Colonial Beach, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Pier and Riverboat Off Track Betting, Restaurant, and Lounge. | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: Golf Cart Town, Playground on the Potomac | |
 Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| Coordinates: 38°15′N 76°58′W / 38.250°N 76.967°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| County | Westmoreland |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2) |
| • Land | 2.45 sq mi (6.34 km2) |
| • Water | 0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,542 |
| • Estimate (2019)[2] | 3,619 |
| • Density | 1,478.35/sq mi (570.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 22443 |
| Area code | 804 |
| FIPS code | 51-18400[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1493549[4] |
| Website | http://www.colonialbeachva.net/ |
Colonial Beach, Virginia (CBVA) is a river and beach town located in the northwestern part of Westmoreland County on Virginia's Northern Neck peninsula. It is bounded by the Potomac River, Monroe Bay and Monroe Creek. It is located 65 mi (105 km) from Washington, D.C.; 70 mi (110 km) from the state capital of Richmond; and 35 nautical miles from the Chesapeake Bay.
Colonial Beach was named Best Virginia Beach for 2018 by USA Today.[5] In 2019, Colonial Beach was named The Nicest Place in Virginia and a finalist for Nicest Places in America by Reader's Digest.[6]
Colonial Beach was a popular resort town in the early to mid-20th century, before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge made ocean beaches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland more accessible to visitors from Washington, D.C. The family of Alexander Graham Bell maintained a summer home in Colonial Beach, the Bell House, which still stands today. Sloan Wilson, author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, retired and died in Colonial Beach. George Washington, the first President of the United States, was born near here at what is now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. As of 2021[update], the James Monroe Family Home Site, birthplace of President James Monroe, now has a replica of his birthplace.[7]
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Best Virginia Beach Winners: 2018 10Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards". 10Best. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Self-Sullivan, Caryn; Price, Katrina. "The Nicest Place in Virginia: Colonial Beach". Reader's Digest. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Leggitt, Richard, "Blues Fest" Brings Thousands to the Beach," The Westmoreland Journal, June 26, 2013