Hillsborough County · 33626
WestchaseVA Real Estate & MacDill AFB Commute Guide
A 28-village master-plan with a walkable West Park Village core. Sickles HS, the Veterans Expressway, and a real Tampa town center.
Photo · Wknight94 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Median 3BR/2BA
~$550k
ZIP 33626 SFH, 2026
MacDill commute
35–45 min
Veterans + Selmon
Walk Score
28 / 55–60
Whole / West Park Village
Days on market
55–70
Resale market, built out
County
Hillsborough
ZIP code
33626
The look + feel
Westchase, in pictures.
Westchase from above
NW Hillsborough corridor
Veterans Expressway corridor
Veterans Expressway at TPA
Upper Tampa Bay Trail
Veterans Expressway
The data
What the numbers say.
Real estate read
- SFH
- $550k
- Townhome
- $385k
- Condo
- varies
Resale market — Westchase was largely built out by mid-2000s. ~64 active SFH listings late March 2026. Harbor Links / Estates run $700k–$1M+.
Source · Zillow + Redfin, 2026
Top schools nearby
Sickles HS
Public · High
#5 in Tampa Bay
A
Rating
Westchase Elementary
Public · Elementary
On-site
A-
Rating
Davidsen Middle
Public · Middle
On-site
B
Rating
Berkeley Preparatory
Private · K-12
10 min east
A+
Rating
Source · Niche.com
Commute reality
MacDill AFB
Veterans Expwy + Selmon
35–45 min
Tampa Int'l Airport
TPA proximity is the big perk
~18 min
Downtown Tampa
20–25 min
Westshore biz district
15–20 min
Clearwater / St. Pete
Courtney Campbell or Howard Frankland
~30 min
Source · Google Maps drive-time, typical morning rush
Healthcare access
AdventHealth Westchase ER
Stand-alone ER · 10977 Sheldon Rd
in-town
AdventHealth Care Pavilion
Primary + specialty + imaging
in-town
James A. Haley VA
Tampa, regional VA
VA
30–40 min
MacDill AFB Clinic
Active duty + dependents
VA
35–45 min
Inside Westchase
The villages worth knowing.
West Park Village
The walkable mixed-use town center inspired by Hyde Park in South Tampa. Apartments above retail, restaurant patios on the street, town green. Walk Score 55-60 inside the village.
Range: $385k–$650kKnown for: Walkable Tampa town centerHarbor Links / The Estates
High-end. Largest lots and most expensive homes in Westchase. Established families, executive housing.
Range: $700k–$1M+Known for: Highest-end WestchaseThe Bridges
Umbrella neighborhood — Stonebridge, Woodbridge, Stockbridge. Stonebridge and Woodbridge are gated maintenance-free villa communities with private community pools.
Range: $425k–$625kKnown for: Gated maintenance-freeThe Greens
Umbrella neighborhood — Greencrest, Greenhedges, Greenmont, Greenpointe, Greensprings, Village Green. Family-oriented established homes.
Range: $475k–$650kKnown for: Family-oriented establishedThe Vineyards
Gated, established 1999. Midsize homes, competitively priced. Distinct condo/townhome association — verify VA project approval before writing offers.
Range: $385k–$525kKnown for: Gated condo/townhome valueThe Enclave
Umbrella — Abbotsford, Brentford, Castleford, Chelmsford, Kingsford, Stamford. Established mid-tier single-family.
Range: $475k–$625kKnown for: Mid-tier establishedGlencliff
Has Glencliff Park (15 acres — splash pad, shade-sail playground, basketball, soccer fields). Family-friendly hub.
Range: $475k–$650kKnown for: Park accessSaville Rowe / Radcliffe / Wycliff
Smaller established sub-villages. Mid-tier single-family with mature landscaping.
Range: $450k–$600kKnown for: Established mid-tierBerkeley Square / Bennington / Glenfield
Smaller pocket sub-villages with mid-tier single-family character.
Range: $450k–$600kKnown for: Pocket villages
Why vets pick it
Veterans Expressway, top schools, walkable town center.
Westchase punches above its weight for active-duty and retired military for four reasons.
Veterans Expressway access. The community sits right on the Veterans Expressway (SR-589), the spine connecting northwest Hillsborough to Tampa International, downtown, the Selmon Expressway, and ultimately MacDill. For a base commuter this is the single biggest unlock — you skip Dale Mabry surface traffic entirely.
