Six houses join together to create Crofton Christmas. Photo courtesy of Crofton Christmas, Facebook

Best Neighborhood Christmas Lights in Maryland

1. Crofton Christmas — Crofton

Six houses on Urby Drive go all-out with Christmas decorations. Even the sidewalk is lined with Christmas lights! Young kids will especially love the giant inflatable Rudolph and Clarice and the inflatable snowmen, Santas, penguins, and more. There's a scavenger hunt, a bake sale, and hot cocoa on select dates. 

2. Bel Air

It's worth a drive to this Baltimore suburb to see the Cedar Lane Holiday Light Show at 1111 Cedar Lane. The dazzling show includes two 22-foot mega trees, fountains, fog, and lights that are synchronized to holiday music that visitors can listen to from their cars on 107.9 FM.

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Families have been flocking to Miracle on 34th Street for over 75 years. Photo courtesy of Miracle on 34th Street, Facebook

3. Miracle on 34th Street — Baltimore

This one's not technically in the suburbs, but we couldn't not include it. Since 1947, the 700 block of 34th Street in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood has put up over-the-top Christmas lights and decorations, with every house on the block participating. Visiting the street has become a holiday tradition for many families, who flock to see the musical trains, inflatable snow globes, Disney-themed displays, and more. Food and drinks are available for purchase, and kids can take pictures with Santa. The lights stay on through New Year's Day.

4. Ellicott City

The house at 4802 Red Hill Way puts on Ellicott City Lights, an extravagant holiday light display synced to music. Arrows on the street corner saying "This Way Santa" point families in the right direction. Look for fun touches such as light-up Baltimore Ravens and Orioles signs.

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Kids will delight in the huge number of inflatables at Mamulaville. Photo courtesy of Mamulaville, Facebook

5. Severn

Mamulaville, a Christmas lights display at 1545 Ringe Drive in this Baltimore suburb, includes more than 70 inflatables, lots of light-up arches, and 1,900 feet of lights.

About a 10-minute drive from Mamulaville is the Lights at Elmhurst light show at 7881 Walnut Grove Road, which synchronizes thousands of lights to music played through 88.3 FM. Three playlists lasting 30 minutes alternate nightly. 

Last but not least is the Quarterfield Lights display at 8126 Quarterfield Farms Drive, a portion of which is synchronized to music. Families can view the display from inside or outside their vehicles, and kids can send letters to Santa through the special mailbox.

6. Kentlands Christmas — Gaithersburg

Each year the homeowners at 202 Little Quarry Road put together a dazzling Christmas light show set to music, complete with a "talking" animatronic tree. Many of the songs in the show are from popular Christmas movies. The show has been featured on local news stations several times, so it's worth a visit. Many other houses in the Kentlands neighborhood also do it up big, so be sure to drive around!

Best Neighborhood Christmas Lights in Northern Virginia

7. Arlington

The house at 1620 S. Quincy Street offers interactive holiday fun. Families can take photos on the sled in the driveway and mail a letter to Santa (include your return address for a postcard reply). Decorations include a four-story-tall star, a peeing reindeer, and tons of Christmas lights.

Then, drive two minutes to local neighborhood favorite 1813 S. Oakland Street, which features a two-story tree wrapped in lights, plenty of lighted holiday figures, and free candy canes for kids. Music plays on weekends. 

Elsewhere in Arlington, blinking lights cover nearly every square inch of the house and yard at 523 S. Harrison Street, with animated wire frames on the roof and ground. When you get to S. Harrison Street, turn left at the circle and view the display from the bottom of the circle. Be sure to tune your radio to 98.1 FM. 

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Head to Old Town Alexandria for postcard-worthy Christmas scenes. Photo by Chris Bridner, courtesy of Visit Alexandria

8. Old Town Alexandria

Want to feel like you're in a Hallmark Christmas movie? Head to Old Town Alexandria, where the trees lining historic King Street are covered with lights and the storefronts are decked out to the nines. Then, stroll along the red-brick sidewalks of the residential side streets, including S. Fairfax Street and Lee Street, to see the charming decorations on homes.

Be sure to stop by the historic Carlyle House to see its dancing white lights and glowing garden oasis. You can also see the giant holiday trees at Triangle Park at the corner of King and Fayette streets and at Market Square at 301 King Street.

9. Del Ray

Another festive Alexandria neighborhood to check out is Del Ray, where residents of East Luray Avenue have put giant, colorful Christmas cards made out of plywood in their front yards since 2014. Called Holiday Card Lane, its mainly in the 100-300 blocks of the street, but new homes continue to join the fun. Residents illuminate the cards with spotlights—and many also put up other holiday lights—so families can walk or drive down Holiday Card Lane at night. 

10. Collingwood Lights — Alexandria

Bill, the owner of 1601 Collingwood Road, puts on the mother of all home light displays. He has created many of the wireframe figures featured in Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights, and his house display also includes many wireframes. The jumping fish, flying birds, dancing stars, and more are animated to music played through 88.1 FM. The show is quite long, too—some people set up chairs across the street to enjoy it. Collingwood Lights even won ABC's Great Christmas Light Fight in 2018 and was featured on TLC's Invasion of the Christmas Lights. It's a must-see!

