Gloucester

At the southern end of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, where the York River meets the Chesapeake Bay, is Gloucester County, a relaxed, semi-rural locale steeped in history and imbued with community spirit. “Gloucester is peaceful country. It doesn’t have the drama that comes with living in the city. It’s the kind of place where you look out your window and see deer,” says Wendy Hogge, a lifelong Middle Peninsula resident and broker/owner of Hogge Real Estate, who has sold property in Gloucester and surrounding areas for 39 years. “And Gloucester County is a true community that comes together and helps each other. From feeding the homeless to organizing fundraisers for neighbors with a sick family member, everybody participates.” The southern end of Gloucester County offers a variety of single-family home styles, sizes and prices, from modest 1970s brick ranch styles and modern Cape Cods built in the 2000s to historic 19th-century Victorian farmhouses and Colonial-era waterfront estates. “You can find a home to fit anybody in Gloucester; there’s a lot of choice,” Hogge says. Many area homes sit on 1 or more acres and feature interiors ranging from around 1,000 to 5,000 square feet, while list prices span from $195,000 to over $1 million. “We’re as historically connected as Williamsburg – Gloucester was the home of Pocahontas – but you tend to find lower housing prices on this side of the river.” Folks living in the south of the county have the good fortune to be just minutes from the York River, where picturesque shoreline parks and quaint sandy beaches beckon them outdoors. At Gloucester Point Beach Park, visitors can relax at one of the picnic tables or enjoy a game of volleyball while they wait for the receding tide to reveal a pristine stretch of sand and calm, shallow water that’s perfect for a late afternoon swim. Similarly, Cappahosic Public Beach, found a few miles upriver, features a diminutive but lovely beach at low tide and a grassy spot with park benches for taking in the stunning views when the tide is in. For even more outdoor fun, there’s Machicomoco State Park, a new 645-acre state park that opened in 2021 to celebrate and honor the Native Tribes of Virginia. Visitors to Machicomoco will discover over 5 miles of walking and biking trails, a campsite, a kayak launch, the historic Timberneck House and an interpretive pavilion where folks can learn the history of Virginia’s Indigenous Peoples. Area children attend Gloucester County Public Schools, including Bethel Elementary, rated a B by Niche, and Peasley Middle, which earns a B-minus. After Peasley, students move to Gloucester High, a C-plus-rated school that offers career and technical education in addition to its standard academic curriculum. When south Gloucester County residents get hungry, they head to Highway 17, where they’ll find a wide selection of dining options, like locally-owned Slammin’ Sammy’s Diner for a hearty breakfast or Scoot’s BBQ for a smokey beef brisket dinner. Restaurants aren’t the only thing they’ll find along Highway 17. At the York River Crossing shopping center, a Food Lion, Family Dollar and Bealls department store simplify errand runs, and the cinema provides rainy-day entertainment. Many things come to mind when thinking about Gloucester County, like the York River’s glittering waters and land with rich historical significance. However, one of Gloucester’s biggest claims to fame is daffodils. “I remember when they used to ship out the daffodils to other parts of the country,” Hogge says. Once a leading supplier and the self-proclaimed Daffodil Capital of America, Gloucester County celebrates its past proliferation of the delicate flower with the annual Daffodil Festival. Each year, on the first weekend in April, over 15,000 visitors enjoy a parade, flower show, live performances, fun activities and hundreds of food and craft vendors, all culminating with the Daffodil Queen pageant, where one lucky teenager wins the coveted title and a $1,000 scholarship. Highway 17, running north to south through the county, does double duty as a commercial hub and one of the Middle Peninsula’s main thoroughfares, providing residents access to other Tidewater-region destinations. Commuters can use Highway 17 to make the 10-or-so-mile drive across the river to Yorktown or the 20-mile journey to Newport News. County residents don’t have to depend entirely on their cars to travel around the Middle Peninsula. Bay Transit, a division of local non-profit Bay Aging, offers public transportation services to everyone from seniors to students.