Congratulations! If you're moving to Prince William County,  you've chosen one of the world's most picturesque places.  Prince William County encompasses 348 square miles and includes the independant cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.  With these cities, the area is 360 square miles.  

Population - Prince William County represents a diverse group, both in terms of age and ethnicity. Population growth has increased by 19% since 2000, making Prince William County the state's second most populous county with a 2005 estimated population of 348,588. 

 Income - Prince William County's location at the center of Northern Virginia provides citizens with ample employment opportunities throughout the region. Awarded a AAA bond rating by Fitch IBCA, Prince William County's economic outlook is thriving thanks to the continued growth of key industries within the county.  As a result, Prince William County has one of the highest median household incomes in the nation, providing a stable and consistent quality of life for its residents.

Gainesville was once a changing point for stagecoach horses on the Fauquier& AlexandriaTurnpike. In 1852, the Manassas Gap Railroad reached the areaand the stop became Gainesville. The town was a shipping point for grain, timberand cattle and remained a major cattle shipping point into the early 1960’s. During the Civil War, nearby Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run Mountains served as a path for soldiers to reach the First and Second Battles of Manassas.

Haymarket, in northwest Prince William, owes its location to an abandoned Indian hunting path which became Old Carolina Road. It was used by settlers as a route from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Haymarket grew around the intersection of Carolina and Dumfries Roads. It was burned by Union troops in 1862. Since then, the town has been revived with a collection of quaint restored buildings and shops.

According to legend, the name Manassas was derived from an Indian source or from Manasseh, a Jewish innkeeper at Manassas Gap. Manassas originated in 1852 at the junction of two railroads which linked Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. with the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond. During the Civil War, the junction’s strategic importance led to the battles of First and Second Manassas (Bull Run). The county seat since 1892, Manassas was rebuilt after the Civil War and remained a small town for most of the 20th century. It became a city in 1975. Known for Civil War history, Manassas also has a wonderful museum system and charming Old Town historic district.

Located to the northeast of Manassas, Manassas Park began in 1955 as a county subdivision. In 1975, Manassas Park incorporated as an independent city. It was the last town in Virginia to become a city before the legislature placed a moratorium on such actions. This small town has an 18-hole golf course and water park. Route 28, the "Antique Corridor", also runs through the city.

The center of a farming community with cattle and dairy farms, Nokesville  became a town and intermediate stop on the Orange & Alexandria Railway in 1865. In the late 1800’s-early 1900’s, Nokesville was the location of a religious movement called the German Baptist Brethren, which became known as the Church of the Brethren. In the 1950’s, it was cut off from passenger trains and remains a rural community today.   

                                                                         Quality of Life