Dartford

Dartford is a 172-home subdivision on 53 acres straddling the Maury/Williamson County line in Spring Hill (Ward 1). Built entirely by Pulte Homes between 2018 and 2021, it sits off Port Royal Road on the city's south side. Homes range from $450K to $610K, placing Dartford in the upper-middle tier of Spring Hill pricing.

The critical detail for most buyers: Dartford is zoned for Maury County Public Schools (MCPS), not Williamson County Schools. This is the single biggest factor that separates Dartford from neighborhoods just a few miles north. MCPS and WCS are dramatically different in test scores, graduation rates, and parent satisfaction. If school district is your primary decision driver, that distinction matters more than anything else about this neighborhood.

There's also a separate development nearby called Dartford Townhomes — a rental community at 100 Grand Avenue. Don't confuse the two. The Dartford subdivision is owner-occupied single-family homes. The Dartford Townhomes are purpose-built rentals with no ownership component.

History and Development

Pulte Homes built Dartford in a single, fast-paced phase between 2018 and 2021. Pulte is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States — publicly traded, headquartered in Atlanta — and they have a significant footprint across Middle Tennessee. Their Spring Hill portfolio has included communities like Brixworth (earlier phases) and Homestead at Carter's Station.

Dartford was marketed as a community "for growing families with affordability and style." Pulte offered several floor plans including the Harris (a two-story, three-bedroom starter) and the Douglas (a more family-oriented layout with all bedrooms upstairs and a loft). The emphasis was on open-concept main floors, practical layouts, and included upgrades over typical spec-home finishes.

The community sold out completely. Pulte's own website now directs interested buyers to Homestead at Carter's Station as the closest comparable community.

Current status: Fully sold out. All 172 homes are resale only.

Location and Access

Dartford sits off Port Royal Road, which runs through the southern portion of Spring Hill — an area that straddles the Maury/Williamson County boundary. The community's address puts it primarily in Maury County for school zoning purposes.

Key distances and access points:

• Port Royal Road is the main access road
• Saturn Parkway: Close by, providing quick access to I-65
• I-65: Approximately 10 minutes
• Downtown Franklin: About 20 minutes north
• Columbia: About 15 minutes south
• Downtown Nashville: About 35-40 miles, roughly 40-50 minutes without traffic
• Port Royal Park (Maury County): Nearby — offers disc golf, picnic areas, and river access

Streets in the subdivision: Cadence Drive, Lonergan Circle, and Sercy Drive. The sales office was located at 4122 Cadence Drive.

The Port Royal Road corridor has seen significant commercial development in recent years, narrowing the convenience gap between this area and the Columbia Pike (US-31) corridor on the Williamson County side. You'll find increasing retail and dining options without having to drive to the main part of town.

Homes

Dartford is all single-family detached homes, built on a consistent Pulte design template. These are two-story homes with a narrow, efficient footprint typical of Pulte's approach in this price range.

Size range: 2,063 to 2,444 sq ft

Bedrooms: 3 to 4

Bathrooms: 2.5 to 3

Lot sizes: 0.15 to 0.21 acres (compact — corner lots on Lonergan Circle tend to have more usable yard space)

Garages: Two-car attached

Foundations: Slab

Exterior materials: Vinyl siding or partial brick with vinyl siding. This is a meaningful difference from the all-brick neighborhoods at higher price points — vinyl is lower maintenance but also lower perceived quality.

Common features: 9-foot main-level ceilings, open-concept kitchen/great room, upstairs laundry, flex spaces for home offices, and Pulte's standard finish package which includes solid-surface counters and upgraded flooring.

Floor plans offered (when active):

• Harris: 3-bedroom, two-story with oversized great room flowing into kitchen, flex space on main level, upstairs laundry
• Douglas: 3-bedroom with bright open floor plan, all bedrooms upstairs, loft space for home office or playroom
• Additional plans were available with 4-bedroom configurations and custom upgrades (some listings note "$50,000 in custom upgrades")

Pricing

Transaction volume is low — only 2 sales recorded in the trailing 12 months. With 172 homes, that's very low turnover, which suggests most homeowners are staying put. The low volume also makes it harder to pin down precise market values; you may need to look at surrounding Port Royal Road neighborhoods for additional comparable sales data.

Amenities

Dartford's amenities are limited:

• Walking trail (referenced in some listings)
• Common area grounds maintenance via HOA
• No community pool
• No clubhouse
• No tennis/pickleball courts
• No playground

For recreation, Port Royal Park is nearby in Maury County and offers disc golf, picnic areas, and river access. Spring Hill's broader parks system is also available, though the best facilities tend to be on the Williamson County side of the city.

HOA

HOA dues: $55/month ($660/year)

The HOA covers:

• Common area maintenance
• Grounds maintenance
• Walking trail upkeep

At $660/year, this is a moderate fee for what's included. There's no pool or clubhouse to fund, so the money goes toward landscaping and shared spaces.

