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History
York County was established in 1634 as one of eight original shires in
Colonial Virginia and has figured prominently in the
political and economic history of Virginia and the Nation. The Port of Yorktown has been the seat of local government since 1691.
York County was the site of the final major battle of the
American Revolution where, on October 19, 1781, British General Lord
Cornwallis surrendered his forces to American and French forces under General
George Washington.
Yorktown also figured prominently in the Civil War serving
as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns depending on
who held Yorktown at the time.
Today, Yorktown is a living part of a national treasure
known as the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown
and Williamsburg,
connected by the Colonial
Parkway, and visited by millions of tourists from all over the world
Local Geography
Government landholdings of more than 40 square miles divide York
County into two distinct commercial centers causing a natural
orientation of the eastern portion of the County toward the Cities of
Newport News, Hampton and Poquoson and the western portion of the County
to the City of Williamsburg and James City County.
York County is in the Tidewater physiographic province on the Virginia
coastal plain. The County is 108 square miles in area, 27 miles
long and 6 miles wide at its broadest point. Elevations range from
sea level to 124 feet above sea level. York County has more than
200 miles of coastline along the York River and other creeks and
estuaries. Large sections of York County are part of the watershed
for Newport News and Williamsburg Waterworks.
Climate
Average annual temperature is 60 degrees. January's average temperature is 39 degrees and July's average is 78 degrees. Annual
rainfall averages about 44 inches and snowfall about 6 inches.
Southeasterly winds prevail. Current
Weather Conditions
Employment
Due to federal employment in southeastern Virginia at the U.S. Naval
Weapons Station and Coast Guard Reserve Training Center in Yorktown,
NASA Research Center, Fort Monroe and Langley Air Force Base in Hampton,
and Fort Eustis in Newport News, employment is relatively stable.
Transportation
(Highways) Most York County roads are maintained by the
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Major roads include
U.S. Interstate 64 and U.S. Highways 17 and 60. State primary
routes include 105, 134, 143, 171, 173 and 238. VDOT also
maintains most streets in the County's residential developments;
however, maintenance responsibility for some streets in townhouse and
condominium developments rests with their individual property owner's
associations.
(Railroads) Freight service is offered by CSX
Amtrak service is available in Newport News and Williamsburg.
(Air Service)
Newport News/Williamsburg International
Airport has commuter flights and air freight services.
Norfolk
International Airport and Richmond's Byrd International Airport offer
daily air and freight services to most major U.S. cities and abroad.
(Waterways) The York River, with a 32-foot wide
channel, is one of the deepest rivers in the world. It is 33 miles
long and was formed 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. The river begins at
the junction of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers
at West Point, Virginia. The York River is an estuary fed by a
mixture of freshwater from rainfall and drainage from the west and tidal
action and saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean and
Chesapeake Bay
from the east.
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