When was Isle of Wight County founded?

Isle of Wight County was founded in 1634, and named after Isle of Wight.

What is the county seat of Isle of Wight County?

The county seat of Isle of Wight County is Isle of Wight.

Is there an online parcel map for Isle of Wight County?

Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 22,249 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Isle of Wight County's boundary or name changed?

Isle of Wight County was created in 1634. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Nansemond County, Brunswick County and Southampton County. It was formerly called Warrosquyoake.

Who issues building permits in Isle of Wight County?

The county's page on building permits: Central Permitting. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Isle of Wight County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 51093

Isle of Wight CountyVirginia

Isle of Wight County is a county in Virginia, with its seat in Isle of Wight, formed in 1634 as one of Virginia's original eight shires.

Founded1634
County seatIsle of Wight
Named forIsle of Wight
Land area316 sq mi + 47 sq mi water
Population38,606 2020 Census
Parcels mapped22,249 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Isle of Wight County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Founded in 1634

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Originally created as Warrosquyoake in 1634, the county was renamed Isle of Wight in 1637. The county gained and lost land through multiple boundary changes, including territory from and to Nansemond, Brunswick, and Southampton counties.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

c. 1634
Isle of Wight County created Warrosquyoake (now Isle of Wight) created as one of the original eight shires (counties). 31 December 1634 · Hening, 1:224; Tyler, 197-198
c. 1637
Renamed Warrosquyoake renamed Isle of Wight.
formerly Warrosquyoake
31 December 1637 · Robinson, 82
1723
Lost territory Isle of Wight lost to Brunswick.
to Brunswick
31 October 1723 · Va. Exec. Jour., 4:56
1749
Lost territory Isle of Wight lost to creation of Southampton.
to Southampton
20 May 1749 · Winfree, 432-434
1769
Gained territory Isle of Wight gained from Nansemond (extinct).
from Nansemond
15 December 1769 · Hening, 8:405-406

Show all 12 changes (7 more, mostly small adjustments)

c. 1634
Isle of Wight County created Warrosquyoake (now Isle of Wight) created as one of the original eight shires (counties). 31 December 1634 · Hening, 1:224; Tyler, 197-198
c. 1637
Renamed Warrosquyoake renamed Isle of Wight.
formerly Warrosquyoake
31 December 1637 · Robinson, 82
c. 1640
Boundary clarified Isle of Wight boundaries redefined (no change).
no change
31 December 1640 · Hening, 1:228, 247; Robinson, 197-198
c. 1647
Boundary clarified Boundary between Isle of Wight and Nansemond (extinct) clarified (no change).
with Nansemondno change
31 December 1647 · Robinson, 198
c. 1656
Gained territory Isle of Wight gained from Nansemond (extinct).
from Nansemond
31 December 1656 · Hening, 1:423
1701
Boundary clarified Southern boundary of Isle of Wight clarified (no change).
no change
6 August 1701 · Winfree, 2-3
1702
Boundary clarified Boundaries of Isle of Wight clarified (no change).
no change
29 May 1702 · Winfree, 8-9
1723
Lost territory Isle of Wight lost to Brunswick.
to Brunswick
31 October 1723 · Va. Exec. Jour., 4:56
c. 1733
Lost territory Isle of Wight lost to Brunswick.
to Brunswick
1 January 1733 · Hening, 4:355-356
1749
Lost territory Isle of Wight lost to creation of Southampton.
to Southampton
20 May 1749 · Winfree, 432-434
1769
Gained territory Isle of Wight gained from Nansemond (extinct).
from Nansemond
15 December 1769 · Hening, 8:405-406
1772
Gained territory Isle of Wight gained from Nansemond (extinct).
from Nansemond
13 March 1772 · Hening, 8:602-603

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Isle of Wight

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 22,249 parcels from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 20,587 in all from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Dept of Emergency Management (VDEM; VGIN moved from VITA to VDEM).
checked 14 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Isle of Wight by the Census

Population

38,606 2020 Census count

Housing units

16,441 2020 Census count

Land area

316 square miles

Water area

47 square miles

People per sq mi

122 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Central Permittingfrom isleofwight.gov
Apply For Permitsfrom isleofwightcova.portal.opengov.com
Septic Pump-Out Programfrom isleofwight.gov

Zoning and code

County Codefrom municode.com
IWC County Codefrom library.municode.com
Planning and Zoningfrom isleofwight.gov
Planning Commissionfrom isleofwight.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Isle of Wight County.
co.isle-of-wight.va.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Isle of Wight County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Isle of Wight County

When was Isle of Wight County founded?: Isle of Wight County was founded in 1634, and named after Isle of Wight.
What is the county seat of Isle of Wight County?: The county seat of Isle of Wight County is Isle of Wight.
Is there an online parcel map for Isle of Wight County?: Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 22,249 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Isle of Wight County's boundary or name changed?: Isle of Wight County was created in 1634. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Nansemond County, Brunswick County and Southampton County. It was formerly called Warrosquyoake.
Who issues building permits in Isle of Wight County?: The county's page on building permits: Central Permitting. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Isle of Wight County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby