Yorktown, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Yorktown customhouse, May 2011 | |
 Location of Yorktown in Virginia | |
| Coordinates: 37°14′4″N 76°30′35″W / 37.23444°N 76.50972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | York |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.6 sq mi (2 km2) |
| • Land | 0.6 sq mi (2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 195 |
| • Density | 330/sq mi (130/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 23690–23693 |
| Area code(s) | 757, 948 |
| FIPS code | 51-88240[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1500081[2] |
Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York County,[3] one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while York County's population was 66,134 in the 2011 census estimate.
The town is most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender of General Charles Cornwallis to General George Washington and the French Fleet during the American Revolutionary War on October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown effectively ended the war in North America. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War (1861–1865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time.
Yorktown is one of three sites of the Historic Triangle, which also includes Jamestown and Williamsburg as important colonial-era settlements. It is the eastern terminus of the Colonial Parkway connecting these locations. Yorktown is also the eastern terminus of the TransAmerica Trail, a bicycle touring route created by the Adventure Cycling Association.
One of Yorktown's historic sister cities is Zweibrücken in Germany, based on participation of a unit from there during the American Revolutionary War.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.