Master-plan amenities included with the HOA. Two community pools, eight tennis courts (four at Village, four at Countryway), parks with splash pads, playgrounds, ball fields, and a public-access championship golf course (Westchase Golf Club, Lloyd Clifton design, opened 1992). For PCS families coming from on-base recreation, the lifestyle continuity is real.
Schools on-site. Westchase Elementary and Davidsen Middle are inside the master plan. Sickles High is the catchment high school — Niche A, ranked #5 best public high school in Tampa Bay.
Reach. Roughly 17 miles northwest of downtown Tampa. Tampa International is 18 minutes / 13 miles. Clearwater Beach is ~30 minutes. Downtown St. Pete is reachable. The neighborhood sits at a hub, not a dead-end.
VA loan reality
What to know before you write an offer here.
Flood zones — mostly clean, with exceptions
Westchase is mostly inland, mostly low-risk. Old Tampa Bay sits 3–4 miles west. Most of the master plan is FEMA Zone X (minimal risk), though individual lots near retention ponds and conservation areas around the golf course can fall into Zone AE. Pull the address through the Hillsborough County FEMA Effective Flood Zone Viewer — never assume by ZIP.
Hurricane evacuation — mostly non-evac inland
Most inland Westchase is non-evacuation zone. The western fringe near Tampa Bay Downs and the Bay sits in higher zones. Use the Hillsborough HEAT tool per address. Critical: flood zone and evacuation zone are not the same thing — Hillsborough makes this point explicitly because residents conflate them.
CDD — yes, Westchase has one
Westchase has a Community Development District governed under Chapter 190 Florida Statutes. Originally two CDDs, merged October 1, 2011. The CDD funds and maintains stormwater, lakes, retention ponds, internal roads, street lighting, sidewalks/trails, and parks within the district. CDD assessments show up as a line on your Hillsborough County property tax bill — not as a separate monthly invoice. VA underwriting includes it in DTI.
Two-layer HOA structure
Westchase Community Association (WCA) is the master HOA covering all 28 villages — funds swim & tennis facilities, common areas, community staff. Sub-association HOAs at the village level for gated villages (Stonebridge, Woodbridge, Vineyards) and townhome/villa enclaves with private pools or maintenance-free exteriors. Combined HOA dues across both layers typically run $150–$250/month, but high-end gated villages with private pools can run higher.
VA condo project approval — verify on the Vineyards specifically
Westchase is overwhelmingly single-family and townhome. True condo stock is limited but exists. The Vineyards is a legally distinct community with its own condo association. For any townhome marketed as a condo (legal form matters), verify the project is on the VA Approved Condos list before writing an offer — pull live from VA Lender Portal.
Heritage
A 1991 master-plan with a Hyde Park-inspired town center.
Westchase was approved by Hillsborough County commissioners on April 15, 1991, with new development beginning September 15, 1991. The master plan covers roughly 2,000+ acres. It was conceived as a master-planned community with a centerpiece daily-fee golf course (Lloyd Clifton's Westchase Golf Club, opened 1992) and a deliberate village structure.
The community grew to 28 named villages — "neighborhoods" in WCA parlance — each with its own character. Gated villas, single-family enclaves, townhome courts, neo-traditional streetscapes. Population grew from 11,116 (2000) to 21,747 (2010) to 25,952 (2020 Census).
West Park Villagewas added later in the build-out — deliberately designed as a walkable mixed-use town center "inspired by historic Hyde Park in South Tampa" per the WCA. Apartments above retail, a town green, restaurant patios on the street. It's the visible architectural thesis of the master plan: most of Westchase is suburban, but West Park Village proves a Tampa suburb can have a real walkable core.
Tampa Bay Downs — the thoroughbred horse racetrack on the western edge — predates Westchase and remains a regional landmark.
Daily life
Where to eat, where to shop.
Restaurants — concentrated at West Park Village
- Irish 31 · Irish-American gastropub, $$ · Multiple Tampa locations; West Park Village is the original suburban spot.
- MEMO Modern Italian · Italian, $$ · Newer arrival, has become a local favorite.
- Tampa Bay Brewing Company Westchase · brewery + kitchen, $$ · Local brewery with substantial food menu.
- Catch Twenty Three · seafood, $$$ · Tampa-rooted seafood concept.
