New Town, Williamsburg, VA
New Town is a walkable, mixed-use community in James City County with 646 townhomes, cottages and detached homes in six association neighborhoods, plus condominiums and apartments. In 2026, NTRA owners pay about $288 to $1,008 a quarter, depending on home type and landscape package.
New Town in brief
New Town is a mixed-use, new-urbanist community in James City County, just west of the City of Williamsburg around Monticello Avenue and Ironbound Road, with a Williamsburg mailing address. The New Town Commercial Association describes it as a 365-acre community where homes, offices, shops and restaurants are "within easy walking distance." It also includes the Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse. Construction started in the early 2000s, and the first residents moved into Abbey Commons in 2005.
Two associations divide the community. The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) covers six neighborhoods of detached homes, townhomes and cottages. The New Town Commercial Association (NTCA) covers the commercial district along with the condominium buildings, one townhome group and the apartment communities. Which one a home belongs to changes its fees and rules.
How New Town came about
According to the NTRA's history of New Town, the land was farmland owned mostly by the Casey family. James City County's 1991 Comprehensive Plan designated it for future mixed use. In 1995 the Caseys sponsored a design competition for a new town plan on about 600 acres. It drew 99 entries, and Cooper Robertson & Partners' design was chosen in 1996. The county adopted the master plan in 1997, dividing the land into 13 sections. VDOT's decision not to build a Route 199 overpass reduced the developable core to about 300 acres. The WindsorMeade Marketplace area west of Route 199 grew out of the same plan but usually isn't called New Town.
New Town Associates LLC became the developer in 2002. Main Street shops and the cinema were mostly finished by 2006, the community pool opened in 2012, and the last section, Shirley Park, broke ground in 2018. Developer control of the NTRA passed to homeowners in 2020.
Where New Town is
New Town lies between Route 199 and Ironbound Road on both sides of Monticello Avenue, about 3 miles by car from Merchants Square in Colonial Williamsburg. The Courthouse is at 5201 Monticello Avenue, and the Settlers Market shopping center sits next to Shirley Park and Village Walk. New Town is in James City County, not the City of Williamsburg, which matters for real estate taxes, services and school assignment.
Homes in New Town
The NTRA says only six neighborhoods are officially designated, even though builders used other marketing names. The association's 2026 assessment schedule lists these home counts:
| Neighborhood | Homes on the 2026 schedule | Home types | Quarterly assessment, Q2–Q4 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Commons (first neighborhood, 2004–05) | 104 | Townhomes and cottages | $327–$701 |
| Charlotte Park | 198 | Detached homes, townhomes and cottages | $288–$1,008 |
| Chelsea Green | 69 | Townhomes and cottages | $348–$629 |
| Savannah Square | 42 | Townhomes and cottages | $348–$624 |
| Shirley Park (final section) | 133 | Detached homes, townhomes and cottages | $326–$879 |
| Village Walk (built by Eagle Construction) | 100 | Townhomes and cottages | $368–$709 |
Assessment ranges are from the NTRA's 2026 adjusted quarterly assessment schedule. Each quarterly bill includes a share of the $1,438 annual general assessment plus a landscape package that the owner picks each year, from leaves-only up to full service. Middle units, end units and detached homes are priced differently. Note that the NTRA neighborhoods page estimates about 121 homes for Shirley Park at completion, while the 2026 schedule lists 133.
The NTCA side includes the Bennington on the Park, Foundation Square, New Town Center Street, 5121 Center Street and Chelsea Corner condominiums, the Pogonia Towns townhomes on Ironbound Road, and the apartment owners. Condominium owners also pay their own condo association. Those dues aren't summarized publicly, so get them from the resale certificate.
What the associations cover
According to the NTRA's newcomers page, the association provides trash pickup and the landscape service packages, runs the community pool (generally Memorial Day through Labor Day), maintains common areas, and operates an architectural review committee. It is governed by a five-member board with a professional managing agent. Village Walk's irrigation system is an NTRA responsibility, while detached-home owners maintain their own irrigation. Recycling is billed separately by James City County.
Most of what draws people to New Town sits outside any one association: walkable streets with shops, restaurants and a cinema, offices and medical buildings along Discovery Park Boulevard, and seasonal events such as New Town Tunes and the fall festival.
Schools serving New Town
New Town is in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools. Check any address with WJCC's school zone search and the district's zone maps. WJCC is redrawing attendance zones as of October 2026, with new zones planned for August 2027, so look at the proposed maps too. School data is in Virginia's School Quality Profiles. For more on how assignment works, read our WJCC school assignment guide.
