Yorktown, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Yorktown is a census-designated place
(CDP) in York County
, Virginia
, United States
. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634.
The town is most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender
of General Cornwallis to General George Washington
during the American Revolutionary War
on October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown effectively ended the war. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War
(1861–1865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time.
Today, Yorktown is part of an important national resource known as the Historic Triangle
of Yorktown, Jamestown
and Williamsburg
, and is the eastern terminus of the Colonial Parkway
. Yorktown is also the eastern terminus of the TransAmerica Trail, a bicycle touring
route created by the Adventure Cycling Association
.
Yorktown, named for the ancient city of York
in Yorkshire
, Northern England, was founded in 1691 as a port for shipping tobacco to Europe. The lawyer Thomas Ballard was the principal founder of the city along with Joseph Ring. It was called "York" until after the American Revolutionary War, when the name "Yorktown" came into common use.
The town reached the height of its success around 1750 when it had 250 to 300 buildings and a population of almost 2,000 people. It was the base of British
General Charles Cornwallis during the 1781 siege
, which was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War
.
Nine buildings, including the circa-1730 Nelson House, still survive from this period, as well as many of the earthworks
dug by the besieging
American and French forces.
During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
of the American Civil War
(1861–1865), the town was captured from the Confederacy following the Siege and Battle of Yorktown and was then used as a base by the Union
Army of the Potomac
under General George B. McClellan
.
The Yorktown Victory Monument – commemorating the victory, the alliance with France that brought it about and the resulting peace with England – is located just outside the current town. Designed by New York
architect Richard Morris Hunt
, the monument was originally topped by a figure of victory sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward
, but that figure was destroyed by lightning in 1942. It was replaced by a figure of Liberty by Oskar J. W. Hansen in 1957. A memorial to the French war dead of the Yorktown campaign is being planned for construction at the French cemetery on the site of the battle.
in southeastern Virginia. Yorktown has several distinct areas. Yorktown Village or Historic Yorktown is set on the York River
, near the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
that spans said river to reach Gloucester Point. Historic Yorktown is comprised first of a small strip along the beach of the York River, Water Street, which contains several small restaurants, a park, a hotel, a pier, and as of May 2005 completed a building project that has small shops and restaurants. Next, Main Street sits above Water Street on a bluff, around which the architecture is almost exclusively original. The old court house, several small shops, the Nelson House
, and the Yorktown Monument all sit along this road. Around the center of the town are residential streets. Also, architecturally of note is Grace Episcopal Church
, situated on Church Street near the old courthouse of Yorktown. Shops and eateries making up the "Riverwalk" section on the waterfront opened in May 2005. Colonial National Historical Park
, which contains Yorktown National Battlefield and Yorktown National Cemetery, is located on the outskirts of the town.
U.S. Route 17
, also known as George Washington Memorial Highway, is the primary thoroughfare of Yorktown, and cuts past Yorktown by way of the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
across the York River. York County has grown rapidly, and over recent years, the stretch of U.S. 17 that passes through the area has grown from semi-rural highway going through mostly wooded areas to a heavily traveled route on which numerous strip malls and commercial areas are situated. Many of the residential areas of York County branch off of Route 17 or are near Interstate 64. Very little of the recent growth of York County has occurred close to Yorktown, which at this point is becoming much more of a historical colonial village, much like Williamsburg
, under the guidance of the National Park Service
.
Geography makes Yorktown a strategic place in control of upstream portions of the York River and its tributaries and their access to the Chesapeake Bay
. In his Notes on the State of Virginia published in 1781–82, Thomas Jefferson
noted that the York River at Yorktown "affords the best harbour in the state for vessels of the largest size. The river there narrows to the width of a mile, and is contained within very high banks, close under which the vessels may ride." During World War I
, the western shore above Yorktown became a location of choice for the U.S. Navy, as about 13000 acres (52.6 km²), which straddled York, Warwick County
and James City County
were appropriated to create what was originally termed a "naval mine depot". The Navy continues to use it 90 years later.
Many military installations are located in the area around Yorktown :
of 2000, there were 2090 people, 1170 households, and 458 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 314.9 people per square mile (122.5/km2). There were 129 housing units at an average density of 200.1/sq mi (77.8/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.12% White, 5.91% Black or African American, and 0.10% from two or more races.
There were 117 households out of which 8.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.7% were non-families. 53.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.74 and the average family size was 2.63.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 9.4% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,804, and the median income for a family was $74,000. Males had a median income of $26,964 versus $16,923 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $24,748. 0% of the population or families were below the poverty line.
