Back Willamesbyrg (Firginiæ) ANG ويليامزبرغ (فرجينيا) Arabic Vilyamsberq (Virciniya) Azerbaijani ویلیامزبورق، ویرجینیا AZB Williamsburg, Virginia BAR Уилямсбърг Bulgarian Вильямсбург (Виргини) CE Williamsburg (kapital sa kondado sa Tinipong Bansa, Virginia) CEB Williamsburg (Virginie) Czech Williamsburg (Virginia) Danish

Williamsburg, Virginia

This article is about the independent city in Virginia. For the city's historic district, see Colonial Williamsburg.

Williamsburg
Independent city
The Williamsburg Governor's Palace in 2012
The Williamsburg Governor's Palace in 2012
Flag of Williamsburg
Flag
Official seal of Williamsburg
Seal
Coat of arms of Williamsburg
Coat of arms
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Williamsburg is located in Virginia
Williamsburg
Williamsburg
Williamsburg is located in the United States
Williamsburg
Williamsburg
Coordinates: 37°16′15″N 76°42′25″W / 37.27083°N 76.70694°W / 37.27083; -76.70694
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
Founded1632
Named forWilliam III of England[1]
Government
 • MayorDoug Pons
 • Vice MayorPat Dent
Area
[2]
 • Total9.10 sq mi (23.57 km2)
 • Land8.94 sq mi (23.15 km2)
 • Water0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2)
Elevation
82 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total15,425
 • Density1,700/sq mi (650/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
23185-23188
Area code(s)757, 948
FIPS code51-86160[4]
GNIS feature ID1498551[5]
Websitewilliamsburgva.gov

Williamsburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425.[6] Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east.

English settlers founded Williamsburg in 1632 as Middle Plantation, a fortified settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers, and farther inland than their headquarters at Jamestown. The city functioned as the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and became the center of political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution. The College of William & Mary, established in 1693, is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the only one of the nine colonial colleges in the South. Its alumni include three U.S. presidents as well as many other important figures in the nation's early history.

The city's tourism-based economy is driven by Colonial Williamsburg, the city's restored Historic Area. Along with nearby Jamestown and Yorktown, Williamsburg forms part of the Historic Triangle, which annually attracts more than four million tourists.[7] Modern Williamsburg is also a college town, inhabited in large part by William & Mary students, faculty and staff.

  1. ^ "History". City of Williamsburg. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusP2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  5. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ "Williamsburg city, Williamsburg city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Huh, Jin (March 2002). Tourist Satisfaction with Cultural/Heritage Sites: The Virginia Historic Triangle (Thesis). Virginia Polytechnic and State University. hdl:10919/32742. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

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