Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia
Census-designated place
Belleview Branch Post Office
Location within Fairfax County
Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia Location in Northern Virginia Show map of Northern Virginia Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Fairfax
Area
• Total	2.9 sq mi (7.4 km²)
• Land	2.0 sq mi (5.1 km²)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²)
Elevation	15 ft (5 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	6,851
• Density	3,425.5/sq mi (1,343.3/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	22307 (Alexandria/Belleview)
FIPS code	51-05928
GNIS feature ID	2389195

Map of the Belle Haven CDP

Belle Haven is a community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area defined for gathering population data.

Belle Haven is located just south of Old Town Alexandria. It is bordered by Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) to the west and the Potomac River to the east. The community includes the original Belle Haven area, which started in the 1920s, and other nearby neighborhoods.

Some parts of Belle Haven, like New Alexandria and Belle View, are low-lying. This means they can get flooded during big storms. For example, Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and Hurricane Agnes in 1972 caused a lot of flood damage here. The Belleview branch of the Post Office is located in Belle Haven. It serves the 22307 ZIP code area.

History of Belle Haven
Geography
Population Information
- 2020 Census
- Population History
Gallery
See also

History of Belle Haven

The name "Belle Haven" comes from Scottish settlers who arrived in the early 1700s. They named their settlement after a Scottish nobleman, the Earl of Belhaven. This early settlement grew into a busy port along the Potomac River. It was later renamed "Alexandria."

The land where Belle Haven is now became part of the West Grove Plantation. Hugh West built this plantation around 1748. It was in a good spot near the growing town of Alexandria.

The West family was important in Virginia and Fairfax County government in the 1700s. Hugh West was a burgess (a representative in the colonial government). He was also a trustee for the town of Alexandria. His son, John, continued to work in public service until he passed away in 1777.

In 1814, the West family sold the home to Colonel Augustine J. Smith. He made the plantation much larger, from about 155 acres to over 1,800 acres. He did this by draining swamps near the Potomac River and building a dike (a wall to hold back water). After his death, these walls were not kept up. Colonel Smith also built many new buildings on the plantation. These included larger living areas for the enslaved people who worked there.

Colonel Smith died in 1830. After some years, Dennis Johnston bought the plantation. He mostly worked on fixing the buildings that Smith had added. Johnston passed away before the Civil War. His wife then managed the plantation. In 1862, during the Civil War, soldiers from the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment took over the plantation. They later burned it down because the owner's sons were officers for General Robert E. Lee. No house was built on this land again until 1928. This was when the first house in the modern Belle Haven community was built.

The Belle Haven community we know today began in the 1920s. David Howell, a civil engineer from Alexandria, bought the land. He created two companies. One company built a golf course and club, which became the Belle Haven Country Club. The other company developed the residential area where people now live.

Geography

Belle Haven is in the eastern part of Fairfax County. Its exact location is 38°46′44″N 77°3′39″W / 38.77889°N 77.06083°W / 38.77889; -77.06083.

The eastern edge of Belle Haven is the Potomac River. This river also forms the border with Maryland. To the north, the community borders the city of Alexandria along Hunting Creek.

The community covers about 7.4 square kilometers (2.9 square miles). About 5.1 square kilometers (2.0 square miles) of this is land. The rest, about 2.3 square kilometers (0.9 square miles), is water.

Belle Haven is located about 20 minutes away from Washington, D.C..

Population Information

2020 Census

In 2020, about 6,851 people lived in Belle Haven. The community had about 3,263 homes.

Most people in Belle Haven were White (about 71%). Other groups included African American, Asian, and Native American people. About 16% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in Belle Haven was about 41.5 years old. About 24% of the people were under 18 years old. About 16% were 65 years old or older. Many people (about 28%) had Irish ancestry. About 18% spoke a language other than English at home.

The average income for a household in Belle Haven was around $129,495. For families, the average income was about $190,469. Many adults (about 71%) had a college degree or higher.