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Johnson Village is located in the southwest area of the city. This area is bounded on the north by Rock Creek, the west by Cherry Avenue from Rock Creek to Cleveland Ave, on the south by Willard Drive and to the east by vacant land over to 5th Street.

Johnson Village is a development, which began in 1962 containing a total of 112 acres, of which 42 acres remain undeveloped. It was developed section by section, and has 7 separate sections to date. The original plan showed 336 lots with three accesses: One at Shamrock Road, one at Highland Avenue, and one at 5th Street and Cleveland Avenue. It is a subdivision, suburban in character, and it consists primarily of over 200 single family detached housing units.

This property has been in continuous ownership of Johnson Village, Inc., which is owned 100% by LeRoy Bruton since the subdivision was begun in Albemarle County, prior to annexation by the City in 1962. At that time this property was zoned R-2 and developed in accordance with R-2 provisions.

Johnson Village is the remaining vestige of land originally owned by Bellemeade Development Corporation, which was in turn owned by the McElroy family dating from 1935 - before Cherry Avenue was built. Forest Hills, Green Valleys, Johnson School, and the U.S. Army Reserve Building were part of earlier sales by Bellemeade.

The location and topography make this a unique body of land. It was attractive for development because it surrounded an elementary school and because of its proximity to the UVA and downtown Charlottesville.

A focal point of the neighborhood is Johnson Elementary School. Built in 1954, Johnson School is located in the northern section of the neighborhood. Not only does the school serve as a place of education, but also as a neighborhood meeting place, and recreation place for youth in and around the community.

Topographically, Johnson Village is bounded on one side by Cherry Avenue, and has streams forming 2 other boundaries from which the land rises to a reasonably level high plateau. WINA's radio tower once sat on the plateau. WINA, at the time of the tower's construction, was owned by the Parker family, one of the McElroy family siblings.

The existing Antoinette Avenue is the same name that was on record since the days when there was a trolley from Downtown to Fry Springs. Portions of the old trolley track's elevated rail mound can still be seen in some areas.