Commute times from New Town
Measured from Courthouse Street. Times are approximate off-peak estimates. New Town's position near Route 199 and Monticello Avenue puts I-64 and Jamestown Road within a few minutes.
| Destination | Approx. distance | Approx. off-peak drive |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial Williamsburg (Merchants Square) | 3 mi | 5–10 min |
| Newport News (City Center at Oyster Point) | 23 mi | 35–40 min |
| Naval Weapons Station Yorktown (Route 143 side) | 12 mi | 20–25 min |
| Cheatham Annex | 10 mi | 15–20 min |
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Langley) | 30 mi | 45–55 min |
| Richmond (State Capitol) | 52 mi | 60–70 min |
What to know when buying or selling in New Town
- Know which association. NTRA townhome, NTCA condominium and apartment-adjacent homes carry different fees, rules and resale certificates. A condo can have both a condo association and NTCA documents, and under Virginia's Resale Disclosure Act the buyer's three-day review runs from delivery of the last certificate (Va. Code § 55.1-2312).
- List the landscape package. NTRA assessments depend on unit type and the landscape package the owner picked. Buyers comparing two townhomes should compare the same package.
- Mixed use cuts both ways. Being steps from restaurants and events is the point of New Town. It can also mean event traffic and parking rules near the commercial core, so note what applies to the specific home.
- Watch nearby development. The NTRA's September 2026 newsletter reported that the next phase of the former Eastern State Hospital redevelopment, Cardinal Ridge, was in final review.
- Townhome condition varies by era. The oldest homes date to 2004–05, so check roofs, HVAC and exterior maintenance history, and ask about the NTRA's exterior inspection program and reserve study.
Where Adam Triplett fits
Adam Triplett is a listing agent based in Newport News and Vice President & Senior Partner at Garrett Realty Partners. The Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS® has ranked him its #1 individual agent every year since 2018. Most of his record is in Newport News, Hampton and York County. Adam's closed-sales record, 2006 through July 2026, includes 44 sales with Williamsburg or Toano mailing addresses, with a median of $296,500. The record isn't broken out by neighborhood, so this page makes no New Town-specific claim. The sold page has the full summary. Adam's selling guide and downsizing guide cover how he prices and prepares a listing, and the Williamsburg and James City County guide has the surrounding area.
Current homes for sale with a Williamsburg address (not all are in New Town)
The board search can't filter by subdivision, so this shows all active Williamsburg-address listings; look for New Town in the subdivision field.
Related
Williamsburg and James City County
Area guide covering the city, the county and its communities.
The Settlement at Powhatan Creek
James City County community a few miles west of New Town.
The Villas at Five Forks
Single-level attached villas near the Five Forks intersection.
Downsizing and 55+ communities
Selling a long-time home and choosing among the Peninsula's 55+ and retirement communities.
Adam's sales record
628 closed sales since 2006, summarized by city, price band and year.
Questions about New Town
Is New Town in Williamsburg or James City County?
New Town is in James City County, just west of the City of Williamsburg, and uses a Williamsburg mailing address. That means James City County real estate taxes and county services, and assignment to Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools by address. The Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse, which serves both localities, is inside New Town on Monticello Avenue.
What are the HOA fees in New Town Williamsburg?
For the six New Town Residential Association neighborhoods, 2026 quarterly assessments for the second through fourth quarters run from about $288 to $1,008. The amount depends on the neighborhood, whether the home is detached, a middle unit or an end unit, and the landscape package chosen. Condominiums pay their own condo association plus New Town Commercial Association charges.
What kinds of homes are in New Town?
New Town has townhomes, cottages and detached homes in six residential neighborhoods: Abbey Commons, Charlotte Park, Chelsea Green, Savannah Square, Shirley Park and Village Walk. The NTRA's 2026 assessment schedule lists 646 homes across them. Condominium buildings such as Bennington on the Park and Foundation Square, plus two apartment communities, sit in the commercial association.
When was New Town Williamsburg built?
Planning began in the mid-1990s with a design competition won by Cooper Robertson & Partners, and James City County adopted the master plan in 1997. New Town Associates LLC began development in 2002, the first residents moved into Abbey Commons in 2005, and Shirley Park, the final residential section, broke ground in 2018. Homeowners took control of the NTRA in 2020.
How far is New Town from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown?
About 12 miles. Off-peak, the drive from Courthouse Street to the Route 143 side of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown takes about 20 to 25 minutes, and Cheatham Annex is about 10 miles away. Newport News City Center is about 23 miles, or 35 to 40 minutes, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis at Langley is about 30 miles.
Is New Town a 55+ community?
No. New Town is not an age-restricted community, and neither association limits ownership by age. James City County does have age-restricted 55+ communities, including Colonial Heritage, and the downsizing guide on this site lists the age-restricted active-adult communities and the continuing-care retirement communities on the Peninsula, with how each one is structured.
Selling a home in New Town?
Adam Triplett can walk through comparables by neighborhood and home type, and the association documents buyers will ask for.
