Atlantic Coast

States: Virginia

Start near: Richmond (starts here) · Virginia Beach (about 1 h to Yorktown)

VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway

plantation row to the first peninsula

VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway is a ~90-mile back-roads route from Richmond to Yorktown on VA 5 and Colonial Pkwy, driven in 1–2 days, that stays off I-64 through the Atlantic Coast.

Open the interactive map →

Drive

Richmond → Yorktown

Distance

~90 miles

Time

1–2 days

Highways

VA 5 · Colonial Pkwy

Avoids

I-64

Region

Atlantic Coast

Two of America's oldest roads share one peninsula: VA 5 down the James past the river dynasties (Shirley, billed as America's oldest family business; Berkeley with its 1619 Thanksgiving claim and the bugle call Taps, composed on its grounds in 1862; Tyler's Sherwood Forest), then the Colonial Parkway's brick-tinted miles stitching Jamestown's actual 1607 fort to the siege lines at Yorktown. Four centuries in ninety minutes of driving, if you refuse every temptation, which you will not.

📍 The Parkway is its own interpretive system; the plantations post their histories, enslaved communities included, at the gates.

The drive, segment by segment

Plantation Row

Richmond → Sherwood Forest · ~35 mi

Shirley, Berkeley and Westover in procession along the river road's oak tunnels.

• 🏛️Shirley — Charles City

  A 1613 land grant still farmed by the same family eleven generations on, billed as the oldest family business in North America; the flying staircase has no visible support and no equal.

• 🏛️Berkeley — Charles City

  Claims America's first official Thanksgiving (1619), grew two Harrison presidents, and heard Taps first: the call was composed here during the army's 1862 encampment.

• 🏛️Sherwood Forest — Charles City

  John Tyler's home, said to be the longest frame house in America, and still owned by Tylers; the grounds walk past a president's actual privacy.

Jamestown

Sherwood Forest → Williamsburg · ~30 mi

The ferry option, the island fort, and the archaearium's recovered lives.

• 🏞️Historic Jamestowne — Jamestown

  The real 1607 site: the fort's rediscovered footprint, active digs, and the archaearium's recovered settlers, told bones-first.

The Parkway to Yorktown

Williamsburg → Yorktown · ~25 mi

No trucks, no billboards, 45 mph of brick-red concrete to the surrender field.

• 🏘️Colonial Williamsburg edge — Williamsburg

  The Parkway tunnels directly beneath the restored capital; surface for Duke of Gloucester Street or save the full immersion for its own day.

• 🛡️Yorktown Battlefield — Yorktown

  The 1781 siege lines and Surrender Field where Cornwallis's army stacked arms; the Revolution's endgame, walkable in an afternoon.

Tips and best time to go

• The Parkway bans commercial traffic and holds 45 mph; it is the point, not the delay.
• The Virginia Capital Trail parallels VA 5 the whole way if you'd rather do plantation row by bicycle.

Frequently asked questions

How long is VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway and how many days does it take?

VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway is about 90 miles and takes 1–2 days at a back-roads pace.

Where does VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway start and end?

It runs from Richmond to Yorktown.

Which highways does VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway follow?

It follows VA 5 and Colonial Pkwy.

Which interstate does VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway replace?

It avoids I-64, using VA 5 and Colonial Pkwy instead.

How many stops are on VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway, and what are the highlights?

6 stops are mapped, including Shirley, Berkeley, Sherwood Forest, Historic Jamestowne and Colonial Williamsburg edge.

Which ready-made itineraries include VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway?

Tidewater & the Outer Banks (4 days) and Cradle & Surrender: Jamestown to Appomattox (3 days).

Worth a detour

• Upper Shirley Vineyards — Wine on the James beside Shirley's fields; the porch view alone justifies the tasting.
• Fort Pocahontas — A Union earthwork at Wilson's Wharf built and defended by US Colored Troops in 1864; preserved privately, open by event.