The HOA management company is not prominently documented in public sources. Pulte communities in the area typically use professional management firms — buyers should request HOA documents and management contacts during the purchase process.

Schools

This is where it gets important. Dartford falls under Maury County Public Schools (MCPS), not Williamson County Schools. The performance gap between these districts is substantial.

Marvin Wright Elementary School

• Grades PK-4, approximately 629 students
• SchoolDigger rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Ranked in the top 30% of Tennessee schools
• Test scores: 48.5% proficient in math, 54.4% in ELA, 53.9% in science
• These scores are well above Maury County averages (33.2% math, 30.1% ELA) but below Williamson County school averages
• Student-teacher ratio: roughly 15:1
• Demographics: 68% White, 13% Hispanic, 10% Black, 6% two or more races

Spring Hill Middle School

• Grades 5-8, approximately 538 students
• Niche grade: B-
• Test scores: 34% proficient in math, 35% in reading
• Ranks better than 65.5% of Tennessee middle schools
• Ranked 2nd among 5 ranked middle schools in Maury County
• Challenges with chronic absenteeism noted

Spring Hill High School

• Grades 9-12, approximately 1,243 students
• Niche grade: C
• GreatSchools rating: 3/10
• Test scores: 19% proficient in math, 35% in reading
• Graduation rate: 83-89% (below state average)
• AP participation rate: 20%
• SchoolDigger ranking: 173rd of 389 Tennessee high schools

The comparison that matters: Williamson County's Page High School (which serves Pipkin Hills a few miles away) has a 96% graduation rate, 63% math proficiency, and 80% reading proficiency. Spring Hill High School has an 83-89% graduation rate, 19% math proficiency, and 35% reading proficiency. That's a night-and-day difference. If you have school-age kids, this is the single most important data point about Dartford.

A Note on Dartford Townhomes

The rental community called "Dartford Townhomes" at 100 Grand Avenue is a separate property — not part of the Dartford subdivision. These are purpose-built rental townhomes:

• 3-bedroom units, 1,679-1,680 sq ft
• Monthly rent: $2,145-$2,295
• Includes private direct-access garages
• Pet-friendly (with breed restrictions, weight limits, and additional fees)
• Located nearby but not connected to the owner-occupied Dartford subdivision

The naming overlap confuses people. If you're looking to buy, you want the Dartford subdivision on Cadence Drive/Lonergan Circle. If you're looking to rent, the Dartford Townhomes are on Grand Avenue.

Community Feel

Dartford is a newer, compact community where most homeowners moved in within the past 5-7 years. The homes are close together — 0.15-0.21 acre lots with two-story houses means you can see into your neighbor's windows. Privacy requires fencing and strategic landscaping.

The community is quiet. Low turnover (2 sales in 12 months out of 172 homes) suggests people who moved here are staying. That stability is a positive signal — it means the neighborhood isn't transient, and people have generally been satisfied enough not to flip and leave.

The Port Royal Road location puts Dartford slightly away from the main hub of Spring Hill activity on Columbia Pike, but commercial development along Port Royal Road has been filling in. It's not isolated — you have shopping and dining options nearby without driving across town.

Honest Pros and Cons

Pros

• Newer construction — built 2018-2021, which means modern systems, current building codes, energy-efficient HVAC, and minimal maintenance for the first 5-10 years
• Pulte Homes build quality — Pulte is a national builder with established warranty programs and standardized construction processes. Not custom quality, but reliable
• Reasonable price point — $450K-$610K gets you 2,000-2,400 sq ft of newer construction. That's competitive for the Spring Hill area
• Low HOA — $660/year is modest and doesn't carry the overhead of pool/clubhouse maintenance
• Low turnover — residents are staying, which suggests neighborhood satisfaction
• Port Royal Road access — growing commercial corridor with increasing convenience
• Proximity to Port Royal Park — disc golf, river access, and green space nearby

Cons

• Maury County schools — this is the dealbreaker for many families. Spring Hill High School carries a C Niche grade with 19% math proficiency, compared to A-rated WCS schools nearby. If you have or plan to have school-age kids, you need to weigh this seriously
• Compact lot sizes — 0.15-0.21 acres is tight. These are among the smallest lots in Spring Hill. Expect close neighbors and limited yard space
• Vinyl siding exteriors — functional and low-maintenance, but it signals a lower price tier and may affect resale appeal compared to brick neighborhoods
• No pool or clubhouse — limited amenities for the HOA fee
• Naming confusion with Dartford Townhomes — the nearby rental community creates confusion that can complicate property searches and neighborhood perception
• Low transaction volume — with only 2 sales in 12 months, it's harder to establish market value accurately, and selling may take longer
• Two-story only — no ranch or single-story options. If you need main-level living, Dartford doesn't offer it

Last updated: April 2026

Sources: Nashville Home Guru, Pulte Homes, NewHomeSource, Zillow, Nextdoor, Niche.com, GreatSchools, SchoolDigger, PublicSchoolReview, U.S. News Education, Apartments.com (Dartford Townhomes), Dartford Townhomes website