Poquoson, Virginia
Poquoson is a city of 12,639 people in Poquoson city, Virginia, founded in 1630.
Why visit Poquoson
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 1 place to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Back River Light, Bay Shore Beach, Eight-Foot High Speed Tunnel and Landing and Impact Research Facility.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Poquoson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Poquoson
Poquoson (), informally known as Bull Island, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,460. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County for statistical purposes.
From the Wikipedia article Poquoson, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Back River Light
Lighthouse · 3.4 mi
Lighthouse in Virginia, United States
Bay Shore Beach
Beach · 5.2 mi
Beach in Hampton, Virginia, United States
Museums and landmarks8
Eight-Foot High Speed Tunnel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Wind tunnel of NACA, 1936-2011
Landing and Impact Research Facility
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Facility at Langley Research Center used for aircraft and spacecraft testing
Langley Full-Scale Tunnel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Wind tunnel at Langley Research Center
Langley Research Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
NASA field center
Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Facility at Langley Research Center
Variable Density Tunnel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes1
Bull Island BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue, Chicken, Burger, Hot Dog · 1.6 mi
435 Messick Road, Poquoson
Th,Fr 11:30-20:00; Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 08:00-19:00
History
The name of the city is a Native American word which roughly translates to "great marsh." The term pocosin, with its varied spellings, was a term used by the area's inhabitants to describe a low, marshy, woody place covered by water in the winter, but dry in the summer. These Native Americans were Algonquians, a tribal group affiliated through the Powhatan Confederacy, and were defensive to the early colonizers. A petition to have the name of the parish and river changed was an attempt to rid the language of all vestiges of Indian terms. However, "poquoson" has survived through the centuries and has become a proper noun used to designate the present city.
From the History section of Poquoson, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Fox Hill Central United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 3.3 mi
501 Beach Road, Hampton
Trinity United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.4 mi
1294 Poquoson Avenue, Poquoson
Wallace Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 3.2 mi
6 Johnson Road, Hampton
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Hampton Public Schools Architecture & Applied Arts Governor'
School · 5.1 mi
One Franklin Street, Hampton
Map of Poquoson
41 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 32°F | 3.5 in | 2.4 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 34°F | 2.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 40°F | 4.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 49°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 58°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 67°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 71°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 70°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 65°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 53°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 42°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 36°F | 3.7 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Langley Afb 74598 (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Poquoson city has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-09-11: Hurricane Florence (Hurricane)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2011-09-03: Hurricane Irene (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Langley Air Force Base (LFI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Hampton 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Bethel Manor 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Newport News 12 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Norfolk 15 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Gloucester Point 15 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Carrollton 18 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Portsmouth 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Virginia Beach 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Chesapeake 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Hopewell 56 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- PoquosonWaterfront, Chrisfortier at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Messick Point View Towards Poquoson, Kjst.wm.tribe.2015, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Drop Test at Lunar Landing Research Facility - GPN-2000-001287, NASA Bob Nye, Public domain
- Aerial view looking northwest at the full-scale wind tunnel 1989 L89-07075, NASA (Wang, Charissa Y, field team; Durst, Donald M, field team; Herrin, Dean A, project manager; Stewart, Robert C, historian; Lowe, Jet, photographer; Salyer, Bill, photographer; Hardlines: Design..., Public domain
- Rendezvous Docking Simulator practice, NASA Langley Research Center, Public domain
- NACA Langley High Speed Tunnel - GPN-2000-001821, NACA, Public domain
- Variable Density Tunnel - GPN-2000-001311, NACA, Public domain
- Messick Point Boats Winter 2011, Kjst.wm.tribe.2015, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS065-E-430370 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-49665 - View of New Jersey, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS020-E-51937 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-13448 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-430371 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS020-E-8316 - View of North Carolina, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS056-E-151286 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Beach glass (32539676827), Dee Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0
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