Lago Mar, Virginia Beach, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lago Mar
Neighborhood
Entrance to Lago Mar
Seal
Nickname(s):  "Gateway to Virginia's Outer Banks"
Lago Mar, Virginia Beach, Virginia Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Lago Mar, Virginia Beach, Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	23456
Area code	757, 948

Lago Mar is a neighborhood located in southeastern Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. Its name comes from Spanish words meaning "lake" and "sea." This name fits because it's close to the Atlantic Ocean and a lake called Brinson's Inlet Lake.

Before the 1960s, this area was known as Atwoodtown. Many of the streets in Lago Mar today have Spanish names.

Exploring Lago Mar's Location

A beautiful lakefront view in Lago Mar.

Lago Mar is found between Nimmo Parkway and Sandbridge Road. It's close to Sandbridge in southern Virginia Beach. Sandbridge Road is the main way to reach the northern part of the Currituck Banks Peninsula.

Because of its location, Lago Mar is often called "The Gateway to Virginia's Outer Banks". This means it's the last neighborhood you pass through before reaching the Outer Banks area. Sandbridge Road is also part of Virginia Beach's "Green Line". This line marks where the city's developed areas meet more rural forests and farms.

To the west of Lago Mar is the Red Mill Farms area. Here you can find the Red Mill Commons shopping center. North of Lago Mar are Scopus Marsh and Lake Tecumseh. Beyond them are the Ocean Lakes neighborhood and the Navy's Training Support Center at Dam Neck.

To the south, you'll find the Back Bay, an area called Sigma, and the historic village of Pungo. The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is to the east. There are plans to extend the Nimmo Trail through this refuge. This will allow bicyclists and walkers to travel between Lago Mar and Sandbridge Beach.

Lago Mar's Past: A Brief History

A view of Ashville Bridge Creek, important to Lago Mar's history.

People have lived in the Lago Mar area since at least the late 1600s. A grave site near Nimmo Trail marks where three "Stone Brothers" were buried around the 1800s. Even earlier, settlers lived nearby on the banks of "Muddy Creek." This creek is now called Ashville Bridge Creek. The famous "Witch of Pungo" lived along this creek in the late 1600s.

John Aragona founded the Lago Mar community. He was a successful builder in Virginia Beach during the 1950s to 1970s. He developed many parts of the city. For his own home, he bought 800 acres between the beach and Sandbridge. He named it Lago Mar. His goal was to build "luxury homes in a country setting." In 1968, he built a canal and his own Spanish-style home along it.

John Aragona wanted the canal to reach the Atlantic Ocean. This would have made Lago Mar similar to neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. However, the Army Corps of Engineers did not allow it. They wanted to protect the freshwater ecosystem of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This meant boats had a much longer trip to the ocean.

Aragona passed away in 1977. His family continued to be successful in the area. The development of Lago Mar was sold to Edward Garcia Sr. His company, False Cape Enterprises, took over. Aragona's original home on the canal is still there today. Lago Mar continues to be a community closely connected to its waterways.

In the summer of 1984, Lago Mar was featured in a special event called Homearama. It was named "Fiesta de las Casas" to match the neighborhood's Spanish theme. Only the Baja Court part of the neighborhood was finished at that time.

People and Schools in Lago Mar

When Princess Anne County became the City of Virginia Beach in 1963, it was divided into areas called boroughs. Lago Mar was in the Princess Anne Borough. Later, in the late 1990s, the city changed to Council Districts. Most of Lago Mar is in District 7, the Princess Anne District. A small part north of Nimmo Parkway is in District 5.

One of three city parks in Lago Mar.

Nimmo Trail also divides school districts and voting areas. The part of Lago Mar north of Nimmo Trail is sometimes called Lago Mar Back Bay. Residents vote in two different districts. Sigma Precinct 31 includes Lago Mar south of Nimmo Trail, plus Sigma and Sandbridge. Lago Mar north of Nimmo Trail is in Culver Precinct 63. This precinct also includes parts of Ocean Lakes and Dam Neck.

Students in Lago Mar attend Red Mill Elementary School. Then they go to Princess Anne Middle School. For high school, students south of Nimmo Trail go to Kellam. Students in Lago Mar Back Bay go to Ocean Lakes High School.

Lago Mar is a very educated community. Over 43% of its residents have a bachelor's degree. About 23% have a graduate degree. Nearly 34% of residents earn over $150,000 a year. This makes Lago Mar an "upper middle class neighborhood." The unemployment rate is 4.6%, which is close to the national average.

In 2018, Lago Mar had over 5,541 residents. About 88% were Caucasian, 3% Asian, and 3% African-American. Around 97% of Lago Mar residents own their homes. Country music singer Alana Springsteen is from Lago Mar. The famous musician and Grammy Award-winning producer Timbaland also lives here.

Fun and Recreation in Lago Mar

Lago Mar is a Golf Cart Community.

Much of Lago Mar is built around Ashville Bridge Creek. This creek flows into the Back Bay. Its water levels change with the wind-driven tides. The entire area is part of the Currituck Sound watershed.

Besides bordering the Wildlife Refuge, Lago Mar has three family parks. Residents can enjoy playgrounds, picnics, and tennis courts there. Many people also enjoy bicycling, jogging, and walking on Nimmo Trail and the "Lago Mar Loop." The Hell's Point Golf Club is popular and located at the southeast end of the neighborhood. Golf carts are allowed on all streets in Lago Mar south of Nimmo Trail.

The community's Civic League hosts several yearly events. These include a 4th of July parade and picnic. They also have an Oktoberfest picnic. Lago Mar has a local soccer team called "Lagomar FC." Many residents also enjoy attending local festivals.

Lago Mar's Weather and Nature

A street scene in Lago Mar.

Lago Mar has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has short, mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. It experiences all four seasons. Because it's close to the Atlantic Ocean and south of the Chesapeake Bay, temperatures are milder. Winters are warmer with little to no snow.

Each year, Lago Mar usually gets about 3 inches of snow. However, some years have no measurable snow at all. It receives around 55 inches of rain annually. Rain falls throughout the year, but summers are the wettest season. Winters are the driest. The average high temperature is 71°F (22°C). The average low temperature is 55°F (13°C).

On average, temperatures reach 86°F (30°C) about 84 times a year. They go above 90°F about 47 times. Freezing temperatures happen about 26 times a year. The first freeze is usually around December 6, and the last is around March 6. The growing season in Lago Mar lasts about 240 days or more.

Lago Mar is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. This zone helps gardeners know which plants will grow well. A wide variety of plants grow here. You can see Camellias, Oleanders, Azaleas, and Gardenias. Many types of palms also grow, like Sabal and Pindo. Other trees include persimmons, crepe myrtles, and cherry blossoms. Native trees like magnolia, Loblolly pine, and live oak are also common.

Many animals live in the coastal marshes and forests around Lago Mar. It's the most northern known place on the East Coast of the United States where Monarch butterflyes have spent the winter. It was also once the most northern place where Ruby-throated hummingbirds spent the winter. In 2021, a Ruby-throated hummingbird did spend the winter less than 10 miles north of Lago Mar.