- Surf Shack Coastal Kitchen · seafood, $$ · Casual seafood — snow crab, gourmet tacos. Locally owned.
- Mother's · neighborhood American, $$.
- Doodle Noodle Bar · pho, noodles, $.
- Rice & Spice · Thai, $$.
- Florida Cracker Fish Company · Florida seafood, $$.
West Park Village hosts a rotating food truck schedule at 9880 Brompton Drive.
Where to shop
- West Park Village · The master plan's retail core. Mixed-use with apartments above retail. Daily-needs retail, restaurants, salons, small fitness studios.
- Citrus Park Town Center · ~10 min east on Linebaugh/Sheldon. Full enclosed mall — Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, NCG Cinemas, Dick's, Elev8 Fun. ~140 retailers.
- Grocery — Publix dominance · Multiple Publix within 5–10 minutes along Linebaugh, Sheldon, and Race Track Road. Sprouts and Costco anchor the Citrus Park southwest corner.
- Veterans Expressway corridor · Westshore Plaza and International Plaza reachable in 15–20 minutes south for higher-end retail (Apple, Tiffany, Nordstrom).
Within reach
The golf course, the racetrack, and the trail.
- Westchase Golf Club · Lloyd Clifton design, 6,699 yards, par 72, opened 1992. Public daily-fee. Routes through wetlands, wooden bridges, conservation areas across 213 acres of lakes and woods. National Golf Foundation CLASP award.
- Westchase Swim & Tennis Center · WCA-operated. Pools heated in winter, cooled in summer, open 10am–8pm year-round. Eight lit hard courts total (four at Village, four at Countryway). Tennis lessons, summer camp, tournaments.
- Glencliff Park · 12220 Glencliff Circle. 15 acres — splash pad, shade-sail-covered playground, basketball, two pavilions, soccer fields used by the Westchase Soccer Association.
- Baybridge Park · 10029 Bridgeton Dr. Playgrounds, baseball fields, three pavilions with electric/water hookup.
- Tampa Bay Downs · Western edge of Westchase. Live thoroughbred racing in season, simulcast year-round.
- Upper Tampa Bay Trail · Regional rail-trail running roughly parallel to the Veterans Expressway. Accessible from Westchase via Sheldon Road / Linebaugh.
Two stories, not one
Westchase as a whole is car-dependent. West Park Village is genuinely walkable.
Walk Score for Westchase as a whole is around 28 — car-dependent, like most Tampa suburbs. But Walk Score for the West Park Village core (West Park Village Drive) runs 55–60— "Somewhat Walkable." For a Tampa suburb, that's genuinely high.
That bifurcation is actually the West Park Village pitch — it was deliberately designed as a walkable town center inside an otherwise car-oriented master plan, modeled on Hyde Park. Inside the village, residents legitimately walk to dinner, the gym, the salon, and the pool.
HART transit is limited. The closest mainline bus is Route 34 (Hillsborough Avenue) running east-west south of Westchase. Westchase itself is not a HART hub. The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is the regional rail-trail accessible via Sheldon Road / Linebaugh.
Have a question?
Ask about this area.
Whether you're trying to figure out if it fits your family, your commute, or your VA budget — drop a note. I'll come back with what I know.
No spam. No pressure. Just useful guidance if you're trying to make a smart move.
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Compare nearby
Other Greater Tampa Bay submarkets worth knowing.
South Tampa
Hillsborough County
MacDill in 15 minutes but you pay for it. The premium VA submarket.
Median 3BR/2BA: ~$600k
Carrollwood
Hillsborough County
Established Tampa suburb on the north side. Original Carrollwood mid-century + Carrollwood Village master-planned. Closer to MacDill.
Median 3BR/2BA: ~$450k
Wesley Chapel
Pasco County
Pasco new-construction VA capital. $300-450k buys brand-new. Watch for CDD fees.
Median 3BR/2BA: ~$425k
Brandon
Hillsborough County
Eastern Hillsborough hub. Mature subdivisions, Bloomingdale HS catchment, Brandon Exchange retail core.
Median 3BR/2BA: ~$365k
Westchase fit your read?
The villages are the choice. The schools are the prize.
If Westchase is your target, the next step is one form. I'll walk you through which of the 28 villages fits your budget and pull live VA-eligible inventory.