The Chesapeake Bay ( CHESS-ə-peek) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the state of Delaware. The mouth of the bay at its southern point is located between Cape Henry and Cape Charles. With its northern portion in Maryland and the southern part in Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay is a very important feature for the ecology and economy of those two states, as well as others surrounding within its watershed. More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into the bay's 64,299-square-mile (166,534 km2) drainage basin, which covers parts of six states (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia) and all of Washington, D.C.
Eastville is a town in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 300 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County. The Northampton County Courthouse Historic District is part of the Eastville Historic District at the county seat.
Exmore is the largest town in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,473 at the 2020 census. A popular story is that Exmore received its name because it is the tenth railroad station south of the Delaware state line, so there were "X more" stations to go. The same website also states another theory behind the town's name—that it was named for Exmoor, Devon, in south west England. This theory is more plausible because many towns and counties in Virginia were named for places in England. Northampton County itself was named for Northamptonshire.
Cape Charles is a town / municipal corporation in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,009 as of the 2010 Census.
Nassawadox is a town in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 533. The town, with an area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), is located on U.S. Route 13 on Virginia's Eastern Shore, approximately five miles south of Exmore and 25 miles (40 km) north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Anheuser–Busch Coastal Research Center is a biological field station located in Oyster, Virginia that is operated by the University of Virginia. It is a member of the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS). It serves as the research home for the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Program. A new $2.5 million laboratory and housing facility was dedicated in on August 26, 2006.
Arlington is an unincorporated community south of Cape Charles in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Bacon Hill is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Bay Ridge is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Bayford is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Beverly is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Birdsnest is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. It was also known as Bridgetown Station. The local post office closed in October 2011.
Bridgetown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Broadwater is a former town and unincorporated community located on Hog Island, one of the Virginia Barrier Islands, in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The town is the origin of the Hog Island Sheep. After several hurricanes that caused severe shoreline erosion the town was abandoned in the 1930s and many of the houses and other buildings were loaded onto barges and moved to the mainland, where they still stand in Willis Wharf, and Oyster.
Cape Charles Lighthouse is an octagonal cast iron skeleton tower lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on Smith Island which was officially removed from service in 2019. It is the tallest lighthouse in Virginia and the second tallest in the United States. This particular tower is the third lighthouse at this location. The first lighthouse at Cape Charles was a 55-foot (17 m) masonry tower completed in 1828. It was quickly deemed inadequate for its important seacoast location due to its low height and poor visibility at sea. It was soon threatened by erosion so in 1864 it was replaced by a 150-foot (46 m) masonry tower built further inland. Located a little more than a mile southwest of the old tower and 600 feet from the shoreline, the impressive 150-foot-tall conical brick tower was similar in appearance to the 1857 Cape May Lighthouse, painted white and topped with a dark brown lantern room. In 1892, a twenty-five-foot red band was painted around the white tower's midsection, about sixty feet up from the base, to make it more visible during the day. By the 1890s, it too was threatened by beach erosion which jetties built to protect it failed to halt, and with the lighthouse now only 300 feet from the ocean and the shoreline eroding at a rate of 37 feet per year it was decided that a third lighthouse needed to be built three quarters of a mile inland.
The Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center is located at 814 Randolph Avenue, Cape Charles, Virginia, United States. The museum contains exhibits detailing the history and development of Cape Charles and the surrounding region. A large Busch-Sulzer engine and Westinghouse generator serve as the centerpieces of the museum.
Capeville is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Cedar Grove is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Cheapside is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Cherrystone is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Clearview is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Culls is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Dalbys is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,127-acre (4.56 km2) wildlife refuge located in Northampton County, Virginia, at the southern end of the Eastern Shore and near the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Eastville Station is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Fairview is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Fisherman Island is the southernmost island on the Delmarva Peninsula chain of barrier islands. Located at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, the island is subject to great changes in its landscape from waves and runoff. It first formed about 200 to 250 years ago.
Franktown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 61.
Hadlock is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. It is located completely in the town of Exmore. It is located on U.S. Route 13.
Hare Valley is an unincorporated community in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Virginia. Monroe Work documented it among African American towns and settlements in his publications.
Highland Heights is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Hungars Point is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Jamesville is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Johnson Cove is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Johnsontown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Kendall Grove is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The community is located along U.S. Route 13 north of Eastville, Virginia.
Kiptopeke is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Little Johnsontown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Little Salisbury is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Machipongo is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Magotha is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States known mostly for poultry and small chicken farming.
