Buftea station is on the Bucharest–Ploiești main line. In 2024, 32 to 33 trains a day ran each way on weekdays, according to the town's strategy.
One of the largest reservoirs on the Colentina, with a 594 m dam. It also supplies the town's drinking water. Lake Buciumeni adds 40 ha.
Designed by Joseph Hartl, the palace hosted the Peace of Buftea in March 1918. The whole 24 ha ensemble is a class A historic monument.
Buftea: the short answer
Buftea is a town (oraș) in Ilfov County, about 18 km north-west of central Bucharest. It became a town in 1968, which makes it the oldest locality with town status in today's Ilfov, according to the town's integrated urban development strategy for 2024–2030. At the 2021 census, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) counted 20,586 residents.
Buftea has things few places near Bucharest can match: a lake of 189.5 hectares on the Colentina river, the 19th-century Știrbei palace and park, the film studios built in the 1950s, and a direct train to Bucharest that takes 13 to 15 minutes without stops. It also has a busy national road through its centre, a slower pace of new building than the north-east, and an unresolved dispute over land near its lakes.
In plain words: Buftea suits families who want an established small town with water, history and a train, and who are ready to check the road noise, the flight path and the land title near the lake.
Buftea in numbers
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Town since 1968, Ilfov County | Buftea SIDU 2024–2030 |
| Area | 54.9 km², of which 31.96 km² built-up area (intravilan) | SIDU, citing INS |
| Neighbourhoods | Centru, Studio, Atârnați, Săbăreni, Oțetărie, Flămânzeni, Buciumeni | SIDU |
| Residents, 2002 / 2011 / 2021 | 20,350 / 22,178 / 20,586 | INS |
| Children aged 0–14, 2021 | 3,615 (about 18%) | INS |
| Homes, end of 2021 / end of 2025 | 9,702 / 10,072 | INS, TEMPO LOC101B |
| New homes completed, 2021–2025 | 561 | INS, TEMPO LOC104B |
| Water / sewer / gas networks, 2025 | 78.6 / 72.7 / 79.2 km | INS, TEMPO GOS106B, GOS110A, GOS116A |
Two things stand out. Unlike most of the communes north of the city, Buftea's resident population fell between 2011 and 2021. The population by registered address is higher: 23,291 on 1 January 2024, according to INS figures quoted in the strategy. And its water, sewer and gas networks are of similar length, which is what you would expect from an older town rather than a new suburb.
The lakes
The Colentina river runs through Buftea from north to south and feeds three reservoirs: Buftea, Buciumeni and Flămânzeni. According to the strategy, citing the national water authority (Apele Române):
- Lake Buftea covers 189.5 hectares, with a 594-metre dam and an average depth of 5 metres. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the Colentina valley and is used for irrigation, for the town's drinking water, for leisure and for fish farming.
- Lake Buciumeni covers 40 hectares, with a 135-metre dam.
There are also four forests within the town's limits: Râioasa, Bufteianca, Brâncoveanca and Buciumeanca. There is no protected natural area in Buftea.
One point to check before buying near the water. The strategy reports that in 2014 Apele Române went to court against the town over the Buftea and Buciumeni dams and asked the court to declare land book entries for areas next to the lakes unlawful. In 2024 the case was being retried at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, and the town said it could not build leisure facilities on the shores until it was resolved. If a plot is close to a lake, your lawyer should check this. Our article on living by a lake in Ilfov explains the other shore rules.
The Știrbei palace and the film studios
The Știrbei domain. On the east shore of Lake Buftea, the former Știrbei palace ensemble covers 24 hectares. The palace dates from 1864 and was designed by the architect Joseph Hartl. In March 1918 it hosted the signing of the Peace of Buftea between Romania, Germany and Austria-Hungary. The neo-Gothic chapel, designed by Theophil von Hansen and painted by Gheorghe Tătărăscu, holds the tomb of the ruler Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei. The ensemble, the palace, the chapel, the park, the water tower and the gate pavilion are all class A historic monuments, of national value. The domain is privately owned and used mainly for events, so public access is limited.
The film studios. Built between 1950 and 1957 on 56 hectares on the same east shore, the Buftea studios were the centre of Romanian cinema: in the 1970s and 1980s, 25 to 30 films a year were shot here, according to the strategy. They were sold in 1998 and are privately owned today, with 19 sound stages and 4 indoor water tanks. The northern neighbourhood around them is still called Studio.
For a family, this means a historic setting and large events: the Știrbei domain has hosted a major summer music festival in August in recent years. It also means event traffic and noise on some weekends.
New homes: a slower pace
| Year | Homes completed in Buftea (INS) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 147 |
| 2022 | 174 |
| 2023 | 93 |
| 2024 | 83 |
| 2025 | 64 |
Between 2021 and 2025, Buftea completed 561 homes, against more than 4,900 in Voluntari over the same period. The jump in the housing stock between 2020 and 2021 in the INS series is a recount after the census, not new building. For buyers, a slower pace means fewer new projects to choose from, but also fewer building sites next door.
Buftea is not a new suburb but a small town with its own history, lakes and a train that reaches Bucharest faster than many drives.
