Ellis Properties at Samson Properties | Written by Caitlin Ellis
Living in Villages of Piedmont: A Local Agent's Guide to Haymarket's Preserve Community
Villages of Piedmont is a 2006-built community in Haymarket, Virginia, just across Route 55 from the historic downtown, wrapped by the 380-acre Leopold's Preserve. It has two sections, Villages of Piedmont 1 and 2, sharing two pools, tennis courts, dog parks, and more than 10 miles of trails. Townhomes run from the mid $600s and single-family homes from $950,000, with a $149 monthly HOA. It is not gated and has no golf course.
Why trust my read on Villages of Piedmont?
I am the top-selling agent in Villages of Piedmont, and it is not close. Over the last ten years I have handled 25 listings for $16.288 million and 7 buyers for $4.661 million, 32 sides in total. The next agent has 11 sides and $6.3 million.
I also lived it. We bought a new Stanley Martin home in Villages of Piedmont 2 in November 2015, one of the first families in that section, and stayed four years. We watched most of the community get built, and we are still friends with people on those streets.
What is it really like living in Villages of Piedmont?
It is a traditional planned community that happens to back a 380-acre nature preserve. The houses are conventional Northern Virginia suburban homes, well kept and uniform in the way you would expect. The preserve is what makes it different from every other neighborhood like it.
Villages of Piedmont, or VOP as people here shorten it, sits just on the other side of the train tracks and Route 55 from downtown historic Haymarket. It is one of the closest communities to the historic district, less than a mile from the entrance to the start of town, though not quite walkable. The newer shopping center off Route 55 with the Walmart and Home Depot is right there.
Market Ridge Drive is the spine. You come in through Villages of Piedmont 2, and Villages of Piedmont 1 is toward the back. You cannot tell where one ends and the other begins. Most of the homes look alike. Market Ridge starts with single-family homes, the townhomes sit through the middle on both sides and are split between the two sections, and the back of the neighborhood is all Villages of Piedmont 1 single-family.
It is not gated and there is no golf course. Access to Route 15 and I-66 is excellent, with Route 29 as a bonus option at rush hour.
Leopold's Preserve
About 70% of the land originally purchased to develop this community, roughly 380 acres, was placed into a conservation trust. It is managed by the nonprofit White House Farm Foundation and it is the reason the neighborhood feels the way it does.
There are more than 10 miles of trails, and they are the best part of living here. They loop through the community streets and out into the preserve itself, and much of it is set up as a nature walk with interpretive stands explaining the wetlands, ponds, meadows, grasslands, historic areas, and the wildlife you will see. Good for hiking, good for mountain biking.
The trails are foot traffic only, so no e-bikes, ATVs, or other vehicles. Fishing, hunting, camping, and fires are all prohibited in the preserve, though there are catch-and-release ponds within the community.
What only a Villages of Piedmont local knows
Backing the preserve is the whole game. The lots that back to preserve land hold value best, because nobody will ever be behind you. Plenty of homes here back to another house, close enough that you are essentially sharing a backyard, fence or no fence. When a home sits longer than it should, that is usually why.
Where to look first. In Villages of Piedmont 1, Noyes Avenue, Macklin Street, and Green Bay Street for single-family, and the south side of Pitner for townhomes. In Villages of Piedmont 2, Leopold's Trail, which is the very first street as you pull in, plus the handful of homes at the end of Muir Drive where it backs the conservancy. For townhomes, the west side of Pinchot Lane and the north side of Darling Place.
Anything backing Route 15 is a better lot than it sounds. The tree coverage is dense enough that you never see the road.
The train is not the problem people expect. The tracks run along Route 15 and toward the back of the neighborhood, and yes, you hear it during the day. It is closer to nostalgic than disruptive. It does not shake the house and it will not wake you up. In ten years it has never cost a seller on the north side of the neighborhood a buyer. Route 55 generates almost no noise at all, and I can say that from living in a house that backed to it.
Ask a resident, not a website. The community Facebook group is private, so a buyer cannot browse it. An agent who works this neighborhood can usually get you a straight answer from people who actually live on the street you are considering.
The two sections of Villages of Piedmont
Both sections share every amenity and pay the same dues. The practical differences are age, size, and price.
Villages of Piedmont 1
The original section, developed starting in 2006. You may see it listed as South Market in older MLS records or in the builder's early marketing, but nobody calls it that now. M/I Homes built both the single-family homes and the townhomes here.
The M/I floor plans lean traditional. There are open areas, but you will more often find a defined living room, dining room, and office rather than one continuous space. One thing M/I did well: most of their homes offered a lanai option that could be screened in, which is excellent on a lot that backs the preserve.
Best for: buyers who want a traditional layout, and the best value per square foot in the community. Tradeoff: older homes, now approaching 20 years, so condition varies more than in section 2.
Villages of Piedmont 2
Construction began in 2015, starting with the single-family homes toward the front. Stanley Martin built all the single-family homes here. Winchester Homes and Richmond American built the townhomes.
Most Stanley Martin homes run four to five bedrooms across three levels, between 3,500 and 5,000 square feet, and they do not differ dramatically from each other. The exception is the Kearney, a four-level model with a fourth-floor loft that can be built out to six bedrooms and over 6,600 square feet.