Middletown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Mockhorn Island Wildlife Management Area is a 7,356-acre (29.77 km2) Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The larger of its two tracts is Mockhorn Island, a 7,000-acre (28 km2) island separated from the mainland Eastern Shore and the Virginia Barrier Islands by shallow bays and consisting mainly of tidal marshland along the Atlantic coast; in addition, the area contains a 356-acre (1.44 km2) tract of marsh and upland areas on the mainland. Much of Mockhorn Island is submerged except at low tide. Although much of the island is composed of periodically inundated cordgrass, several hummocks that remain above water host loblolly pine, eastern redcedar, southern wax myrtle, greenbriar, honeysuckle, and poison ivy. The area intends to preserve the natural state of the island.
Nottingham is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Oakland Park is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Oyster is a small unincorporated community on the Atlantic Coast of the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Virginia in Northampton County. It is at an elevation of 3 feet (1 m) above sea level.
The Palace Theatre is a historic movie house located at 305 Mason Avenue, Cape Charles, Virginia, United States. It currently functions as a performing arts venue.
Pat Town is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Reedtown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Seaview is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Shadyside is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Sheps End is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Silver Beach is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Simpkins is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Smith Beach is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The elevation is 20 feet (6 m). Smith Beach appears on the Cheriton U.S. Geological Survey Map. Northampton County is in the Eastern Time Zone (UTC -5 hours).
Stumptown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
The Meadows is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Townsend is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Wardtown is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Weirwood is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States on Virginia's Eastern Shore
Willis Wharf, also known as "Clam Town USA", is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 210.
Woodstock is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Eastville Historic District is a national historic district located at Eastville, Northampton County, Virginia. The district encompasses 315 contributing buildings, 7 contributing sites, and 4 contributing structures in the county seat of Northampton County. The historic district contains a wide variety of residential, commercial, governmental, educational, social, religious, and funerary resources dating from 1731. Notable buildings include the courthouse (1731), clerk's office (c. 1750), Park Hall (c. 1750), Eastville Inn, Ingleside (c. 1810), Hickory Grounds (c. 1825), Maria Robins House (c. 1799), the Old Brick Store (c. 1820), Abdell Funeral Home (c. 1870), Edward Holland House (c. 1870, 1900), and Ailworth Hall (c. 1900). Also located in the district are the separately listed Cessford, Eastville Mercantile, and James Brown's Dry Goods Store.
Hungars Church, also known as Hungars Parish Church, is a historic Episcopal church located at Bridgetown, Northampton County, Virginia. Since 1828, when an additional church was constructed about nine miles away in Eastville (which is now also one of the oldest churches on Virginia's Eastern Shore), the parish has had two churches.
James Crossroads is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Marionville is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Treherneville is an unincorporated community in Northampton County, Virginia, United States.
Hog Island is one of the Virginia Barrier Islands located southeast of Exmore in Northampton County, Virginia, and is a part of the Virginia Coast Reserve of The Nature Conservancy. The island, then known as Machipongo Island was first settled in 1672 by a group of 22 English colonists. The island was later abandoned and remained uninhabited until around the time of the American Revolution when it was resettled. In the late 1800s, at least five lavish hunting and fishing clubs that primarily catered to wealthy sportsmen from the Northeast were established on Virginia's barrier islands; one of the largest and most lavish of these clubs was in the town of Broadwater, Virginia, on Hog Island.
Smith Island is one of the Virginia Barrier Islands located adjacent to the southern end of the Eastern Shore of Virginia in Northampton County near Cape Charles.
Cape Charles Historic District is a national historic district located at Cape Charles, Northampton County, Virginia. The Town was surveyed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 1989, and a National Register Historic District was created and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Custis Tombs, also known as Custis cemetery at Arlington, is a historic family burial ground located near Cheapside, Northampton County, Virginia. It consists of two tombs surrounded by a poured concrete platform raised a few inches above ground level. It includes the grave of John Custis (c. 1629–1696), Major General and member of the Council for Virginia and progenitor of the Custis family in America. The other tomb is the box-like marble tomb of John Custis IV (1678–1749) with its pyramidal top and drapery carvings on the long sides. The tombs were associated with Arlington mansion and located west of the separately listed Arlington Archeological Site.
Northampton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,282. Its county seat is Eastville. Northampton and Accomack Counties are a part of the larger Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Cheriton is a town in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 486 at the 2020 census.