Accomack County is a United States county that, together with Northampton County, constitutes the Eastern Shore region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. These two counties also form the southern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The town of Accomac serves as the county seat, while Chincoteague is the largest town in the county.
The area was named for the Accawmack Indians, who resided in the area when the English first explored it in 1603. The region was known as Accomac Shire until it was renamed Northampton County in 1642. The present Accomack County was then carved out of Northampton County in 1663.
As of the 2020 census, Accomack County had a total population of 33,413. The population has remained relatively stable over the 20th century, though Accomack is one of the poorest parts of Virginia. In 1642 the name was changed to Northampton by the colonists. Northampton was divided into two counties in 1663. The northern adopted the original name, while the south remained Northampton.
In 1670, the Virginia Colony's Royal Governor William Berkeley abolished Accomac County, but the Virginia General Assembly re-created it in 1671.
In 1940, the General Assembly officially added a "k" to the end of the county's name to arrive at its current spelling. The name of "Accomack County" first appeared in the Decisions of the United States Board on Geographical Names in 1943.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (65.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Virginia by total area, as well as its easternmost county.
The state of Delaware is roughly away from the Virginia and Maryland state-line in Greenbackville.