Federally, Yorktown is part of Virginia's 1st congressional district
, represented by Republican Rob Wittman
, elected in 2007.
The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Jim Webb
, elected in 2006. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Mark Warner
, elected in 2008. The Governor of Virginia is Republican Bob McDonnell
, elected in 2009.
. Other papers include the Port Folio Weekly
, the New Journal and Guide
, and the Hampton Roads Business Journal
. Hampton Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Yorktown and the Hampton Roads
area. Yorktown is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads
area.
Yorktown is also served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads designated market area (DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (CBS), WAVY 10 (NBC
), WVEC-TV
13 (ABC
), WGNT
27 (CW
), WTVZ 33 (MyNetworkTV
), WVBT
43 (Fox
), and WPXV
49 (ION Television). The Public Broadcasting Service
station is WHRO-TV
15. Yorktown residents also can receive independent stations, such as WSKY
broadcasting on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS
broadcasting on channel 7. Yorktown is served by Cox Cable which provides LNC 5, a local 24-hour cable news network. DirecTV
and Dish Network
are also popular as an alternative to cable television in Yorktown. Part of TNT
's 1993 telefilm The Broken Chain was shot here.
Yorktown is served by two airports. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
, located in Newport News, and Norfolk International Airport
, in Norfolk, both cater to passengers from Hampton Roads. The primary airport for the Virginia Peninsula is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport . The Airport is experiencing a 4th year of record, double-digit growth, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country. As of May 2010, the airport offers four airlines offering nonstop services throughout the east coast and Denver, Colorado. In January 2006, the airport reported having served 1,058,839 passengers.
Norfolk International Airport
, serves the region. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits of Norfolk
and Virginia Beach
. Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities. The Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport provides general aviation services and is located in Williamsburg.
Amtrak
serves nearby Newport News, Virginia
and Williamsburg, Virginia
with three trains a day. The line runs west along the Virginia Peninsula
to Richmond
and points beyond. Connecting buses are available to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor
and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
are also under study.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634.
The town is most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
of General Cornwallis to General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
on October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown effectively ended the war. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time.
Today, Yorktown is part of an important national resource known as the Historic Triangle
Historic Triangle
The Historic Triangle is located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and includes the colonial communities of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, with many restored attractions linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties and the City of...
of Yorktown, Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, and is the eastern terminus of the Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the three popular attractions of Virginia's Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown...
. Yorktown is also the eastern terminus of the TransAmerica Trail, a bicycle touring
Bicycle touring
Bicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...
route created by the Adventure Cycling Association
Adventure Cycling Association
The Adventure Cycling Association is a national cycling association in the United States which provides services for cycle-tourists, publishes maps and campaigns for better cycling facilities. Its headquarters are in Missoula, Montana...
.
History
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Northern England, was founded in 1691 as a port for shipping tobacco to Europe. The lawyer Thomas Ballard was the principal founder of the city along with Joseph Ring. It was called "York" until after the American Revolutionary War, when the name "Yorktown" came into common use.
The town reached the height of its success around 1750 when it had 250 to 300 buildings and a population of almost 2,000 people. It was the base of British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
General Charles Cornwallis during the 1781 siege
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
, which was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Nine buildings, including the circa-1730 Nelson House, still survive from this period, as well as many of the earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
dug by the besieging
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
American and French forces.
During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), the town was captured from the Confederacy following the Siege and Battle of Yorktown and was then used as a base by the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
under General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
.
The Yorktown Victory Monument – commemorating the victory, the alliance with France that brought it about and the resulting peace with England – is located just outside the current town. Designed by New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
architect Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...
, the monument was originally topped by a figure of victory sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward
John Quincy Adams Ward
John Quincy Adams Ward was an American sculptor, who is most familiar for his over-lifesize standing statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street.-Early years:...
, but that figure was destroyed by lightning in 1942. It was replaced by a figure of Liberty by Oskar J. W. Hansen in 1957. A memorial to the French war dead of the Yorktown campaign is being planned for construction at the French cemetery on the site of the battle.
