition to working at the military bases, Mertz says many residents commute into D.C. “Without traffic, you’re about 20 minutes outside of downtown,” she says. Interstates 95 and 395 take drivers directly into the city, but traffic can be heavy during peak hours. Alternatively, commuters can take the Virginia Railway Express from Lorton Station directly into D.C.’s Union Station. The Fairfax Connector bus service also has stops throughout Lorton and the region. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is in Arlington, about 19 miles northeast.
Lorton’s CAP Index crime score indicates a crime risk slightly below the national average. The Fairfax County Police Department, which serves Lorton, has consistently reported property and violent crime rates below the national average. Larceny, however, is a noticeable exception, with the county reporting increasing rates that surpassed national and state averages in 2023.
Running errands at Lorton’s shopping plazas
Several shopping plazas in Lorton serve residents; Lorton Marketplace has a grocery store, and Lorton Station Town Center has restaurants and doctors’ offices next to the train station. About 8 miles south, Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center and Potomac Mills are malls with hundreds of stores, movie theaters and a bowling alley. Inova Emergency Room provides basic medical care in Lorton, and the Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center 7 miles south is among the larger hospitals in the area.
The Potomac Mills Shopping Center is a one-stop shop for all retail in Cherry Hill.
Lorton Marketplace is home to many great restaurants like Glory Days Grill and Poke Bros.
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Northern Virginia weather
Located in Northern Virginia, Lorton experiences four seasons with hot, muggy summers and moderately cold winters averaging 14 inches of snowfall annually. Hurricanes, heavy rains and tornadoes are among the most common extreme weather events in the region.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
