Quick Facts
- Also called:
- Coastal Plain
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Tidewater, Virginia
Shirley Plantation, built 1723–38, on the James River in the Tidewater region, Virginia.
Tidewater
region, Virginia, United States
Also known as: Coastal Plain
Tidewater, natural region in eastern Virginia, U.S., comprising a low-lying alluvial plain on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay between the Atlantic Ocean and the Fall Line (a line marking the junction between the hard rocks of the Appalachians and the softer deposits of the coastal plain). It is crossed by the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers and their tidal estuaries. The Great Dismal Swamp, astride the boundary with North Carolina to the south, is a distinctive feature. The first English settlements in America were founded in the Tidewater region, beginning with Jamestown in 1607.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.