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County · code 51199

York CountyVirginia

York County is a county in Virginia with its seat in Yorktown, formed in 1634 as one of the original eight shires.

  • Founded1634
  • County seatYorktown
  • Named forYork, England
  • Land area105 sq mi + 110 sq mi water
  • Population70,045 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped28,503 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in York County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

Newport News cityGloucesterPoquoson cityHampton cityMathewsWilliamsburg cityJames City Yorktown Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

York on the map of Virginia

Virginia has 133 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Accomack CountyAlbemarle CountyAlleghany CountyAmelia CountyAmherst CountyAppomattox CountyArlington CountyAugusta CountyBath CountyBedford CountyBland CountyBotetourt CountyBrunswick CountyBuchanan CountyBuckingham CountyCampbell CountyCaroline CountyCarroll CountyCharles City CountyCharlotte CountyChesterfield CountyClarke CountyCraig CountyCulpeper CountyCumberland CountyDickenson CountyDinwiddie CountyEssex CountyFairfax CountyFauquier CountyFloyd CountyFluvanna CountyFranklin CountyFrederick CountyGiles CountyGloucester CountyGoochland CountyGrayson CountyGreene CountyGreensville CountyHalifax CountyHanover CountyHenrico CountyHenry CountyHighland CountyIsle of Wight CountyJames City CountyKing and Queen CountyKing George CountyKing William CountyLancaster CountyLee CountyLoudoun CountyLouisa CountyLunenburg CountyMadison CountyMathews CountyMecklenburg CountyMiddlesex CountyMontgomery CountyNelson CountyNew Kent CountyNorthampton CountyNorthumberland CountyNottoway CountyOrange CountyPage CountyPatrick CountyPittsylvania CountyPowhatan CountyPrince Edward CountyPrince George CountyPrince William CountyPulaski CountyRappahannock CountyRichmond CountyRoanoke CountyRockbridge CountyRockingham CountyRussell CountyScott CountyShenandoah CountySmyth CountySouthampton CountySpotsylvania CountyStafford CountySurry CountySussex CountyTazewell CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWestmoreland CountyWise CountyWythe CountyAlexandria cityBristol cityBuena Vista cityCharlottesville cityChesapeake cityColonial Heights cityCovington cityDanville cityEmporia cityFairfax cityFalls Church cityFranklin cityFredericksburg cityGalax cityHampton cityHarrisonburg cityHopewell cityLexington cityLynchburg cityManassas cityManassas Park cityMartinsville cityNewport News cityNorfolk cityNorton cityPetersburg cityPoquoson cityPortsmouth cityRadford cityRichmond cityRoanoke citySalem cityStaunton citySuffolk cityVirginia Beach cityWaynesboro cityWilliamsburg cityWinchester cityYork County York
Counties of Virginia · York highlighted

History

Founded in 1634

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

Originally created in 1634 as Charles River, the county was renamed York in 1643. Over the following centuries, York County was reduced by the creation of neighboring counties including Northumberland, Gloucester, Lancaster, and New Kent. The county lost additional territory to the independent city of Williamsburg in multiple transfers beginning in 1770.

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

  1. c. 1634
    York County created Charles River (now York) created as one of the original eight shires (counties). · Hening, 1:224; Tyler, 197-198
  2. c. 1643
    Renamed Charles River renamed York.
    formerly Charles River
    · Hening, 1:249
  3. 1942
    Lost territory York lost to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [243]
  4. 1964
    Lost territory York lost to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [247]
  5. 1975
    Lost territory York lost to creation of Poquoson as an independent city, 2d class. · Va. Sec. Rpt., 533
Show all 14 changes (9 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. c. 1634
    York County created Charles River (now York) created as one of the original eight shires (counties). · Hening, 1:224; Tyler, 197-198
  2. c. 1643
    Renamed Charles River renamed York.
    formerly Charles River
    · Hening, 1:249
  3. c. 1648
    Lost territory York lost to creation of Northumberland.
    to Northumberland
    · Hening, 1:294n., 352, 362; Robinson, 63, 86
  4. c. 1651
    Lost territory York lost to creation of Gloucester and Lancaster.
    to Gloucesterto Lancaster
    · Hening, 1:371n., 374; Robinson, 51, 57, 79, 82-83
  5. c. 1654
    Lost territory York lost to creation of New Kent.
    to New Kent
    · Hening, 1:387n., 388; Robinson, 62
  6. 1769
    Boundary clarified Boundary between York and James City clarified (no change).
    with James Cityno change
    · Hening, 8:405-406
  7. 1770
    Lost territory York lost small area to James City.
    to James City
    · Hening 8:419-420
  8. 1852
    Lost territory York lost small area to James City to accommodate local landowner.
    to James City
    · Va. Acts 1852, Jan. reg. sess., ch. 41, sec. 1/p. 31
  9. 1880
    Lost territory York lost remainder of Williamsburg to James City.
    to James City
    · Va. Acts 1879-1880, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 265, sec. 1/pp. 257-258
  10. 1915
    Lost territory York lost small area to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990
  11. 1924
    Lost territory York lost small area to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [242]
  12. 1942
    Lost territory York lost to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [243]
  13. 1964
    Lost territory York lost to the independent city of Williamsburg. · Williamsburg Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [247]
  14. 1975
    Lost territory York lost to creation of Poquoson as an independent city, 2d class. · Va. Sec. Rpt., 533

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in York

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

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

York by the Census

Population
70,045 2020 Census count
Housing units
27,827 2020 Census count
Land area
105 square miles
Water area
110 square miles · 51% of the county, including large bodies of water
People per sq mi
669 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.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open York 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.

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Questions

Common questions about York County

When was York County founded?
York County was founded in 1634, and named after York, England.
What is the county seat of York County?
The county seat of York County is Yorktown.
Is there an online parcel map for York County?
Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 28,503 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has York County's boundary or name changed?
York County was created in 1634. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving James City, Charles River County and Gloucester County. It was formerly called Charles River.
Who issues building permits in York County?
The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for York County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door