Gainesville, VA: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Gainesville, VA is an unincorporated community or census-designated place located in Prince William County in the state of Virginia. Our data estimates 17,287 residents, places it at 38.793°N, 77.635°W, and lists it in Eastern time. This page explains its population rank, ZIP codes, nearby cities and distance to big metros.

What are the key facts about Gainesville, VA?

What is the population of Gainesville, VA?

Gainesville has an estimated population of 17,287. That makes it the 80th largest of the 586 places we list in Virginia, and the 9th largest of 24 places in Prince William County. The typical place in Virginia has about 1,532 residents, so Gainesville is roughly 11.3 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Virginia with a similar population include Laurel (17,535), Kingstowne (17,517), Manassas Park (17,478), Colonial Heights (17,370), Hybla Valley (17,069). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Gainesville differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Gainesville?

Gainesville has about 1,709 people per square mile (660 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Virginia, it is denser than about 74% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Gainesville use?

Gainesville uses 3 ZIP codes: 20169, 20155, 20156. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 2 are assigned to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast (D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Gainesville in?

Gainesville is in the Eastern time zone, which is UTC−5 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/New_York). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Fairfield Glade, TN, about 441 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Eastern time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Gainesville located in Virginia?

Gainesville lies in the northeastern part of Virginia, at 38.793° north latitude and 77.635° west longitude. The state capital, Richmond, is about 88 miles to the south. The closest listed place in another state is Poolesville, MD, roughly 27 miles to the northeast, which shows how near Gainesville is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Arlington, VA, 29 miles to the east.

Which cities are near Gainesville, VA?

The closest listed place to Gainesville is Linton Hall, VA, 4.2 miles to the southeast. Of the eight nearest places below, 4 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Gainesville in?

Gainesville is in Prince William County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 51153. The county contains 24 places in our data, 16 of which have their own page here and 8 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Dale City (72,627), Lake Ridge (44,716), Linton Hall (41,386), Montclair (20,881), Neabsco (20,364). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Gainesville from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Gainesville is closest to New York, NY at about 237 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 2,270 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Gainesville?

Yes. Our data lists 5 other places named Gainesville: Gainesville, FL (202,335), Gainesville, GA (167,371), Gainesville, TX (16,886), Gainesville, MO (723), Gainesville, AL (183). When you search for Gainesville, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Gainesville in Prince William County, Virginia.

Planning a move to Gainesville?

If you are weighing Gainesville, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.