Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city on the Virginia Peninsula in Virginia. It covers 8.7 sq mi (22.5 sq km) and has a population of 14,000 people (2011 estimate). The city is noted for the political events that led to the American Revolution.

Courthouse, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williamsburg_Virginia_Court_House.jpg
Author: Bradley Jones


Williamsburg is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It experiences a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters.

When English colonists established Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia in 1607, Williamsburg was still forested. It was only settled in 1638 and was originally known as Middle Plantation. In those early days, Middle Plantation stood in for Jamestown as seat of government whenever the latter was hit by calamity, such as when it burned down in 1698. In 1699, Middle Plantation was selected to be the colonial capital. It was then renamed Williamsburg after King William III of England.

Williamsburg lost its role as the capital of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War. Fearful that its location made it vulnerable to British attack, then-Governor Thomas Jefferson relocated the capital to Richmond. Having lost its prominence, the town began to decline.

Williamsburg was in a state of semi-slumber until the 20th century, when Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin proposed turning it into a massive living museum. Initially he intended to preserve only a small portion of the city, to be accomplished by 1907, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. However when he returned in 1923, and saw many of the colonial-era buildings to be badly run down, he expanded on his dream.

With financial support from philantropist John D. Rockefeller and his wife Abby, Rev. Goodwin turned downtown Williamsburg into Colonial Williamsburg, today the largest tourist attraction in Virginia. Today Colonial Williamsburg is part of the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which includes Jamestown and Yorktown.

Visiting Williamsburg

Williamsburg is served served by Interstate 64, accessed via Exit 238.

Places of Interest in Williamsburg

Places of Interest in Colonial Williamsburg

Nearby Cities of the Historic Triangle of Virginia

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