Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown

The Historic Triangle is located on the Virginia Peninsula and includes the colonial communities of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, with many restored attractions linked by the Colonial Parkway. See the map

The National Park Service's Colonial Parkway joins the three popular attractions of Colonial Virginia with a scenic roadway.

Some visitors choose to approach the area from the south by water from Surry County with a ride aboard one of the Jamestown Ferry. Passengers can see Jamestown Island as the first colonists may have approached it. Replicas of Christopher Newport's three tiny ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery are docked near the northern ferry landing.

Yorktown Victory Center
Accessible from Route 17 and the Colonial Parkway; 13 miles from Colonial Williamsburg, one hour from Norfolk, one hour from Richmond. Open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. daily, except Christmas and New Year's days.

Nearby Attractions: Colonial National Historical Park, including Jamestown Island and Yorktown Battlefield; Colonial Williamsburg; Busch Gardens; Water Country USA; Mariners' Museum and 23 other area attractions

Getting there

The closest airport is Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport about 15 minutes drive. Williamsburg is about midway between 2 larger commercial airports, Richmond International Airport and Norfolk International Airport, each about an hour drive with limousine service available.
Amtrak offers a passenger rail service stop at Williamsburg, as does Greyhound and Carolina Trailways with intercity buses.

Williamsburg is next to east-west Interstate 64 and the parallel U.S. Route 60 actually passes through the city. Many visitors approach on State Route 5, a scenic byway from Richmond which passes many of the James River Plantations, or from the south via State Route 31 and the Jamestown Ferry.

Local bus services

The community's public bus system, Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT), serves many hotels and motels, restaurants, stores, and non-CW attractions in City of Williamsburg and much of neighboring James City County and part of York County.

Colonial Williamsburg operates its buses with stops close to the Historic Area. No other motor vehicles operate on Duke of Gloucester Street . Colonial Williamsburg operates buses to Jamestown and Yorktown attractions, for visitors who park their vehicles at the main Visitor's Center.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in the New World which was established at Jamestown in 1607.  Jamestown Festival Park and Jamestown Island attractions are open to visitors. Included are recreations of a Native American village and colonial fort, and archaeological sites.


Yorktown

Yorktown is where General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington in 1781, ending the American Revolution. There are two large visitor centers, battlefield drives, and a waterfront area.