About 70 miles south of Washington, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland town of Lexington Park and Naval Air Station Patuxent River have forged a close relationship between civilian and military life.
“You can’t go anywhere without either running into a veteran or running into a NAVAIR civilian,” said retired Navy Capt. Jon Voigtlander, a resident of nearby Leonardtown since 2017.
The air station employs 25,000 people and has contributed to a boom in tech and aeronautics businesses in the region. The area boasts many opportunities for military engagement, especially on the base itself. Both military and civilian workers can take advantage of a bowling center, an 18-hole golf course, an auto skills center and other amenities.
The station also includes a marina on the Patuxent River that facilitates groups such as the Patuxent Sailing Club, a nonprofit program that offers sail training through the U.S. Naval Sailing Association.
Voigtlander worked on the NAVAIR base for five years, retiring to civilian life in August 2022. Post-retirement job opportunities on the base kept him in the area, he said.
“This area is kind of the mother ship of the relationship between aviation and the industrial industry,” he said. “You can drive around the base and see all the company buildings right outside.”
Post-service opportunities and benefits are plentiful in the region. Navy Federal Credit Union ranked Lexington Park seventh among the best cities for military families, according to Clyde Group public affairs fellow Anjeline Lynch. Veterans living in the town of 13,000 make an average salary of $90,000 per year, the most of any community in the country, Lynch said.
The town’s aviation reputation — this is where Navy test pilots train and where Harrison Ford flew a plane during filming of the 1999 movie “Random Hearts” — is showcased at the PAX River Naval Air Museum, located about a mile from the base.
“We want [visitors] to be inspired by great history and great people who have been involved in developing a really remarkable place — both Lexington Park and NAS Pax River,” said Scott Gray, the museum’s executive director. “There wasn’t much here before the base, but that history is important.”
The museum also serves as a post-career opportunity for some, with many docents retired from military or civilian work on the base.
Besides the military connection, the town is appealing because of its location on the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay.
“If you like the outdoors, it’s a good area,” said Capt. Bob Schulhof, an officer on the base and Lexington Park resident. “There’s nothing more magical than being out on the water in the summer.”
Affordable housing is another draw. Schulhof said Lexington Park housing prices were one of the reasons he decided to buy instead of rent, even though he knew he would be stationed there for only two or three years.
“In terms of bang for your buck, you get quite a lot here,” he said. “I bought [my house] with the idea of either being able to sell it or rent to a family when I leave.”
Living There: Lexington Park is bordered by the Patuxent River and the NAS Pax River Base to the north, Hermanville Road to the east and Point Lookout Road to the south.
Gabriela Agostinelli, a real estate agent with ReMax Realty in Lexington Park said there are 24 homes for sale in the town. In 2022, 413 houses were sold, at a median price of $339,000. The least expensive house for sale is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom condominium for $94,000. The highest-priced on the market is a five-bedroom, four-bathroom waterfront house for $879,900.
Schools: Lexington Park Elementary School, Town Creek Elementary School, Chesapeake Public Charter School, Esperanza Middle School, Fairlead Academy.
Transit: The Maryland Transit Administration also provides weekday bus service to Washington from the park and ride at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, about 7.5 miles from Lexington Park.