Editing Woodbridge, Virginia (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Woodbridge 2000.gif|thumb|Map of Woodbridge , VA according to US Census Bureau]]

Woodbridge takes its name from a wooden toll bridge built in the [[18th century]] to span the [[Occoquan River]]. The bridge was constructed by [[Thomas Mason (1753–1800)|Thomas Mason]], son of [[George Mason|Founding Father George Mason]], as part of the King’s Highway, a colonial route that connected [[Colonial history of the United States|northern and southern settlements]]. The structure itself was built along the [[Occoquan River|Occoquan]] connecting present day Woodbridge to [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]], it became a recognizable landmark and eventually lent its name to the surrounding communities.<ref name="historicprincewilliam.org">{{Cite web |title=Woodbridge is 200 Years Old! - Historic Prince William |url=https://www.historicprincewilliam.org/county-history/stories/woodbridge-is-200.html |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=www.historicprincewilliam.org}}</ref> Though the term "Woodbridge" does not appear frequently in early records, early [[19th century|19th-century]] maps and land documents identify the bridge and nearby [[ferry |ferry sites]] as key transportation points in [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]]. The area around the bridge gradually developed into a modest river town-like community, with its growth later influenced by river trade and the expansion of railroad lines later into the [[19th century]].<ref name="archive.gunstonhall.com">{{Cite web |title=GEORGE MASON'S PLANTATIONS & LANDHOLDINGS: WOODBRIDGE |url=http://archive.gunstonhall.com/georgemason/landholdings/woodbridge.html |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=archive.gunstonhall.com}}</ref>

[[File:East Prince William Map.png|thumb|Map of Woodbridge , VA / Eastern Prince William County]]

[[United States Census Bureau|The U.S. Census Bureau]] defines Woodbridge as a [[Census-designated place|Census-designated place (CDP)]] limited to a section east of [[Interstate 95]] and north of Rippon Boulevard. [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]] defines the borders of the Woodbridge Magisterial District along roughly similar lines to that of the [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] with the addition of most of [[Leesylvania, Virginia|Leesylvania]] and a portion of northern [[Cherry_Hill,_Prince_William_County,_Virginia|Cherry Hill]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Woodbridge District Map |url=https://gisdata-pwcgov.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/woodbridge-district-map |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=gisdata-pwcgov.opendata.arcgis.com |language=en-us}}</ref>
Despite these definitions, Woodbridge tends to be used more broadly to include nearby communities such as [[Lake Ridge, Virginia|Lake Ridge]] and [[Dale City, Virginia|Dale City]] and commercial areas such as [[Potomac Mills]] and [[County Center, Virginia|County Center]]. All of these areas reside within Woodbridge [[ZIP Code|ZIP codes]] 22191, 22192, and 22193.<ref>{{cite web |last1=US Postal Service |first1=US Post |title=Woodbridge, VA |url=https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/ |website=United States Zip Codes . org |publisher=United States Postal |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref> Originally part of a larger land grant, the area became more residential during the post–[[World War II]] suburban expansion of the [[Washington metropolitan area|Washington, D.C. metropolitan region]].