Northampton County is the southern 35 miles of a 70 mile long stretch of the Delmarva Peninsula known as Virginia's Eastern Shore. "The Shore" as it is affectionately named, is cradled by the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay or what is known locally as Bayside and Seaside. The Seaside, in particular, contains the largest island wilderness chain on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
The Shore is a place that has somehow managed to remain relatively unchanged through the times. Its pristine condition is mainly a result of the surrounding waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the County's isolation to large East Coast metropolises such as Virginia's Tidewater Area (Virginia Beach & Norfolk). Generations of families have been left to their own and have created a rich tradition of living off the land through farming and fishing. For centuries a unique harmony, between mankind and nature, has evolved from these circumstances.
Northampton County's central location on the Eastern Seaboard places it less than a 1 day drive from areas such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Northampton County contains numerous natural and cultural sites, including four large public parks; County owned, Indiantown Park and Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve; federally owned Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge and state owned, Kiptopeke State Park, both located at the southern end of the county. Historic towns, such as Eastville, Cheriton and Cape Charles contain buildings that speak to over 350 years of architectural design in the United States.