The section 2 townhomes are larger and newer, with a more open floor plan than section 1.
Best for: buyers who want newer construction and more open layouts. Tradeoff: you pay for it. Section 2 homes carry higher prices on both sides of the market.
Who is Villages of Piedmont right for?
The townhomes bring in a lot of first-time buyers. The single-family homes are a mix of first-time buyers, depending on price point, and move-up buyers coming out of a townhome or a smaller home nearby.
Many buyers come from Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria looking for more space at a better price with less traffic. A lot of households work in government or for government contractors, and there are plenty of remote workers who want the space and the easy highway access. With the I-66 express lanes now running from Gainesville to inside the Beltway, going into the city a couple of days a week is realistic.
One honest note on moving up here. You can make one move inside this neighborhood, from a townhome to a single-family home, and that move is a real step up. But the single-family homes are largely equivalent to each other, so there is not a second move to make. If you want to buy a townhome and eventually land in an estate home without ever leaving, Piedmont down the road is structured for that and this community is not.
Who is Villages of Piedmont not right for?
Buyers who want a gate. Villages of Piedmont is not gated. Some buyers read that as a negative. Plenty of others do not care at all, and it is part of why the dues here are lower.
Buyers who want a golf community. There is no course here. Piedmont and Dominion Valley are both minutes away and built around one.
Buyers who want brand new. Section 2 homes are around ten years old now and section 1 homes are approaching twenty.
Daily DC commuters who will not pay tolls. Express lane tolls can reach $30 to $45 one way at peak. Without them, plan on 45 minutes to an hour depending on when you leave.
What does it cost to buy in Villages of Piedmont right now?
Townhomes run from about $615,000 to $750,000, depending on the lot, which section, when it was built, and what has been updated since.
Single-family homes run from about $950,000 into the $1.3 to $1.4 million range. Section 2 homes often fetch more because they are larger and newer.
The HOA is $149 a month. That covers common area maintenance, management, both pools, reserves, road maintenance, snow removal, and trash, plus access to every amenity: the clubhouses, basketball and tennis courts, jogging and walking paths, the preserve, the picnic area, the dog park, and both outdoor pools. It is lower than Piedmont or Dominion Valley, which is part of the appeal.
On speed. Over the last 90 days, homes here have averaged close to 30 days on market. That is not this neighborhood losing appeal. It is the Northern Virginia market slowing this fall, which I wrote about in the September market update. The longer view is the better measure of demand: over the last five years, the average agent sold a Villages of Piedmont home in 11.1 days. My listings averaged 4.3 days, and the longest sat 9 days.
Turnover is picking up, which makes sense. The families who built here in 2015 and 2016 are hitting the point where most American homeowners move.
This section reflects the market as of September 2026 and should be refreshed quarterly.
What are the schools and commute like in Villages of Piedmont?
Schools. Every home in Villages of Piedmont, both sections, is zoned to Haymarket Elementary, Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School, and Battlefield High School. No split. Worth knowing if you are also touring Piedmont, because that community feeds Mountain View Elementary and Bull Run Middle instead, though both end up at Battlefield. Confirm the assignment for any specific address with Prince William County Public Schools before you write an offer.
For younger children there are two well-regarded private options nearby, St. Michael's and Primrose School of Haymarket, both popular for pre-K and kindergarten.
Commute. Very close to Piedmont, and a few minutes nearer to I-66. You also get better access to Route 29 if you want another option at rush hour.
The I-66 express lanes run from Gainesville to inside the Beltway. Tolls are dynamic and rise with traffic, and a full peak run can reach $30 to $45 one way. Carpool with two others and you can use them free with an E-ZPass Flex in HOV mode. Reston Town Center is about 45 minutes at rush hour. Dulles is 25 to 30 minutes.
Life in Villages of Piedmont: where people actually go
Being a half mile from historic Haymarket is the daily advantage of this neighborhood.
Zandra's Taqueria for a night out, with dessert across the street at Cookies and Cream, which makes homemade ice cream sandwiches. For a nicer sit-down, Red House Tavern, and take a seat outside along Route 55 to watch historic Haymarket go by.
1971 downtown is our favorite true coffee shop. If you want food with your coffee, Hidden Julles Cafe has a great breakfast and serves lunch and dinner too.
Groceries are easy: Walmart and Harris Teeter close by, plus an Aldi and a Sprouts that have opened more recently.
Inside the community, there are two pools, each with its own community center. The pool closer to Villages of Piedmont 2 has a walk-in entry that is ideal for toddlers. The other caters more to adults and older kids. Tennis courts sit next to both pools, along with dog parks, and there are multiple playgrounds and tot lots plus basketball and volleyball courts throughout.
The community centers can be reserved for private events and they anchor the neighborhood calendar: the annual yard sale, the New Year's Eve party, Halloween.
What is changing around Villages of Piedmont?
Not much inside the community, which for a fully built-out neighborhood is a good thing. The change is along Route 55, where restaurants and shopping keep filling in.
