City Vision
Williamsburg will become an evermore safe, beautiful, livable city of historic and academic renown, served by a city government -- cohesively led, financially strong, always improving -- in full partnership with the people who live, work, and visit here.
A Distinctive Beginning
In 1699, the General Assembly of Virginia established the City of Williamsburg as the colony's capital. The new city, formerly known as Middle Plantation, was named in honor of King William III and is home to the College of William and Mary established in 1693. In 1722, George I granted a charter incorporating the City of Williamsburg after the fashion of the English municipal borough. During the 1700s, Williamsburg developed into a bustling capital city and played a historic role in events leading to American independence. In 1780, the Capital moved to Richmond and Williamsburg reverted to a quiet college town and rural county seat.
In retrospect, Williamsburg's loss of capital city status was its salvation. Many 18th century buildings survived into the early 20th century when John D. Rockefeller Jr. launched a massive restoration effort creating "Colonial Williamsburg," operated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The City of Williamsburg celebrated its 300th Anniversary in 1999.
A Living History
Colonial Williamsburg, located in the heart of the City, is the largest outdoor living museum in the United States, covering 301 acres and preserving more than 500 original and reconstructed buildings. Colonial Williamsburg recreates 18th century life, year round, and engages over 700,000 paid visitors annually in the story of America's beginning. Also in the center of the City is America's second oldest university -- The College of William & Mary.
Jamestown and Yorktown, the other landmarks in the "Historic Triangle," interpret the first permanent English settlement on Jamestown Island and the Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown.
In March 2004, First Lady Laura Bush designated the City of Williamsburg as a Preserve America community in recognition of its continued preservation of cultural and natural heritage resources.
In 2007, the Historic Triangle area will celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony.
Location & Transportation
The City of Williamsburg is located on the Virginia Peninsula in the southeast portion of the state, midway between Richmond and Norfolk on the I-64 / U.S. 60 corridor. The City is 9.2 square miles and located at 37°15' North latitude, 76°37' West longitude, approximately 6 to 90 feet above sea level.
Richmond is located 45 miles to the northwest and Washington, D.C. is approximately 160 miles to the north. The Port of Hampton Roads is located 37 miles to the southeast.
As a Hampton Roads community, Williamsburg is one of fifteen Virginia jurisdictions located in the Norfolk - Virginia Beach - Newport News VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This MSA is the 31st most populous metropolitan market in the United States. The Virginia portion of this MSA saw 6,601 new jobs and $759.96 million in investment during 2004.
Interstate 64 and Route 199 are Williamsburg's major arterial roads. Other main thoroughfares include U.S. Highway 60 (Richmond Road / Bypass Road), State Route 5 (Jamestown Road / Merrimac Trail), and Route 132. Nearby airports include Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (1.5 miles away), Newport News-Williamsburg Airport (15 miles), Norfolk International Airport (43 miles), and Richmond International Airport (44 miles). Bus service, including the regional transit system, Williamsburg Area Transport, as well as passenger and freight rail service are available at the Williamsburg Transportation Center. Nearby ports are located in Norfolk (37 miles) and Richmond (45 miles).
Additional geographical data, aerial photography, and City property information is available online.
Demographics
As surrounding localities have seen significant population growth, the City of Williamsburg's population has remained stable. Roughly half of the City's population is composed of students from the College of William and Mary. The Weldon Cooper Center estimates the City's population to be 13,400 in 2004. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 79.5% of the City's population is Caucasian, 13.3% is African American, and 4.6% is Asian. The median age is 22.6 years, and the total number of households is 3,619. The population density is 1,404.1 people per square mile.
Housing
The City Codes Compliance Division issued permits for 109 newly constructed family dwelling units in the year 2004. There are approximately 23 Homeowner's Associations that serve many housing developments throughout the City.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Williamsburg has a total of 3,880 housing units. Of the 3,619 occupied housing units, 1,602 are owner-occupied and 2,017 are renter-occupied. The average household size of owner-occupied units is 2.12 persons and the average size of renter-occupied units is 2.03 persons. The average family size within Williamsburg is 2.66.