Published October 2026. Written by the Mission Realty Team.
People ask which Richmond-area neighborhoods sit near an Amtrak station, and no one publishes a ranking that answers it. There is no dataset of walk times or ridership by neighborhood, so this guide sticks to proxies you can check yourself: street addresses from Amtrak’s own pages, named roads, and the stops GRTC lists for its buses. The seven areas are grouped by station and listed alphabetically within each group. They are not ranked.
The three Richmond-area Amtrak stops and what each one is for
Main Street Station is at 1500 East Main Street in the city of Richmond. Amtrak’s Main Street Station page lists the Northeast Regional as the only route there, GRTC bus service, and a Virginia Capital Trail western terminus a short walk away. The same page shows city-owned parking in one place and “no parking at this location” in another, so confirm parking before you drive there to catch a train.
Staples Mill Road Station is at 7519 Staples Mill Road, in Henrico County just north of the city. Amtrak’s Staples Mill Road page lists a 587-space lot that doubled in size in 2018, same-day and overnight parking for a fee, and five routes: the Carolinian, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto and Silver Meteor. It is a drive-and-park station, not a walkable one.
The third stop is Ettrick Station. Amtrak’s Petersburg page lists it as Petersburg, VA (PTB) at 3516 South Street, with the same five routes and free same-day and overnight parking. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Ettrick Station fact sheet places it in Chesterfield County and describes a planned rebuild of the lot and platform, with construction expected to begin in summer 2026, so check conditions on site before you plan around it.
The short answer: seven areas, grouped by station
Near Main Street Station: Church Hill, The Fan, Manchester and Shockoe Bottom. Near Staples Mill Road: Glen Allen and Lakeside in Henrico. Near Ettrick Station: Ettrick in Chesterfield. “Near” means three different things here. For Main Street it means a short bus or bike ride, for Staples Mill it means a drive, and for Ettrick it means a short drive inside the village. Each section below says who the area is wrong for.
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We will set up a saved search filtered to Church Hill, The Fan, Manchester, Shockoe Bottom, Glen Allen, Lakeside and Ettrick, so new listings in the areas above reach you as they appear.
What a train does and does not do for a commute
Amtrak is intercity rail. The station pages above list routes and send you to Amtrak for schedules, so this guide gives no times and no fares. Check Amtrak before you build a work week around a train. What a train does give you is a car-free way out of town on the routes listed for each station. What it does not do is circle the region like a subway or replace a daily drive across the Richmond area. For the northbound case, see our guide to commuting north to Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia and DC, and for living beside tracks rather than riding them, read the quietest Richmond neighborhoods away from highways, rail and flight paths.
One confusion is worth clearing up: Richmond has no light rail. The Pulse is GRTC’s bus rapid transit line along Broad Street, and GRTC’s Pulse station list names both a Main Street Station stop and a Staples Mill stop. GRTC describes the Staples Mill stop as connecting to Henrico destinations including the Staples Mill Amtrak station, so it is a link in a chain and not a train. More on the bus side is in our piece on getting around on GRTC.
Shockoe Bottom: the closest fit to Main Street Station
The checkable proxy is the Pulse itself. GRTC lists Shockoe Bottom and Main Street Station as consecutive stops, and the station’s address is on East Main Street. Shockoe Bottom is the area where the walk, bus or bike ride to the platform is shortest. It is wrong for anyone who wants a quiet residential street or a big yard, because this is an urban district. If noise is the deciding factor, start with the guide to the quietest Richmond neighborhoods away from highways, rail and flight paths.
Church Hill: bus first, then train
GRTC lists Church Hill bus routes connecting at the Shockoe Bottom Pulse stop, one stop east of Main Street Station. That makes Church Hill a bus, bike or ride-then-train neighborhood. It is wrong for anyone who wants to roll a suitcase to the platform on foot, because I did not find a verified walking time and would not promise one.
The Fan: on the Pulse line, not on the platform
The Pulse list includes a stop named The Fan (Allison Street), with Monroe Park and Scott’s Addition stops on either side. The Fan therefore reaches Main Street Station by a Pulse ride through the stops between, then a train. It is wrong for anyone who needs a short walk to a platform for an early departure. It suits people who want a city street grid with the Pulse nearby and an Amtrak trip as an occasional option.
