Hi Fodorites,

I am in the process of interviewing with a couple of schools in Winchester, VA, (I'm a teacher) and wanted any insights on what the schools are like in Frederick County?

Also, my husband is looking to find a job in the D.C. area. I have had mixed reports on how long it takes to get from Winchester to D.C.? Is there a nice place between Winchester and D.C. that people would recommend to live in? Living in Colorado, and probably having to relocate at a moments notice, I know there must be people out there who know 'just the town' that would suit our needs. Thanks in andvance!!!!! Jade

DC is less than two hours from Winchester. I'm sure you'll get responses here but thought you might want to see an article about the Piedmont area that appeared in the Washington Post a couple of days ago.

http://tinyurl.com/ebenf

You might have to register to read it. The article was in the July 30 edition.

Leesburg is probably the most obvious place that's half-way between DC and Winchester. There are also people who live in Winchester and commute to DC, usually by taking MARC or Amtrak from Martinsburg, W.Va.

Purcellville, Virginia is an option as well.

Depending on what kind of work your husband does, there are PLENTY of jobs on the Virginia side of DC (McLean, Vienna, Reston, Herndon) that would give about a 45-60 minute commute from Purcellville.

If he gets a job in downtown DC, he could take the Loudoun Connector bus from Purcellville to downtown DC.
The amount of time to DC varies depending on traffic each day but I did the commute downtown a couple of days a week for a couple of years. The bus is more predictable because it can use the express lane on the tollroad and bypass a lot of traffic.

From Purcellville to Winchester it takes about 30 minutes and traffic isn't bad at all on that stretch.

Leesburg was mentioned and it is a good choice but the closer you get to DC the more expensive housing is. You'll be amazed at the increased cost of housing for just the extra 10 miles closer to DC it is than Purcellville.

npurpleh2 is absolutely correct. I think a commute from Purcellville or Leesburg to DC daily would be way too far. I commute into the District from about 20-30 miles closer in, and it's still a 45 minute drive for me OFF peak (it would be 1.5 hours at peak).

Your husband should look in Loudoun County or Northern Fairfax County for a job.

Being west of Leesburg will make housing cheaper, too. The real estate market has really softened around here, but the prices are still very high.

Winchester is in the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley. Frederick County, from what I read in the local daily, has a decent school system.

I also would suggest Purcellville if DH is working in DC. That will keep your drive to Winchester a reasonable one.
You didn't say what type of work DH does, but if he could consider Harrisonburg, VA or Martinsburg, WV you could then live in Shenandoah County and have more reasonable driving times.

I live just outside of Winchester and the Frederick County Schools do have a good reputation. Like the surrounding counties they have lost teachers to higher wages in counties to the east such as Loudoun County(Leesburg).
MANY people here do commute to the city. Winchester does have a communiting van service or he may be about to connect with others to rideshare. Hope this helps.