37°36′10″N76°39′15″W / 37.60278°N 76.65417°W /37.60278; -76.65417
TheMiddle Peninsula is the second of three largepeninsulas on the western shore ofChesapeake Bay inVirginia. To the north theRappahannock River separates it from theNorthern Neck peninsula. To the south theYork River separates it from theVirginia Peninsula.[1][2] It encompasses six Virginia counties:Essex,Gloucester,King and Queen,King William,Mathews, andMiddlesex.[3] Developed for tobacco plantations in the colonial era, in the 21st century the Middle Peninsula is known for its quiet rural life, vegetabletruck-farming, and fishing industry. As of the2020 census, the Middle Peninsula was home to 92,886 people.[4]
There are no cities on the Middle Peninsula and little industry. Among the towns found there,West Point has a pulp-and-paper mill. The unincorporated community ofDeltaville is a popular spot for city-dwellers seeking a weekend boating on the bay.Tappahannock is a thriving community on theRappahannock River, andUrbanna has a small but prosperous tourism industry.
Two small land reservations are home to the state-recognizedPamunkey andMattaponiIndiantribes.
The primary highways on the peninsula areU.S. Route 17 (Tidewater Trail), which connectsFredericksburg with theHampton Roads area, andU.S. Route 360 (Northumberland Highway), which connects theNorthern Neck withRichmond andDanville. Before modern highways existed, passenger ferries and steam freighters linked the entireChesapeake Bay region.
The two southernmost counties on the Middle Peninsula, Gloucester and Mathews, are now considered to be part of theHampton Roads metropolitan area. Gloucester County is connected to theVirginia Peninsula by theGeorge P. Coleman Memorial Bridge, which spans theYork River. King William County and King and Queen County to the west are part of theRichmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
The Middle Peninsula has the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on its south, ...
