Chincoteague, Virginia

Chincoteague, Virginia
Town
West side of Chincoteague at sunrise.
West side of Chincoteague at sunrise.
Official seal of Chincoteague, Virginia
Seal
Location of Chincoteauge in Accomack County, Virginia and of Accomack County in Virginia
Location of Chincoteauge in Accomack County, Virginia and of Accomack County in Virginia
Chincoteague is located in Virginia
Chincoteague
Chincoteague
Location in Virginia and the United States
Chincoteague is located in the United States
Chincoteague
Chincoteague
Chincoteague (the United States)
Coordinates: 37°56′5″N 75°22′4″W / 37.93472°N 75.36778°W / 37.93472; -75.36778
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyAccomack
Incorporated1908
Government
 • MayorArthur Leonard
Area
[1]
 • Total37.48 sq mi (97.07 km2)
 • Land9.26 sq mi (23.98 km2)
 • Water28.22 sq mi (73.09 km2)
Elevation
[2]
3 ft (0.9 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total2,941
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
2,875
 • Density310.48/sq mi (119.87/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
23336
Area code(s)757, 948
FIPS code51-16512[4]
GNIS feature ID1492764[2]
WebsiteOfficial website

Chincoteague (/ˌʃɪŋkəˈtiːɡ/ or /ˈʃɪŋkətiːɡ/) is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, U.S. The town includes the whole of Chincoteague Island and an area of adjacent water. The population was 3,344 at the 2020 census.[5] The town is a tourist gateway to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on adjacent Assateague Island,[6] the location of a popular recreational beach and home of the Virginia herd of Chincoteague Ponies. These ponies and the annual Pony Swim are the subject of Marguerite Henry's 1947 children's book Misty of Chincoteague, which was made into the 1961 family film Misty, filmed on location.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chincoteague, Virginia
  3. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "Search Results".
  6. ^ Weeks, Jennifier. "In Virginia, Encroaching Seas Pit Parking against Preservation". scientificamerican.com. Scientific American. Retrieved July 25, 2023.