Geography
Yorktown is situated along the York RiverYork River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
in southeastern Virginia. Yorktown has several distinct areas. Yorktown Village or Historic Yorktown is set on the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
, near the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
The George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge is a double swing bridge that spans the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point, in the U.S. state of Virginia...
that spans said river to reach Gloucester Point. Historic Yorktown is comprised first of a small strip along the beach of the York River, Water Street, which contains several small restaurants, a park, a hotel, a pier, and as of May 2005 completed a building project that has small shops and restaurants. Next, Main Street sits above Water Street on a bluff, around which the architecture is almost exclusively original. The old court house, several small shops, the Nelson House
Nelson House
- United States :*Nelson House , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Baldwin County, Alabama...
, and the Yorktown Monument all sit along this road. Around the center of the town are residential streets. Also, architecturally of note is Grace Episcopal Church
Grace Episcopal Church
-Alabama:*Grace Episcopal Church , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Calhoun County, Alabama*Grace Episcopal Church , listed on the NRHP in Barbour County, Alabama...
, situated on Church Street near the old courthouse of Yorktown. Shops and eateries making up the "Riverwalk" section on the waterfront opened in May 2005. Colonial National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is operated by the National Park Service of the United States government...
, which contains Yorktown National Battlefield and Yorktown National Cemetery, is located on the outskirts of the town.
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 in Virginia
U.S. Route 17 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Punta Gorda, Florida to Winchester, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line in Chesapeake north to its northern terminus at US 11, US 50, and US 522 in Winchester. US 17 is a major highway...
, also known as George Washington Memorial Highway, is the primary thoroughfare of Yorktown, and cuts past Yorktown by way of the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
The George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge is a double swing bridge that spans the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point, in the U.S. state of Virginia...
across the York River. York County has grown rapidly, and over recent years, the stretch of U.S. 17 that passes through the area has grown from semi-rural highway going through mostly wooded areas to a heavily traveled route on which numerous strip malls and commercial areas are situated. Many of the residential areas of York County branch off of Route 17 or are near Interstate 64. Very little of the recent growth of York County has occurred close to Yorktown, which at this point is becoming much more of a historical colonial village, much like Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, under the guidance of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
Geography makes Yorktown a strategic place in control of upstream portions of the York River and its tributaries and their access to the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. In his Notes on the State of Virginia published in 1781–82, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
noted that the York River at Yorktown "affords the best harbour in the state for vessels of the largest size. The river there narrows to the width of a mile, and is contained within very high banks, close under which the vessels may ride." During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the western shore above Yorktown became a location of choice for the U.S. Navy, as about 13000 acres (52.6 km²), which straddled York, Warwick County
Warwick County, Virginia
Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. It became the City of Warwick on July 16, 1952...
and James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
were appropriated to create what was originally termed a "naval mine depot". The Navy continues to use it 90 years later.
- Naval Weapons Station YorktownNaval Weapons Station YorktownNaval Weapons Station Yorktown is a United States Navy base in York County, James City County, and Newport News in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia...
serves as the point at which United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
vessels load and unload ordnance. There have been reports of nuclear weaponNuclear weaponA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s stored there. Cheatham Annex, a facility which includes the former town of PennimanPenniman, VirginiaPenniman was an unincorporated town in northwestern York County, on the south bank of the York River six miles northeast of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States...
, is also included as part of the base, which replaced the original mine depot.
- United States Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown serves as a training school for the United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
- Also close to Yorktown are Camp PearyCamp PearyCamp Peary is a military reservation in York County near Williamsburg, Virginia. Officially it is referred to as the Armed Forces Experimental Training Activity under the auspices of the Department of Defense, but it is widely believed to be the location of a covert CIA training facility known...
(in York County), the expansive Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding yards and facilities, and Fort Eustis Army base (both in Newport NewsNewport News, VirginiaNewport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
) as well as Naval Station NorfolkNaval Station NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
at NorfolkNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and Langley Air Force Base in HamptonHampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2090 people, 1170 households, and 458 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 314.9 people per square mile (122.5/km2). There were 129 housing units at an average density of 200.1/sq mi (77.8/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.12% White, 5.91% Black or African American, and 0.10% from two or more races.
There were 117 households out of which 8.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.7% were non-families. 53.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.74 and the average family size was 2.63.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 9.4% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,804, and the median income for a family was $74,000. Males had a median income of $26,964 versus $16,923 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $24,748. 0% of the population or families were below the poverty line.
Federally, Yorktown is part of Virginia's 1st congressional district
Virginia's 1st congressional district
Virginia's first congressional district is a United States congressional district in the commonwealth of Virginia. It is often referred to as "America's First District" as it includes Jamestown, the first English settlement in the New World...
