Making Strategic Investments For Fast-Growing Prince William County

Prince William County, Virginia, is experiencing rapid growth. Its population of 495,000 is projected to rise to nearly 650,000 by 2040, according to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. 

While this is exciting news, it also creates some challenges, including ensuring the county has the infrastructure in place to meet the needs of an expanding community. Prince William County is facing those challenges head-on. 

“With that type of growth, we're already feeling the pressure to meet the growing demands of housing, education and our transportation systems,” said Prince William County Executive Christopher Shorter, who spoke on a panel about its strategic investments and partnerships at Bisnow’s event on March 12. “It's not an option but rather a requirement that we make these types of strategic investments in our infrastructure. And it's wonderful to see that our board not only recognizes this but they are taking steps to make it happen.”

Shorter detailed the work he and his team are doing to ensure this growing community has the education, transportation and housing it needs to continue to thrive.  

Strategic Investments In Prince William County

Shorter said that Prince William restructured its government two years ago to better align the organization with the board of county supervisors and the community’s strategic plan and vision. As part of that restructuring, Shorter created the Transformation Management Office to help support agencies through the change management process as they expedite improvement programs and county initiatives to ensure residents, businesses and visitors have the best possible customer experience with the government.  

Shorter spoke to the community’s desire for its government to deliver the best customer experience while investing in the county’s infrastructure.

“Residents want the government to have the capacity to deliver, and they want to see investments in transportation, education and housing, all of which are critically important,” he said.

One of the county’s priorities is to build more affordable housing. He said the board of county supervisors has already set aside $10.5M in reserve for a housing trust fund, which is expected to grow to more than $31M by 2029 to support affordable housing in the community. 

Innovation Park, which was developed in 1997 when George Mason University wanted to find a location for its science and technology campus, was an integral piece of Prince William’s early expansion. Now, the research park spans more than 1,500 acres and is a source of revenue for the county, boosting the local economy by adding jobs in biohealth, advanced manufacturing and other life sciences industries. This has opened up more educational opportunities and helped enhance the quality of life in the county, he said.

The county has also been prioritizing investments in transportation, Shorter said. In 2024, the county completed road improvements to Prince William County Parkway and followed suit with its I-66 Express Lanes for commuters, which has generated nearly $5B in economic impact while reducing traffic congestion and supporting public transit. It plans to repeat this success with the Sudley Manor/Wellington Road and Prince William Parkway interchange, as well as other improvements along Route 1. 

Collaboration And Education To Help The Community Grow

Shorter emphasized the importance of collaboration, citing partnerships with local businesses and academic institutions that have also helped to make Prince William competitive. He said the area’s strong public education system is another key component to its success. The county’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget transfers nearly $1B to the public school system. 

“Historically, this will be the largest transfer the county has ever made to public schools,” Shorter said. 

He added that Prince William is being more proactive about ensuring educational resources go to the right places to help support young people and their families. Northern Virginia Community College continues to partner with local businesses and organizations in Prince William County through a regional workforce education and training program. Since 2016, the program has helped meet the growing need for professionals in cybersecurity, government, healthcare and information technology. 

A Billion-Dollar Investment In Capital Projects

Prince William is focused on several significant capital projects that will be completed over the next five to seven years. It is investing $1.3B in a new judicial center, crisis receiving center, a homeless navigation center and more to support its community needs, Shorter said. He added that investing in the right staff is crucial to help deliver these projects on budget and on schedule, making sure they spend taxpayer dollars wisely.

“These capital projects are just as important as any other development in the county because this is where the quality of life is maintained and improved for our residents,” he said.

A Deeper Connection With The Community

Shorter said he is grateful for the support of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, especially when it comes to the county’s commitment to maximizing operational efficiencies and increasing modernization to provide excellent customer service.

“With so many of the decisions I’ve made, the board has supported me and ensured that our government is organized in a manner that supports our residents,” he said. “If you live, visit or do business in Prince William County, we want to make sure you have the very best possible experience with our government.”

Shorter pointed to the upcoming launch of the county’s 311 system, through which residents will be able to engage more closely with the government via phone, web, app and chat.

“We want to be able to respond to our residents and track responses more effectively with a 311 system for nonemergency situations,” he said. “This is big for Prince William County because it puts us in a position where we can be the government our county deserves.” 

This article was produced in collaboration between Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.