Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, one of the Navy’s major East Coast ordinance facilities, lies on the northeastern shore of the Virginia Peninsula. In 1918 the Navy acquired twenty square miles of land on the York River and created the Navy Mine Depot. Forty years later, it was redesignated as Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Yorktown and still provides “critical fleet ordnance support for the Navy.” There are 37 tenant commands that call NSW home including the Navy Munitions Command Atlantic, the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity, and the Marine Corps Security Force Regiment. This “explosive corridor” to the Atlantic sees a lot of naval activity, be it supply ships or combatant vessels.

NWS is located in Yorktown, VA and adjacent to Newport News, VA. It occupies one-fifth of the land in York County and shares 14 miles of York River shoreline with the Colonial National Historical Park. You would be hard-pressed to serve in a locale with a more storied past. The cities of Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg make up “America’s Historic Triangle.” Each strives to preserve a living history of the first permanent English settlements in the New World. There is even a building on NWS that dates back to 1650. From the American Revolution to the Civil War, Yorktown has played a role in some of our country’s most significant military conflicts.

Housing options are available on NWS or on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and there is privatized housing throughout the Peninsula. Lengthy wait lists for housing and childcare are a couple of reasons why families might seek off-base housing. There are some fantastic neighborhoods worth exploring in Yorktown and nearby Williamsburg.

Attractions in this area are numerous. Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Virginia Air and Space Center are popular outings. If you want to head inland, Richmond is only an hour away. A trip to Washington D.C. takes around 2.5 hours (depending, of course, on that infamous traffic). There’s no need to travel far in search of activities, though. Take advantage of all the water and outdoor recreation opportunities at your fingertips in the Tidewater!