The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a 70 miles long strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a small portion of Virginia with a population of a little over 50 thousand and sits at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula.
The land border between Virginia and Maryland starts on the west side of the peninsula roughly level with the Maryland-Virginia border of the Potomac River across the Chesapeake Bay. The line sits near the 38th Parallel and runs roughly eastwards until it meets the Atlantic.
On Virginia’s Eastern Shore old world accents are spoken. A place to shop at roadside stands and crab from a pier. Similar to the rest of the peninsula it’s a place to slow down and enjoy the small towns, beaches and wildlife preserves.
The first landing was made in 1603 with a permanent settlement established in 1614. This would make the Virginia’s Eastern Shore as having the oldest settlement of the peninsula. In fact, the two counties of Virginia’s Eastern Shore have the two oldest U.S. repositories of continuous court records with Northampton’s dating back to 1632.
The area enjoys a moderate climate with Barrier Island protection from storms and abundant wildlife. Most of the citizens still work in agriculture or aquaculture today.