Yorktown Travel Guide
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14 miles NE of Williamsburg
Although the 13 American colonies declared their independence from England on July 4, 1776, their dream of freedom from King George III actually came to fruition here at Yorktown in October of 1781, when Gen. George Washington won the last major battle of the American Revolution. "I have the Honor to inform Congress that a Reduction of the British Army under the Command of Lord Cornwallis is most happily effected," Washington wrote to the Continental Congress on October 19, 1781. Though it would be 2 years before a treaty was signed and sporadic fighting would continue, the Revolution, for all intents and purposes, was over.
Today the decisive battlefield is a national park, and the Commonwealth of Virginia has built the Yorktown Victory Center, an interpretive museum explaining the road to revolution, the war itself, and the building of a new nation afterwards. Predating the revolution and overlooking the picturesque York River, the old town of Yorktown itself is worth a visit.
To get here from Williamsburg, drive to the eastern end of the Colonial Parkway. From Norfolk, take I-64 west to U.S. 17 north and follow the signs to Yorktown.
You'll need at least half a day to digest all this history.