On data centers, the concern across Prince William County right now: Villages of Piedmont has no exposure. Leopold's Preserve wraps most of the community, and that land sits in a conservation trust. It is not going to be sold to a data center.
On prices, I do not have a crystal ball. Villages of Piedmont has been trending up along with the rest of Haymarket and Gainesville, and it remains a place buyers are actively looking.
What do people wish they knew before moving to Villages of Piedmont?
How friendly it is. That sounds like something any agent would say, so here is what I actually mean: when we lived there, the neighbors caught us off guard. People who had just moved onto the street would offer to help with something the same way people we had known for years would.
The events are a real part of it. Our favorite was the summer cornhole tournament. Once a week we picked a different street and played, all summer long, running a bracket. Adults had a drink and met neighbors while the kids played outside. That is the kind of thing that does not show up on any listing.
The other one is the train. Buyers worry about it before they move in and stop thinking about it after.
Common questions about Villages of Piedmont
No. They are two separate Haymarket communities with similar names, which causes constant confusion. Piedmont is a gated golf community on the other side of Route 55, built around a Tom Fazio course, with a $199 monthly HOA. Villages of Piedmont is not gated, has no golf course, backs Leopold's Preserve, and has a $149 monthly HOA. Its homes are also newer, roughly half the age of Piedmont's in section 2.
No. There is no gate and no guard booth. Some buyers see that as a drawback and others do not mind at all, and it is one reason the dues are lower than at the gated communities nearby.
Yes, during the day, and it is much less of an issue than buyers expect. The tracks run along Route 15 and toward the back of the neighborhood. It does not shake the house and it will not wake you up. In ten years of selling here it has never cost a seller a buyer. The best way to judge for yourself is to talk to someone who lives on the street you are considering.
$149 a month. It covers common area maintenance, management, both pools, reserve funding, road maintenance, snow removal, and trash, plus access to the clubhouses, tennis and basketball courts, walking and jogging paths, the preserve, the picnic area, the dog park, and both outdoor pools.
Leopold's Preserve is roughly 380 acres, about 70% of the land originally purchased to develop this community, placed into a conservation trust and managed by the nonprofit White House Farm Foundation. It has more than 10 miles of trails with interpretive nature signage. It is technically open to the public, but there are no parking lots and no sidewalks connecting it to neighboring communities, so in practice it is used almost entirely by residents. Foot traffic only. No fishing, hunting, camping, or fires.
Haymarket Elementary, Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School, and Battlefield High School, for both sections with no split. Confirm the assignment for a specific address with Prince William County Public Schools.
Section 1 was developed starting in 2006 and built by M/I Homes, with more traditional floor plans and better value per square foot. Section 2 began in 2015, with single-family homes by Stanley Martin and townhomes by Winchester Homes and Richmond American, and offers newer, larger, more open homes at higher prices. Both share all amenities and pay the same dues, and driving through, you cannot tell where one ends and the other starts.
Anything backing Leopold's Preserve, because no one will ever build behind you. In section 1, look at Noyes Avenue, Macklin Street, and Green Bay Street for single-family and the south side of Pitner for townhomes. In section 2, Leopold's Trail and the end of Muir Drive, plus the west side of Pinchot Lane and the north side of Darling Place for townhomes. Lots backing Route 15 are better than they sound, because the tree coverage means you never see the road.
Yes. There are no leasing restrictions, and there are a fair number of rentals in the community, particularly among the townhomes. Tenants and owners still have to follow all HOA guidelines.
Not really. There are two pools serving the community, and the neighborhood is fully built out, so demand is steady and predictable rather than growing.
M/I Homes built the single-family homes and townhomes in section 1. In section 2, Stanley Martin built the single-family homes and Winchester Homes and Richmond American built the townhomes.
A real story from Villages of Piedmont
One of my favorite deals here was really two deals, and it happened entirely inside the neighborhood.
A family on Leopold's Trail was moving to Catharpin. They had four kids at home and no interest in getting a house fully market-ready and then living through showings with that many people under one roof. So we sold it off-market.
The buyers came from inside Villages of Piedmont. They owned a townhome at 682 William White Way and were ready to move up to a single-family home. Rather than a standard open house, we brought in the Vienna Inn food truck and served chili dogs, and we marketed it to the neighbors. We would rather create an experience than run a boring open house. The townhome went under contract in 4 days at $26,000 over asking, a neighborhood record at the time.
This was a disclosed dual representation transaction with both parties consenting in writing, and both sides got exactly what they wanted. The Leopold's Trail family never had to prep or list their home. The townhome buyers moved up to a single-family house in the neighborhood they already loved without competing against anyone for it.
It is also the clearest example I have of what we do most: helping people sell one home and buy another at the same time.
Read more: Buying and Selling at the Same Time
Who wrote this Villages of Piedmont guide?
Caitlin Ellis is a licensed REALTOR® and co-owner of Ellis Properties at Samson Properties. She lived in Villages of Piedmont 2 for four years and is the top-selling agent in the community, with 32 sides over the last ten years, nearly three times the next agent.
Related pages: Living in Piedmont · Living in Willowsford · Buying and Selling at the Same Time · First-Time Buyers · Relocation · About Ellis Properties · Contact