, represented by Republican Rob Wittman
Rob Wittman
Robert J. Wittman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from the fringes of the Washington suburbs to the Hampton Roads area...
, elected in 2007.
The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, elected in 2006. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
, elected in 2008. The Governor of Virginia is Republican Bob McDonnell
Bob McDonnell
Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...
, elected in 2009.
Media
Yorktown's daily newspaper is the Daily PressDaily Press
There are several newspapers named Daily Press:*Ashland Daily Press, a daily newspaper based in Ashland, Wisconsin*Daily Press , a daily newspaper published in Victorville, California, United States...
. Other papers include the Port Folio Weekly
Port Folio Weekly
Port Folio Weekly is an online publication serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. First published in 1983, the newspaper is owned by Landmark Communications....
, the New Journal and Guide
New Journal and Guide
The New Journal and Guide is a regional weekly newspaper based out of Norfolk, Virginia and serves the Hampton Roads area. The weekly focuses on local and national African-American news, sports, and issues and has been in circulation since 1900....
, and the Hampton Roads Business Journal
Hampton Roads Business Journal
Inside Business is a weekly newspaper serving Norfolk, Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. Its articles focus on the regional business community. Inside Business was formerly known as the Hampton Roads Business Journal.-External links:*...
. Hampton Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Yorktown and the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
area. Yorktown is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
area.
Yorktown is also served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads designated market area (DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (CBS), WAVY 10 (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), WVEC-TV
WVEC-TV
WVEC is the ABC affiliate television station for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, and the surrounding area. It is licensed to Hampton, with its main studio in downtown Norfolk. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia...
13 (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
), WGNT
WGNT
WGNT, channel 27 , is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. WGNT is the CW Television Network affiliate for the Hampton Roads television market and is owned by Local TV, which also operates WTKR , Hampton Roads' CBS affiliate...
27 (CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
), WTVZ 33 (MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
), WVBT
WVBT
WVBT is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Hampton Roads area of Southeastern Virginia that is licensed to Virginia Beach. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in the Driver section of Suffolk...
43 (Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
), and WPXV
WPXV
WPXV-TV is the Ion Television owned and operated station for the Hampton Roads area, licensed to Norfolk, Virginia. The station is owned by ION Media Networks, and operates on UHF digital channel 46.-Pre-WJCB :...
49 (ION Television). The Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
station is WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV digital channel 15 is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for Hampton Roads, Virginia . The station is licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk with the studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University...
15. Yorktown residents also can receive independent stations, such as WSKY
WSKY-TV
WSKY-TV, which was launched in October 2001, is a full-power/full market television independent station serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA television market and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The station, which is part of the Hampton Roads market, broadcasts on digital channel 9...
broadcasting on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS
WGBS-LP
WGBS-LD is a low-power television station in Hampton, Virginia, broadcasting locally on channel 11 and serving the Greater Hampton Roads area. It is owned and operated by Joan & Kenneth Wright....
broadcasting on channel 7. Yorktown is served by Cox Cable which provides LNC 5, a local 24-hour cable news network. DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
are also popular as an alternative to cable television in Yorktown. Part of TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
's 1993 telefilm The Broken Chain was shot here.
Infrastructure
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is an airport located 9 mi northwest of downtown Newport News, Virginia, and serves the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area along with Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk...
, located in Newport News, and Norfolk International Airport
Norfolk International Airport
-Baggage Claims:Southwest Airlines #1,Delta Airlines #2,US Airways | American Airlines #3,Continental Airlines|United Express #5- Facilities and aircraft :...
, in Norfolk, both cater to passengers from Hampton Roads. The primary airport for the Virginia Peninsula is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport . The Airport is experiencing a 4th year of record, double-digit growth, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country. As of May 2010, the airport offers four airlines offering nonstop services throughout the east coast and Denver, Colorado. In January 2006, the airport reported having served 1,058,839 passengers.
Norfolk International Airport
Norfolk International Airport
-Baggage Claims:Southwest Airlines #1,Delta Airlines #2,US Airways | American Airlines #3,Continental Airlines|United Express #5- Facilities and aircraft :...
, serves the region. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities. The Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport provides general aviation services and is located in Williamsburg.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
serves nearby Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
and Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
with three trains a day. The line runs west along the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
to Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and points beyond. Connecting buses are available to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
The Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor is a passenger rail transportation project in the United States to extend high speed passenger rail services from Washington, DC south through Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia through Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina and connect with the existing...
are also under study.