Stafford County-Exurb or Suburb? (Richmond, Alexandria: subdivisions, live, richest)

[Hudlander]

Having recently explored pretty much all of Stafford County, it was a little different than I thought.
I thought it was basically NOVA, all suburban, but it's a bit less black and white.

IMO, Stafford is like this:
-Most of the LAND (acreage wise) is rural
-But most of Parcels/lots are suburban subdivisions and most of the residents are NOVA/DC commuters
-Moreover, Stafford traditionally was cut off from NOVA due to the PWC forest and QMB, which is a big barrier and break in the development from DC/Alexandria to Dumfries.
-I get the feeling 50+ years ago, before widespread long distance committing and the DC area grew in jobs, Stafford and greater Fredericksburg was basically independent of NOVA, a small, independent micropolitan rural area in between Richmond and DC which now has basically become a bedroom predominant community of DC commuters but not really NOVA and not really full suburban like PW or further south, Henrico.

Accurate?

[jmking]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

Having recently explored pretty much all of Stafford County, it was a little different than I thought.
I thought it was basically NOVA, all suburban, but it's a bit less black and white.

IMO, Stafford is like this:
-Most of the LAND (acreage wise) is rural
-But most of Parcels/lots are suburban subdivisions and most of the residents are NOVA/DC commuters
-Moreover, Stafford traditionally was cut off from NOVA due to the PWC forest and QMB, which is a big barrier and break in the development from DC/Alexandria to Dumfries.
-I get the feeling 50+ years ago, before widespread long distance committing and the DC area grew in jobs, Stafford and greater Fredericksburg was basically independent of NOVA, a small, independent micropolitan rural area in between Richmond and DC which now has basically become a bedroom predominant community of DC commuters but not really NOVA and not really full suburban like PW or further south, Henrico.

Accurate?

Yes. Even less than 50 years ago. I would go as far as 20 years ago.

[the resident09]

Suburb:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburb

Exurb:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exurb

The exurban definition is from 2006, but has Stafford and Spotsylvania listed as exurban, and excludes PW County.

I'd say in 2020, Stafford is growing suburbia, in an exurban location of Washington/NOVA.

[Bigfoot424]

Back when I started working for PWC in 79 we were not part of NOVA. Stafford was the absolute hicks and several deputies from Stafford I became friends with confirmed this every time we spoke. But slowly it became more and more like NOVA. PWC eventually became officially part of NOVA and Stafford seemed to explode even more. There are areas still country like out there but it is disappearing. I think the day Stafford officially switches from a Sheriff's Office to a Police Department it will officially mean they are no longer in the country. I would think at some point they will switch to a PD like PW did in 1970.

[Hudlander]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Back when I started working for PWC in 79 we were not part of NOVA. Stafford was the absolute hicks and several deputies from Stafford I became friends with confirmed this every time we spoke. But slowly it became more and more like NOVA. PWC eventually became officially part of NOVA and Stafford seemed to explode even more. There are areas still country like out there but it is disappearing. I think the day Stafford officially switches from a Sheriff's Office to a Police Department it will officially mean they are no longer in the country. I would think at some point they will switch to a PD like PW did in 1970.

Doubt it, if Loudoun hasn't why would anybody else?

Meh I just Stafford as a true exurb.
Development is not contagious with NOVA.
Historically it was the backwoods, and the backwoods of Freddy which was a small micro ind of DC.
Most people in Stafford commute to NOVA, but most of the land in Stafford is rural.

[Ffxdata]

Definitely an exurb.

[NOVA_guy]

Exurb. When I lived there, the people were very nice but I can see why some people say it's not really NoVa. Very country and it's just a different feel from the counties to the North of it.

[Hal Roach]

Exurb, if not just sheer boondocks. I knew some Pentagon commuters, who used to get up at 0330, to catch a vanpool, but hey, they had two whole acres (and a double wide). Was once the go to place for used autoparts, if they couldn't be found in Lorton. If you worked at Quantico, it would make sense.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

Stafford and greater Fredericksburg was basically independent of NOVA, a small, independent micropolitan rural area

Fredericksburg was founded in 1728; Alexandria in 1749; Washington in 1790. So yes, Fredericksburg has long operated independently of the cities to its north.

[nva06]

Stafford County is a suburb. It definitely is part of Northern Virginia and it’s affluence bubble considering Stafford County is one of seven counties in America where black households make more than white households and one of the richest counties in America. It so much more diverse than it was 10 years ago and I’m glad it is. All the rednecks are leaving or backing to a corner of the County. It’s filled with cookie cutter developments and are still being built. It’s turning blue like Northern Virginia because it voted for Kaine and the democratic nominee for Congress in 2018 lost by only 2 points. More than 50 percent of the people who live there work in D.C. So while it still has a lot of growing to do it already is very developed and suburban.