The County lands, occupied for centuries by tribes of eastern woodland Indians, were settled by the English in the 1600's. The County was created in 1790 from adjacent Gloucester County, and is the second smallest county in Virginia. It is located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and has over 200 miles of shoreline on only 87 square miles of land. In addition to its Chesapeake Bay shoreline, there are three tidal rivers and fifty navigable creeks with loads of access sites. We're just ninety minutes east of Richmond. The paddling and other water sports, fishing, crabbing and oysters are exceptional.  Mathews is the home to the third oldest lighthouse on the Bay, a cultural arts center, Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry, two museums, nature preserves, and an active artisan community, Mathews County offers something for everyone. 

 Gloucester County, Virginia: Encounters in History