Tidewater

Low-lying coastal region in the east of Virginia, extending from the Fall Line in the west to sea level. This historic area was the homeland of the Powhatan Confederacy and the site of many of the early European settlements and plantations in Virginia, including Jamestown and Williamsburg.

The Tidewater comprises four peninsulas, three of which are separated from one another by rivers: the Northern Neck lies between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers; the others lie between the Rappahannock and the York, and between the York and the James. The fourth part of the Tidewater is the Eastern Shore area at the southern end of the Delmarva Peninsula to the east across Chesapeake Bay. Throughout its history, the Tidewater has remained essentially rural and agricultural, though certain parts, particularly the area around Newport News and Hampton, have become highly developed.