Dale City

History

Dale City was the idea of real estate developer, Cecil Don Hylton, who chose the term because it aptly described the "hills and dales" of the rolling Virginia Piedmont, Hylton's company, Hylton Enterprises, began in Dale City in 1960 approximately one mile east of Interstate 95 and continued to build west towards Hoadly Road (State Route 642). By 1969, the first six communities were completed. Many more were added in the 1970s and 1980s. Several places in Dale City are named after Hylton, such as C.D. Hylton High School and the Hylton Memorial Chapel. More recently, the Hylton Foundation underwrote a major new addition to Potomac Hospital in nearby Woodbridge. Hylton's companies have branched into new markets, especially real estate of existing houses. Hylton Realty now sells property in and near Dale City. Hylton Enterprises manages commercial properties still controlled by the Hylton family, including several shopping centers, as well as several oddly-shaped parcels of unimproved land. These parcels were land that could not be built on or were proffered to the county; Andrew Leitch Park is one such parcel that has been given to the local Park Authority. Because Dale City was built before most of eastern Prince William County was developed, it has its own water and sewer systems, separate from the ones in Occoquan, Woodbridge, Dumfries, Triangle, and Lake Ridge. Water service is provided by Virginia-American Water Company, and since 2013, Virginia-American also provides sewer service to Dale City through their purchase of the Dale Service Corporation. Russell House and Store is a historic early 19th century building, located on Minnieville Road.

Geography

Dale City is located at (38.648284, −77.342350). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.0 square miles (39.0 km2), all land. Dale City is often confused to be apart of neighboring Woodbridge, due to the U.S. Postal Service grouping the area into the larger Woodbridge postal area. However both are proper and separate census designated place (CDP).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  43,744
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  38,245
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  31,958
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  31,476
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  30,193
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,231
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,071
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  27,145

Largest nearby schools

• Charles J. Colgan Sr. High
  High · Manassas · 2,907 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• WOODBRIDGE HIGH
  High · Woodbridge · 2,905 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• OSBOURN PARK HIGH
  High · Manassas · 2,757 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• GAR-FIELD HIGH
  High · Woodbridge · 2,550 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• FREEDOM HIGH
  High · Woodbridge · 2,345 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• FOREST PARK HIGH
  High · Woodbridge · 2,308 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• POTOMAC HIGH
  High · Dumfries · 2,065 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• C.D. HYLTON HIGH
  High · Woodbridge · 1,979 students · 16.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-10-27
  4 km E of Riverside, Maryland
• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.66 — 2020-02-03
  10 km S of Louisa, Virginia
• M 3.03 — 2016-01-17
  3 km NE of Ranson, West Virginia
• M 2.8 — 2015-03-15
  6 km SW of Mineral, Virginia
• M 3 — 2012-03-26
  13 km S of Louisa, Virginia