Gainesville, Virginia

Gainesville, Virginia
Census-designated place (CDP)

New construction in Gainesville

Location of Gainesville, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°47′41″N 77°37′14″W / 38.79472°N 77.62056°WCoordinates: 38°47′41″N 77°37′14″W / 38.79472°N 77.62056°W
Country United States
State Virginia
County Prince William
Area
 • Total 10.3 sq mi (26.6 km2)
 • Land 9.7 sq mi (25.2 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)
Elevation 354 ft (108 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 11,481
 • Density 1,150.2/sq mi (174.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 20155-20156
Area code(s) 703, 571
FIPS code 51-30176[1]
GNIS feature ID 1494951[2]

Gainesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 11,481 in the 2010 census.[3]

History

Gainesville was once a changing point for stagecoach horses on the Fauquier & Alexandria Turnpike. In 1852, the Manassas Gap Railroad reached the area and the stop became known as Gainesville. It was a shipping point for grain, timber, and cattle and remained a major cattle shipping point into the early 1960s. During the American Civil War, nearby Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run Mountains served as a path for soldiers to reach the First and Second battles of Bull Run. In 1994, the groundbreaking for Gainesville's first townhome community began; it was named Crossroads. This marked the beginning of mass-development for Gainesville.

In 2006, VDOT began working on the Gainesville Interchange improvement project in order to ease the traffic in the rapidly growing Gainesville-Haymarket area.

Geography

Gainesville is located at 38°47′41″N 77°37′14″W / 38.79472°N 77.62056°W (38.794784, −77.620651).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.3 square miles (26.6 km²), of which, 9.7 square miles (25.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (5.45%) is water.

Climate

Gainesville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with mild winters with brief cold-snaps, and hot and humid summers with frequent thunderstorms. Spring and Autumn are pleasantly warm. January is the coldest month with highs around 45 °F and lows around 25 °F. July is the warmest month, with highs around 90 °F and lows around 65 °F.

Climate data for Gainesville, Virginia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 44.1
(6.7)		 50.5
(10.3)		 58.0
(14.4)		 68.7
(20.4)		 75.3
(24.1)		 86.2
(30.1)		 90.0
(32.2)		 87.8
(31)		 83.3
(28.5)		 72.4
(22.4)		 58.6
(14.8)		 49.1
(9.5)		 68.67
(20.37)
Average low °F (°C) 25.6
(−3.6)		 29.1
(−1.6)		 36.6
(2.6)		 42.4
(5.8)		 52.3
(11.3)		 60.8
(16)		 67.1
(19.5)		 64.8
(18.2)		 58.7
(14.8)		 46.3
(7.9)		 36.2
(2.3)		 28.3
(−2.1)		 45.68
(7.59)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.6
(66)		 2.5
(64)		 2.8
(71)		 2.9
(74)		 3.7
(94)		 3.2
(81)		 3.1
(79)		 3.2
(81)		 3.3
(84)		 3.1
(79)		 3.1
(79)		 2.7
(69)		 36.2
(919)
Source: Weatherbase[5]

Demographics

US-29 Civil War Battlefield

Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the 2010 census,[2] there were 11,481 people, 3,959 households, and roughly 3,100 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile (174.1/km²). There were 10,300 housing units at an average density of 189.6/sq mi (73.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.77% White, 6.80% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.77% of the population.

There were 10,300 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $76,300, and the median income for a family was $82,627. Males had a median income of $46,934 versus $40,385 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $35,196. About 1.9% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.

Development

Major commercial and residential development has taken place since 2000, resulting in Gainesville having six large shopping centers. The intersection of I-66 and Lee Highway (29 Highway) has the largest shopping center with big box stores, such as Target Supercenter, Lowe's, Best Buy, DSW, Walgreens, and many other stores and restaurants. Somerset Crossing has a Bank Of America, Wells Fargo, and other shops. Close to US-15 are a Staples, Ross, Wegmans Food Markets, Michael's, and Harris Teeter. The Promenade at Virginia Gateway was developed by The Peterson Companies, including BJ's Warehouse, which opened in January 2012, and Regal Theaters which opened in late 2013.

In 2022, the Gainesville railway station will open, connecting the region via commuter rail to Fairfax County, Manassas, and Washington, D.C.

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "2010 Census for Gainesville, Virginia, United States of America". Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Gainesville, Virginia, United States of America". Retrieved 2009-06-20.
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