ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY

County Offices
17090 Monument Circle
Isle of Wight 757-365-6204
www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us

Chamber of Commerce
500 East Main Street
Norfolk 757-622-2312
www.hamptonroadschamber.com

 

Services
One of the advantages of the Isle of Wight countryside is the close proximity this location provides to the first-rate education and healthcare amenities throughout Hampton Roads, particular in the southside region. A quality public school system is dedicated to keeping pace with the population growth in Isle of Wight County, enhancing a core curriculum with special programs and a variety of extra-curricular activities. Among the innovative programs for gifted and challenged students are remedial instruction, advanced placement, alternative education, and vocational training.

Opportunities for higher education close to home are abundant, ranging from affordable community colleges and specialty schools to major colleges and universities. Leading-edge facilities for healthcare are equally accessible, from convenient clinics to renowned research institutions and teaching hospitals.

 

Lifestyle
Harmonizing the past, present and future, Isle of Wight County offers a pleasing and abundant variety of attractive housing in every imaginable setting. Award-winning communities like Gatling Pointe and Gatling Pointe South boast a full-service yacht club and beautiful marina, while premier golfing communities make an ideal backdrop for magnificent custom homes.

Those who appreciate nature may prefer ten or more acres of land, ideal for vegetable and flower gardens or grazing land for animals. In addition to stately Victorian homes and colonials, such treasures as century-old farm houses punctuate the picturesque landscape. At the same time, modern ranches and split levels harmonize with a growing number of multi-family living options to meet every taste, budget, and lifestyle.

Although the town of Smithville is the focal point for the county’s historic legacy, the spirit that prevails is one of revitalization and renewal. The Main Street and Battery Park Road districts are now sprinkled with a variety of quaint gift and specialty stores, while entrepreneurs continue to open vital new businesses in storefront properties. Even the county museum provides tours and special activities. For your dining pleasure at local restaurants, savor the nationally famous Virginia dry-cured hams made from peanut-fed hogs.

Without a doubt, Isle of Wight County provides newcomers from all walks of life the intimate sense of neighborhood and open feeling of true country living. The region’s growing popularity as a bedroom community and retirement haven within Hampton Roads is no mystery. With its historic attractions, abundant land, close-knit communities, and welcoming neighbors, the county is an ideal place to call home.

Those who want to escape the bustling pace of city life for a more tranquil, rural setting will want to explore the Isle of Wight County. With 23 miles of pristine shoreline on the James River, the county has preserved its rural charm in spite of rapid suburban expansion.

Growth is most evident in the towns of Smithfield and Windsor or in beautiful residential communities like Ballards Crossroad, Carrollton, Evert, Moonlight, Paris and Rhodes. Abundant open space, brightly painted barns, quaint general stores, and lush woodlands are all elements in the region’s lovely landscape.

The combination of urban amenities with rural affordability, privacy, comfort, and natural beauty offer newcomers a rare quality of life. In contrast to isolated rural areas, Isle of Wight County is located in close proximity to major metropolitan resources, from shopping centers and fine restaurants to world-class performing arts, top museums, and cultural venues. The James River Bridge connects the region to Newport News for a quick trip to employment and business centers or major healthcare centers.

Just a 30-minute drive from a number of leading cities — including Hampton, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Norfolk — the county enjoys a central location along the Mid-Atlantic coast. In fact, approximately half the county’s residents commute to cities like Virginia Beach and Newport News. The northern portion of Isle of Wight County is most attractive to prime residential and commercial growth, while the central region and the US 460 corridor is a strong location for warehousing and light manufacturing.

In the southern quadrant of the county are tie-ins to major lumber and paper operations. Isle of Wight County is also home to two of the nation’s premier meatpacking firms, both in the Smithfield area. As might be expected in a county where nearly two-thirds of the area is still classified as rural, agriculture plays a vital role in the local economy. Crops like peanuts, cotton, wheat, soybeans, corn, and grain as well as livestock production contribute greatly to the state’s total farm cash receipts.

 

Smithfield
City Offices
757-365-4200
www.smithfieldva.gov

Smithfield is a charming Hampton Roads area community it is home to 18th & 19th Century architecture, a revitalized historic downtown, and all the character of a colonial seaport. Smithfield is considered one of Virginia’s best preserved Colonial seaports. It is home to approximately 7,000 lucky residents. The community offers residents a small-town atmosphere, a good school system, affordable housing, and a new state-of-the-art community/conference center – The Smithfield Center. Once a commercial center for shipping, Smithfield has evolved to host one of the area’s largest meat-processing industries, know for the world famous Smithfield Cured Hams. The community offers its residents a wonderful quality of life with a small town feel that is still connected to its colonial roots.