Welcome to "Rivah Country," a boater's paradise of beautiful waters, miles of coastline with deep water creeks offering sheltered harbor, and a full range of marine services. This is also a region of gently rolling farmland, horse farms, scenic drives, fields of daffodils and buttercups, and forests of wild turkeys. It's a genealogist's paradise as well, with historic courthouse towns holding some of the country's earliest records. We're within reach of Williamsburg and Richmond but away from their congestion, and with lots of our own amusements to offer. Come sail the rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, book a fishing charter, tour antique shops, golf, kayak, feast on local crab. Enjoy the mix of old and new - 18th century churches and courthouse towns, stylish shops and waterfront condos. Most of all, enjoy the unprententious charm of an area that hasn't been overcommercialized.
As a start, this website covers the Middle Peninsula counties that touch the Chesapeake Bay:
- Middlesex County, the northeast strip of the peninsula, between the Rappahannock and the Piankatank Rivers; its courthouse town is Saluda, and it has the historic port of Urbanna and the boating community of Deltaville;
- Mathews County, formerly Kingston Parish of Gloucester county, divided as of 1 May 1791;
- Gloucester County, established 1651; across the river from Yorktown.
But the peninsula also includes the more upriver counties of
There are three incorporated towns: West Point (on the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers), Tappahannock (on the Rappahannock) and Urbanna (on Urbanna Creek off the Rappahannock). What did we tell you? River country!
To get here by car, from:
... Washington, DC: leave I-95 at Massaponax (exit after Fredericksburg) and travel south on Route 17
... Richmond: head east on highway 64 or 60
... Williamsburg, Jamestown, or Yorktown: travel north on Route 17, crossing the York River from Yorktown to Gloucester Point/Hayes
... Virginia Beach and Norfolk: come north on Route 17, or take Route 64 west and exit for Yorktown, then as above
... North Carolina: take I-95 towards Richmond, exit on I-295 which will take you to 64 East, then Route 33 to West Point
... Maryland: take Route 301 south and cross into VA, then follow Route 17
Major airports serving this area:
Williamsburg-Newport News, 20 minutes and up
Richmond International, 30 minutes and up
Washington Dulles, 2 to 3 hours
Fields for private planes: Hummel Field, Middlesex County Airport at Topping.
Middle Peninsula Regional Airport, West Point (5 min to 1:15).
Tappahannock-Essex Airport