Is Pleasant Ridge safe?
Annandale, Virginia · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Pleasant Ridge as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Pleasant Ridge
“Go. Pleasant Ridge is a safe, stable suburban enclave in Fairfax County with violent crime rates far below national averages. While visitors will need a vehicle to get around efficiently, the residential streets are quiet and secure day and night.”
About the area
Pleasant Ridge is a tranquil mid-century residential neighborhood nestled inside Annandale, Virginia. Surrounded by mature trees and well-kept single-family homes, it offers quick access to Northern Virginia's premier Korean dining and shopping corridors while preserving a secluded suburban feel.
- Quiet Residential
- Suburban
- Tree-Lined
- Family-Friendly
- Car-Dependent
Walking and biking in Pleasant Ridge
Walk score: 42/100 · Bike score: 46/100
While neighborhood streets have low traffic, dedicated bike lanes are sparse on main thoroughfares; paved trail access is available nearby connecting to the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Substantially low violent and violent property crime rates backed by Fairfax County public safety services.
- Strong socioeconomic indicators featuring high median household incomes, low poverty, and strong homeownership.
- Minutes from Annandale's celebrated international dining and bakery strip on Little River Turnpike.
Cons
- Car-dependent setting with discontinuous sidewalks on some interior residential streets.
- Occasional opportunistic theft from unlocked parked vehicles reported in the wider district.
- Lack of immediate direct Metrorail rail transit within walking distance.
Homelessness: Homelessness is not a notable presence within the residential streets of Pleasant Ridge, though sporadic panhandling occasionally occurs at major retail intersections along Route 236.
What Pleasant Ridge is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and active with residents walking dogs and commuting, feeling exceptionally secure.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Calm residential atmosphere with light neighborhood traffic and safe pedestrian conditions.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet and family-oriented as households return home; comfortable for evening walks.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Very dark and silent with minimal street activity, remaining safe but requiring normal suburban vigilance.
Transit, parking and getting around
Transit is provided by Fairfax Connector and WMATA Metrobus routes operating along nearby Little River Turnpike; the nearest rail connection is the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station roughly 4 miles northwest.
Residential street parking is free, abundant, and unrestricted throughout the neighborhood, and commercial destinations offer ample free surface lots.
Things to do in Pleasant Ridge
- Sample traditional Korean barbecue and sweet pastries along the Little River Turnpike commercial strip.
- Take a nature walk or enjoy community tennis and turf fields at nearby Pine Ridge Park.
- Visit the Audrey Moore Recreation Center and surrounding forested trails at Wakefield Park.
Local favorites
- Kogiya Korean BBQ · Korean Restaurant · 4.5★ (3250)Vibrant and popular tabletop barbecue destination known for premium pork belly and hearty banchan.
- Breeze Bakery Cafe · Bakery & Cafe · 4.4★ (2480)Spacious multi-story Korean bakery and cafe serving French-Asian pastries, bingsoo, and specialty lattes.
- Lighthouse Tofu · Korean Restaurant · 4.4★ (1150)Cozy, enduring strip-mall staple famous for bubbling stone pots of spicy soft tofu stew.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.