Getting around
Train. Buftea station is on the Bucharest–Ploiești main line. According to the strategy, based on 2024 timetables, 32 trains a day ran from Bucharest to Buftea on weekdays and 33 in the other direction, operated by three companies. A non-stop trip takes 13 to 15 minutes, and 18 to 20 minutes with a stop at Chitila. In the morning, trains towards Bucharest left about every 25 minutes. Săbăreni station, in the far west of the town, is on the Bucharest–Pitești line, with 8 trains on weekdays.
Buses. STB line 436 runs from the Studio neighbourhood through Mogoșoaia to the Străulești terminal, next to the M4 metro, in about 22 to 25 minutes. Lines 462 and 466, run by the town's own operator, go to Chitila. The strategy noted that there was no public transport link to Henri Coandă airport, 15 km away.
Roads. The DN1A crosses the centre with one lane in each direction and carries heavy traffic, and the DN7 crosses the west. A 5.77 km bypass (varianta ocolitoare) is under construction: in August 2026 it was at about 35%, and the transport ministry said it could be finished at the end of 2027, a year before the contract deadline. The first northern lot of the A0 ring motorway, with two junctions planned in Buftea, is also under construction.
Noise. Buftea lies on the western extension of the Otopeni runways. On the official 2021 noise maps, 6,695 residents of Buftea were in the 55–60 decibel band, as we explained in our article on airport noise. Check the flight path over the street you choose.
Schools, hospital and services
The national school network for 2025–2026 lists four state middle schools in Buftea (three of them working in two shifts), two state technological high schools and seven state kindergarten units, plus two fee-paying kindergartens. The county's children's palace (Palatul Copiilor și Elevilor Ilfov) and school sports club are based in Buftea.
The town has a county obstetrics and gynaecology hospital with 70 beds, owned by Ilfov County Council, and hosts the Ilfov county court (Tribunalul Ilfov) and the Buftea local court. For other specialities, residents go to Bucharest.
Buftea and Mogoșoaia, side by side
| Buftea | Mogoșoaia | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Town | Commune |
| Residents, 2021 | 20,586 | 9,820 |
| Homes, end of 2025 | 10,072 | 4,902 |
| New homes, 2021–2025 | 561 | 765 |
| Sewer network, 2025 | 72.7 km | 40.2 km |
| Train | Main line to Ploiești, 13–15 min non-stop | Halt on the airport line |
| Landmark | Știrbei palace, studios, Lake Buftea | Brâncoveanu palace, Lake Mogoșoaia |
Both sit on the Colentina lakes, north-west of the city. Buftea is larger, with more schools and a fast train; Mogoșoaia is closer to the city edge. Our Mogoșoaia guide covers its southern neighbour.
Before you buy in Buftea: a checklist
- Locate the neighbourhood. Centru and Studio differ from Săbăreni or Buciumeni in services, roads and distance to the station.
- Check the land title near the lakes. Ask your lawyer to look for any dispute with Apele Române on the plot or its land book.
- Listen to the street. DN1A traffic, the flight path and event weekends near the Știrbei domain all vary by street.
- Ask for the urbanism certificate (certificat de urbanism) for the plot and the plot next door.
- Check the route to the station and walk it, if you plan to commute by train.
- Read the land register extract from ANCPI for owners and charges.
- Ask the school about the shift your child's class will be in.
- Hire an independent lawyer. The seller's or developer's lawyer works for them.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Buftea from Bucharest?
About 18 km from the city centre, north-west, according to the town's strategy. By train, a non-stop trip from Buftea station takes 13 to 15 minutes. By road, the DN1A and the DN7 are busy at peak hours.
How many people live in Buftea?
According to the INS 2021 census, 20,586 residents, down from 22,178 in 2011. The population by registered address was 23,291 on 1 January 2024.
Can you visit the Știrbei palace in Buftea?
The domain is privately owned and used mainly for events, so access for the public is limited. Check the current visiting conditions directly with the domain before you go.
Are the Buftea film studios still working?
Yes. According to the town's strategy, Romanian feature films, advertisements and TV shows are made there, and organised groups of at least 25 people can visit.
Is there a hospital in Buftea?
There is a county obstetrics and gynaecology hospital with 70 beds. For other specialities and emergencies, residents use hospitals in Bucharest.
The bottom line
Buftea is not a new suburb but a small town with its own history, lakes and a train that reaches Bucharest faster than many drives from closer communes. It suits families who value that and prefer an established place to a building site. The checks that matter are local: the noise on your street, the distance to the station and, near the water, the land title.
If you are comparing Buftea with other places north of Bucharest, book a half-hour call with me. We will go through the official figures and your daily routes together, even if you end up buying elsewhere.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Buftea town hall, Integrated Urban Development Strategy 2024–2030 (PDF) · INS, 2021 census, resident population by locality (Table 1.22) · INS TEMPO Online, LOC101B, LOC104B, GOS106B, GOS110A, GOS116A · Ministry of Education, school network 2025–2026 (data.gov.ro) · Economedia, Buftea bypass at 35%, 2 August 2026 · City Population, Buftea census series (INS data)
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures and rules are current as of 22 October 2026. Train timetables, bus routes and road works change; check them with the operators and the town hall, and consult an independent lawyer before any transaction.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
