Our Story

A Commuter's Dream
(Since 1890)

Del Ray grew up around the electric streetcar and is considered one of the country’s first commuter suburbs. Originally conceived as a tourist venture, early stakeholders imagined bringing visitors from the district to a “grand” Mount Vernon Avenue. The Railway was chartered in 1890, first from Alexandria north to the area that would become Del Ray, and by 1896, the first trains ran from Alexandria to D.C. with stops at Braddock Road and Del Ray Avenue.
The momentum of the streetcar persuaded the visionary Wood Harmon Company to purchase adjacent land for development. In 1908 Del Ray and neighboring St. Elmo were incorporated as The Town of Potomac. By 1920, Del Ray was served by 33 trains, and as people began to understand the practicality of living in the suburbs, Del Ray’s population grew.

Because of easy commutes, Del Ray remains one of the most popular places to live in northern Virginia. And at The Porter Del Ray, it gets even better. One of the few apartment communities situated close to the Braddock Road Metro, we’re your launching point to wherever you need to be—and to virtually everything you love.