Tappahannock, Virginia
Tappahannock is a town of 1,908 people in Essex County, Virginia, founded in 1682.
Why visit Tappahannock
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 20 places to eat and 5 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Tappahannock Historic District, Hobbs Hole Golf Course and Marsh Street Park & Pool.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Tappahannock
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tappahannock
Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tappahannock had a population of 2,193. Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex County. Its name comes from an Algonquian language word toppehannock, meaning "cold-water creek".
From the Wikipedia article Tappahannock, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Tappahannock Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Tappahannock, Virginia
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
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Restaurants and cafes20
Fairways Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · 0.7 mi
1267 Hobbs Hole Drive, Tappahannock
Tu-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-16:00
Robles Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
1607 Tappahannock Blvd, Tappahannock
Taste of Latin America
Restaurant · Latin American · 0.5 mi
1631 Tappahannock Blvd, Tappahannock
8 more on the map.
Where to stay5
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tappahannock
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
1648 Tappahannock Boulevard, Tappahannock
History
In the mid-1660s, Captain Richard Hobbs had rights to 800 acres south of Gilson's Creek at the Rappahannock River. In 1680, Virginia law required warehouses to be established in port towns, and that year surveyor George Morris created a survey showing Hobbs His Hole Harbour. "Hole" refers to where a ship could drop anchor in a deep part of the water, and thus it was Capt. Hobbs who parked his ship Elizabeth and Mary here in the vicinity of present-day Tappahannock. This area became known as Hobbs Hole.
The settlement was platted for 50 acres (20 ha), divided into half-acre squares. The port was established at Hobbs Hole and called New Plymouth, later changed back to the Native American name Tappahannock. As part of the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730, public warehouses for inspection and exportation of tobacco, the colony's commodity crop, were established at Hobbs Hole. Ocean-going ships could reach this port.
During the War of 1812, the town was seized by British naval forces under the command of Captain Robert Barrie on December 2, 1814. The British left the town two days later, after burning down the courthouse and two jails.
The historic courthouse burned on August 30, 1965. Although many records were saved, some historic photographs were lost.
From the History section of Tappahannock, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Chesapeake Bay Governor'S School
School · 1.3 mi
202 South Church Lane, Tappahannock
James H. Cary Intermediate
School · 1.0 mi
912 Intermediate School Circle, Tappahannock
Tappahannock Elementary
School · 1.5 mi
205 Elementary School Circle, Tappahannock
Essex County School Board Office
School · 1.5 mi
109 N. Cross Street, Tappahannock
Healthcare2
Map of Tappahannock
51 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 28°F | 3.0 in | 4.4 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 30°F | 2.6 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 36°F | 3.7 in | 1.4 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 46°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 64°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 66°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 60°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 49°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 39°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 32°F | 3.3 in | 2.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Warsaw 2 Nw (7 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
Essex County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2022-03-11: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
- 2021-05-10: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-12-18: Tropical Storm Michael (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mary Walker Landing Zone (APH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Central Garage 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Colonial Beach 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Piney Point 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Bowling Green 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- Leonardtown 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- King George 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- Wildewood 32 mi northeast, about 52 min by car
- Mechanicsville 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Lexington Park 33 mi northeast, about 53 min by car
- California 34 mi northeast, about 54 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
- Tappahannock, Virginia, Mojo Hand, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Margaret's playing fields at Heron Point, Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Brays Fork looking west down Route 360 to Richmond, Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Looking North to the Rappahannock River at Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio (1), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Town Office - Tappahannock VA - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Perdue grain storage in operation at night, Hoskins Creek, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek Tappahannock VA - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Rappahannock River at Tappahannock - sunrise over Hoskins Creek - panoramio (1), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Rappahannock River at Tappahannock - sunrise over Hoskins Creek - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Rappahannock River at Tappahannock - sunrise over Hoskins Creek - panoramio (2), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Tappahannock, Virginia, Rappahannock River, Sunrise, Hoskins Creek - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio (2), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Captain Thomas cruise - Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio (1), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Entrance to Hoskins Creek on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Community and Technology Center on the Rappahannock River, St. Margaret's School, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio (2), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Community and Technology Center on the Rappahannock River, St. Margaret's School, Tappahannock, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek, Tappahannock VA - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- St. Margaret's School campus, Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Rappahannock River, Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio (1), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Rappahannock River, Tappahannock Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Tappahannock Historic District - Beale Memorial Baptist Church, AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SMS Playing fields at Sycamore Drive - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Sycamore Drive, St. Margaret's School, Playing Fields - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Essex 6 Cinemas crop, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Coleman Island, Essex County, Virginia, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Creek reflections - Rappahannock River - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek off the Rappahannock River, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Hoskins Creek - Rappahannock River VA - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Snow on Hoskins Creek, Rappahannock River, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Solid Ice on Hoskins Creek off the Rappahannock River, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- TMSP 360° panoramic view - Prince Street at the Lyman House - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- TMSP 360° panoramic view - Prince Street at Church Lane and EVB - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Woolfolk Center, St. Margaret's School, Virginia - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Prince Street - north side - ^323 Essex Bank - panoramio (1), David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- TMSP 360° panoramic view - Prince Street at the Essex Bank - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Prince Street - north side - ^323 Essex Bank - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
- Prince Street - north side - ^321 Treasurer's Office - panoramio, David Broad, CC BY 3.0
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