Manchester: a bus path from the south side
Manchester is the part of the city south of the James River. GRTC lists Hull Street routes, including Hull/Elkhardt/Southside Plaza, connecting at Main Street Station, so a bus path from the south side to the platform exists. It is wrong for anyone assuming the river crossing is a short walk. I did not verify a walking or driving time, so check one on a map before you count on it.
Glen Allen: Staples Mill Road runs along its edge
The Staples Mill station sits on U.S. Route 33, and that same road forms part of the western edge of Glen Allen, with Mountain Road (Route 157) forming its southern edge. By published coordinates the station is south of that area, so the trip is a drive down Staples Mill Road to the lot. Glen Allen is wrong for households that need a car-free option, because the station is a park-and-ride. If your commute ends at an office park instead, see commuting to West End office parks. If you are budgeting for a purchase, try the mortgage calculator and read how we work with buyers.
Lakeside: a short drive to the Staples Mill lot
The published coordinates for Lakeside and for the station put them roughly a mile and a quarter apart in a straight line, so it is a short drive, though the road route is longer. It is wrong for anyone who wants a station they can walk to, since Amtrak describes Staples Mill as a lot-based station with a bus-loading zone. It suits people who want a Henrico address and a drive-up departure point. For flights instead of trains, see neighborhoods a short drive from the airport.
Ettrick: a village with its own station
Amtrak puts the Petersburg station a few blocks west of the Virginia State University campus, and most of the campus lies within Ettrick. The authority’s fact sheet also mentions a planning study with Chesterfield County and the university on transit-oriented development within a half mile of the station. Ettrick is wrong for anyone who expects Richmond-bound trains from a nearby neighborhood station: I found no verified schedule for that. Its mailing address says Petersburg, but the station is in Chesterfield County, which decides whose rules and tax bills apply.
Your saved search, ready for the seven areas
Church Hill, The Fan, Manchester, Shockoe Bottom, Glen Allen, Lakeside and Ettrick, all in one saved search. Compare listings against recently sold homes once you have your shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to park at Staples Mill Road Station, and when is the lot open?
Amtrak’s station page says same-day and overnight parking are both available for a fee, the lot is open from 12:01 am to 11:59 pm daily, and Amtrak owns the lot. I am not quoting a rate because the page I read does not give one; check Amtrak before you go.
Is Staples Mill Road Station accessible?
Amtrak lists an accessible platform, restrooms, ticket office, waiting room and water fountain, plus accessible parking and a wheelchair lift. The same page says there is no elevator and no high platform, so riders who need level boarding should ask Amtrak how it is handled at this stop.
What else is at Main Street Station besides Amtrak?
Amtrak’s page notes a Virginia Welcome Center in the building and GRTC bus service, and GRTC’s station list calls it an intermodal hub serving GRTC, Virginia Breeze, Megabus and Amtrak. The western end of the Virginia Capital Trail is a short walk away.
Is Ettrick part of the city of Petersburg?
Amtrak lists the station as Petersburg, VA at 3516 South Street, but the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority places Ettrick Station in Chesterfield County. The mailing address and the county are different things, so confirm the locality for any home you consider, because it decides which rules and tax bills apply.
Will the planned rebuild at Ettrick Station change parking?
The authority’s fact sheet says the existing lot will be reconstructed with lighting, landscaping, drainage and new markings, and that construction was expected to begin in summer 2026. I could not confirm the current construction status, so look at the station before you rely on a particular parking arrangement.
Do homes near an Amtrak station cost more or less?
This guide makes no price claim because none of the sources used here measure it, and a county-level number would not describe a single neighborhood. Once you have a shortlist, compare each area’s active listings with its recently sold homes in the same search.
Where do I find train times and fares?
Amtrak’s Main Street Station page directs readers to Amtrak.com or 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) for fares and schedules. This guide deliberately gives none, because times and prices change and I could not verify current ones from the station pages.
