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West Grove and Avondale, PA (Avon Grove School District): What to Know

West Grove and Avondale are two small boroughs in southern Chester County, ringed by the farms and mushroom houses of London Grove Township. Here's where they are, what they're like, the Avon Grove School District, getting around and what there is to do.

A tree-lined country road past a white farmhouse and red barn

West Grove and Avondale are two small boroughs in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, between Kennett Square and Oxford in the heart of the county's mushroom-growing region. Living here means a compact, walkable borough center with a library, post office and parks, surrounded by the farms and open country of London Grove Township, with US Route 1 and PA Route 41 for getting out of town. Both boroughs, and the five townships around them, are served by the Avon Grove School District.

Last reviewed October 13, 2026. For current home prices, talk to a Foraker agent; this guide doesn't quote market figures because they go stale fast.

Where are West Grove and Avondale?

West Grove covers 0.65 square miles and is completely surrounded by London Grove Township. The borough's 2022 comprehensive plan places it midway between Kennett Square and Oxford, about 36 miles southwest of Philadelphia and 16 miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware. Avondale, the smaller of the two, lies between West Grove and Kennett Square.

At the 2020 Census, West Grove had 2,770 residents and Avondale 1,274, according to the Chester County Planning Commission's census summary. Both towns grew up as the two village centers of London Grove Township after the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad arrived in 1860. County planners now treat West Grove, Avondale, Kennett Square and Oxford as southern Chester County's four "Urban Centers": historic downtowns that serve the farmland around them.

What are the towns like?

West Grove separated from London Grove Township and became a borough in 1893. It takes its name from the Friends Meeting House on Harmony Road, built in 1787. In the early 1900s it was known as the "Home of Roses": the Dingee & Conard nursery, founded in 1868, shipped so much that by the late 1880s West Grove's post office was the second-biggest in Chester County.

Today the downtown covers about 35 acres around Evergreen Street (Baltimore Pike) and Prospect Street (PA Route 841). The borough offices, public library, post office and the West Grove Fire Company are all there, and Exchange Place keeps much of its historic commercial architecture. The borough is largely built out, with Harmony Park to the northwest and Memorial Park southeast of downtown.

Avondale sits on PA Route 41 (Pennsylvania Avenue / Gap Newport Pike), where the road crosses the East Branch of White Clay Creek. Outside the boroughs, the townships are more rural. If you're looking at a country property, ask early whether it runs on a private well and septic system; our septic and well inspection guide covers what to check.

What school district are West Grove and Avondale in?

Both boroughs are in the Avon Grove School District. Chester County's tax-rate chart lists seven municipalities in the district: Avondale and West Grove boroughs, plus Franklin, London Britain, London Grove, New London and Penn townships.

The district runs four schools, all with West Grove addresses:

  • Penn London Elementary School (kindergarten and 1st grade)
  • Avon Grove Intermediate School (grades 2 to 5)
  • Avon Grove Middle School (grades 6 to 8)
  • Avon Grove High School (grades 9 to 12)

The district's published enrollment table shows 4,710 students. A mailing address doesn't settle which district a house is in; the municipality does. Before you write an offer, confirm the township on the property's tax record.

How do you get around?

  • US Route 1 (the Kennett-Oxford Bypass) runs through Penn Township, London Grove Township and West Grove Borough. PennDOT plans to rebuild about 6.5 miles of it, from just north of the Route 896 interchange to just north of the Route 41 interchange, so check for work zones if you'll commute that way.
  • PA Route 41 runs through Avondale and London Grove Township and has its own interchange with US 1. PennDOT is working on a series of improvements along it, including at the Route 841 intersection and the US 1 interchange.
  • PA Route 841 runs through downtown West Grove.
  • Bus: Chescobus's SCCOOT route runs weekdays between Oxford and West Chester through West Grove, Avondale and Kennett Square. At the West Chester Transportation Center it connects with SEPTA Routes 92, 104 and 135.

A freight line, the East Penn Railroad's Octoraro and Wilmington & Northern branch, runs through the center of West Grove.

What is there to do?

  • Downtown West Grove: the public library, Exchange Place and the borough's parks are all within walking distance of one another.
  • White Clay Creek Preserve: a 1,388-acre state preserve in Landenberg, three miles north of Newark, Delaware. It shares a boundary with Delaware's White Clay Creek State Park, and Congress has designated White Clay Creek a National Wild and Scenic River.
  • Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area: just over the Maryland line, Fair Hill covers 5,656 acres with about 80 miles of trails for hiking, running, biking and riding. Pennsylvania borders it to the north.
  • Kennett Square and Longwood Gardens: a few miles east. Longwood is on US Route 1 about 3 miles northeast of Kennett Square. Our Kennett Square guide covers the town.

Who does West Grove and Avondale suit?

The area works well for buyers who want:

  • a small borough where the library, post office and parks are in walking distance;
  • land, a farmhouse or a home on a well and septic in the surrounding townships;
  • a southern Chester County base with Kennett Square, Newark and Wilmington within reach;
  • flexibility across state lines, since Delaware and Maryland are both close and the right house might be on either side.

For what homes cost right now, talk to a Foraker agent; we'll pull current sales for the specific street or township you're considering.

Talk to someone who lives here

I'm Brian Foraker, owner of Foraker Realty Co., and I live in West Grove. Our headquarters is just down the road at 135 E State St in Kennett Square. If you're thinking about buying or selling in West Grove, Avondale or anywhere in the Avon Grove School District, start on our buying page or selling page, browse current listings at forakerrealty.com, or call us at (484) 406-3004.

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