11. Burke

An entire pipe stem off Marshall Pond Road teams up to create the Marshall Pond Christmas Village. Nearly every house is covered with lights, inflatables, Christmas sculptures, and more. Families can park outside the pipe stem and walk through for an up-close look at the lights and decorations. My family goes every year, and we are dazzled every time!

About a seven-minute drive from Marshall Pond is the fantastic animated light show at 6410 Glenbard Road, set to music played through 88.3 FM. The display includes lots of dinosaurs (including a baby dino paddock), a pirate Santa, Baby Yoda, and more. My kids especially love the "Hamildolph" song, a Hamilton parody about Rudolph.

And if your family loves the movie Elf, you can't miss the small Elf display at 9615 Ashbourn Drive. Start on the streets of NYC to view the Gimbels windows full of small toys. Then journey through the Lincoln tunnel, the sea of swirly twirly gumdrops, and the seven levels of the candy cane forest to the North Pole to visit Buddy and Santa. 

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You never know when Santa will drop by the Ni Family Lights show. Photo courtesy of Ni Family Lights, Facebook

12. Vienna

Head to 2528 Drexel Street to enjoy Ni Family Lights, a roughly 15-minute animated light show featuring a giant tree with pixelated cartoons that dance along to the music. Tune your radio to 90.3 FM to hear the music from your car, or get out and listen through the speakers in front of the house. The changing playlist includes some Christmas music, but kids will especially love the songs from popular movies like Wicked. This is one of my family's favorites!

About seven minutes away at 602 Birch Street SW, you'll find Paradise Family Lights, one of the most unique home Christmas light shows. Rather than traditional Christmas lights, the show includes full projections of holiday scenes and Christmas movies on the front of the house, all set to music that plays through 89.7 FM. It's super cool, but the street is very narrow, so you may have to be patient and wait your turn to get close to the show. Trust me—it's worth it. My family won't miss this one!

Also nearby is 10203 Lawyers Road, where kids will love the mini zoo of lighted animal figures, the animated dinosaurs, the waterfall scene with light-up sea creatures, and more. Families can slowly drive or walk through the semi-circle driveway to get a closer look at the decorations. If you prefer to walk, park on Galloping Way and cross Lawyers Road. 

13. Annandale

Tune your car radio to 88.1 FM to enjoy the spectacular light show at 3912 Lincolnshire Street. The house is covered with dazzling Christmas lights that blink and change colors along to the music. As a bonus, most of the neighbors' houses on the street are lit up as well. Note: This light show usually comes on closer to Christmas, so save your visit until later in December.

To watch a second light show, drive less than 10 minutes to 8505 Forest Street and change the radio to 101.5 FM. The lights that cover the house, the archways along the driveway, and the trees change colors as they "dance" along to a kid-friendly holiday playlist. The show lasts about 35 minutes.

14. Ashburn

If you're up for a drive, head over to 21260 Rosetta Place in Ashburn to see the Horn family's breathtaking display, which features 90,000 pixel lights set to music (89.7 FM). But be prepared for crowds—the house is being featured this year on ABC's The Great Christmas Light Fight!

While out that way, take the less-than-15-minute drive to 42580 Blue Copper Way. Kids will love all the lighted figures in the front yard, and the trees wrapped in white lights bring serious brightness!

Insider Tips for Seeing Christmas Lights in DC

Map Your Route

Use GPS to plan your route ahead of time so you can hit up several houses and/or neighborhoods without driving back and forth.

Make it Special

Wear festive pajamas, bring hot cocoa, and crank some holiday music as you drive around to look at Christmas lights. It's one of the best free family Christmas activities in DC!

Be Considerate of Others

My biggest pet peeve is when someone parks directly in front of a house with an animated light show, thereby blocking everyone's view. Proper etiquette is to park across the street and turn your headlights off. If you're farther back in a line of vehicles, just be patient and inch your way forward as other cars leave. Be sure not to block the road or neighbors' driveways.

Dress Appropriately

If you're visiting a display that requires walking through, like the Marshall Pond Christmas Village or the Elfhouse in Burke, don't forget those coats, hats, and gloves!

DC Christmas Lights FAQ

Q: Where are the best neighborhood Christmas lights in DC?
A: The best DC-area neighborhoods to see Christmas lights are in the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs, such as the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg, MD and several Alexandria, VA neighborhoods.

Q: Are there free Christmas light displays in Houston?
A: These neighborhood Christmas lights displays are all free! To check out light shows and drive-thrus, see our post about the best holiday lights drive-thrus and Christmas light shows near DC.

Q: When do Christmas lights start in DC?
A: Most major displays begin in mid-November and run through early January. Neighborhood holiday lights usually go up right after Thanksgiving.

Q: Are DC Christmas lights kid-friendly?
A: Definitely! The neighborhood displays we've highlighted include features kids love, like animated displays that sync to music, figures and inflatables of popular characters, Santa visits, and hot cocoa.