West Point

Perched where the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers merge to form the York, tiny West Point marries postcard-worthy water views with an everybody-knows-your-name atmosphere, all less than a 40-minute drive from either Richmond or Williamsburg. About 3,400 residents share just 6.7 square miles, and that small scale shows in Friday-night football crowds, storefronts that remember your coffee order, and an independent school division that consistently lands among Virginia’s top performers. The century-old WestRock paper mill still anchors the local economy, while newer maritime and wood-products firms keep paychecks flowing and taxes low. Weekends revolve around the river—launching a skiff at sunrise, paddling after work, or just catching sunset from the public pier—and every October the beloved Crab Carnival swells Main Street with parades, live music, and, of course, heaps of blue crab. Fast fiber internet, modest housing costs, and a tight-knit civic spirit round out West Point’s easygoing yet quietly ambitious waterfront lifestyle.