Historic district of Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown was established in 1691 and was one of only a few ports in Virginia where all goods had to enter and exit. It reached its peak around 1750 with a population of 1,800 and nearly 250 buildings, which is actually larger than it is today. It was heavily damaged during the Battle of Yorktown; by the end of the war only about 60 buildings remained, and the population soon fell to less than half its peak numbers. During the Civil War some of the buildings were used by the Union as gunpowder storage facilities and during a fire they blew up, destroying the west end of town. Today the population of Yorktown is roughly 220 people.

While Yorktown itself is not officially part of Colonial National Historical Park, many of the homes in the historic district are owned by the National Park Service. The Nelson House is open during the summer, but only as staffing allows. A daily schedule is posted at the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center. All other buildings are either private residences or are being operated as businesses, including a few museums and art galleries. See the Historical Buildings of Yorktown web page for a list of properties.

Map of Historic Yorktown (click to enlarge)

From mid-March through the end of December a free trolley bus loops between the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the historic and business districts of Yorktown. You can get on and off at any stop. For those who prefer to drive to town, there are a number of free public parking lots. Yorktown really wants your tourist dollars, so the Powers That Be make it easy for you to visit. See the Visit Yorktown Virginia’s Trolley and Parking web page for a trolley schedule and parking lot locations.

You can also walk to Yorktown from the Visitor Center either along a paved walkway that leads to the historic district or on a combination of the Tobacco Road Trail and Riverwalk, a scenic path that runs along the York River to the business district where you will find plenty of shops and restaurants. A 2.5-mile loop can be formed between the two routes so that you can see everything in town. The walk takes about 2 hours, not counting time to stop for a lunch or to do some shopping. If it is a pleasant day and you are physically able, I highly recommend walking over riding the bus or driving. For more information on the trails, see the Yorktown Battlefield Hiking web page here on National Park Planner.

Unless you are really hungry, I suggest starting your trip at the historic district, which is sometimes blocked off to vehicle traffic. From the trolley bus stop it is only a five-block walk across the town to the Swan Tavern, the building that marks the end of the historic district. All you have to do to reach the business district is to take any street down to the water. In addition to shops and restaurants, you can rent kayaks, sign up for river cruises, and even go to the beach.

Walk from Yorktown’s historic area to the shopping district

Shopping and restaurant area of Yorktown, Virginia

If walking, to complete the loop back to the Visitor Center, take the Riverwalk heading away from the bridge. This is a very scenic paved path that runs along the York River until reaching a parking lot at the eastern edge of town. Once there, look towards the forest on your right for the start of the Tobacco Road Trail, which leads back to the Visitor Center. The trail is slightly uphill, but it is still an easy hike.

Riverwalk runs along the York River in Yorktown, Virginia

Parking area at the end of Riverwalk in Yorktown, Virginia

Start of the Tobacco Road Trail in Yorktown, Virginia

Back to the Top