thumb|Painted relief map of the United States East Coast Tidewater region, from the darkest green to one shade, lighter green to the west
Tidewater is a region in the Atlantic Plains of the United States located east of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line (the natural border where the tidewater meets with the Piedmont region) and north of the Deep South. The term "tidewater" can be applied to any region where water levels are affected by the tide. Still, culturally and historically, the Tidewater region refers most commonly to the low-lying plains of southeastern Virginia (known as the coastal plain or Tidewater Virginia), eastern Maryland, the Eastern Shore, and the Chesapeake Bay. It can also encompass Delaware, the remainder of the Delmarva Peninsula, and northeastern North Carolina.
The cultural Tidewater region got its name from the effects of changing ocean tides on local rivers, sounds, and shorelines. along with its islands, indigenous population and its receding shoreline.
History
Indigenous populations
Most Native Americans in the Tidewater region were various Algonquian polities including various member nations of the Powhatan confederacy alongside nations such as the Doeg, Piscataway, Nacotchtank, Tockwogh and the Chickahominy. Algonquians generally lived from the fall line eastward to the Chesapeake Bay and south to the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. From north to south, they inhabited the area from the Potomac River in Maryland to the Neuse River in North Carolina. Two nations, the Accomac and the Accohanoc, also Algonquians, lived on the Eastern Shore. John Smith's map of the region, which has been deemed quite accurate compared to some modern maps, showing about 200 towns with king's house symbols indicating capitals. The Powhatan Confederacy in the Tidewater region was occasionally at war with their neighbors, and they were enemies with the Monacans and Manahoac west of the fall line in the Piedmont region. To the north were the Susquehannock and Massawomeck. To the south were the Tuscarora, Nottoway and Meherrin alongside other hostile Algonquian nations such as the Weapemeoc and Chowanoc.
thumb|Captain John Smith's 1624 map of Virginia
The natives were agriculturalists dependent on the Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash) which they grew in the region's rich soils. They supplemented their diet with hunting, gathering, and fishing. By continuously growing corn, they were susceptible to crop failure. They fished and ate berries and nuts in the spring and summer, ate grown vegetables in the summer and fall, and hunted for deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, etc. in the winter. Deer was used for clothing and tools as well as food. Each nation had a leader, a Weroance. Political power was inherited and passed down through the female line although there was flexibility. The members of the Powhatan Confederacy lived in communities along rivers banks in houses called yehakins made from a tree framework covered in bark or marsh reed mats. Men hunted and fished while women farmed, made clothing, and cooked. Children learned these skills from adults and played. Tattoos of animals and nature were common, and clothes were made from deerskin and woven grasses. They made necklaces and earrings made from shells and pearls. He grew his confederacy by invading many nations to force them to join, including the Chesapeake, Kecoughtan, and Piankatank, according to locals who interacted with the colonists. Powhatan's relative, Opechancanough (it's unknown if he is a brother, half-brother, or cousin), was the Weroance of the Pamunkey before succeeding his father as the leader after his death. but he was captured and killed in captivity. In 1675, fighting ensued between the English and Susquehannocks due to the English trying to push them out of the land in Virginia and Maryland. By the early 18th century, some natives adopted Christianity and English culture. The colony consisted of men, women, and children sent by Sir Walter Raleigh, the leading Englishman in colonial establishments. The settlers explored the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds and rivers and documented new animal and plant species. with the letter "CRO" carved into a tree and the word "Croatoan" carved onto a post. Governor White speculated that they moved to the land occupied by the Croatoan tribe but couldn't search for them and returned to England. By the end of the first winter, only 38 of the original settlers had survived. In 1608, 200 more were sent to the colony. During the 1775 Battle of Great Bridge, the British, led by Lord Dunmore, tried to cross from the Albemarle region in North Carolina to Norfolk, Virginia where they were attacked and defeated by Patriots. Norfolk was later attacked and partially destroyed by Dunmore and his troops on New Year's Day in 1776. The Patriots were also responsible for the damage to Norfolk in attempt to deny it from the British. Because of the destruction of Norfolk, the largest military port between New York and Charleston, Lord Cornwallis decided to move his troops to Yorktown.
One of the most significant roles that the Tidewater region played in the revolution was the Siege of Yorktown which ended the war. The Yorktown campaign, with the help of French allies, began in Petersburg and made its way through the Virginia Peninsula to Yorktown where Cornwallis was forced to surrender 8,000 British forces.
Many battles were fought in the Tidewater region including the Battle of Big Bethel in York County and Hampton, the Blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River, multiple in North Carolina (such as Roanoke Island, New Bern, and Fort Macon), and the Peninsula Campaign which included the Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Hampton Roads and Battle of Williamsburg.
Geography
thumb|Tidal [[wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay]]
The land in the Tidewater region is generally flat and low, with large expanses near the tidal shorelines composed of tidal marsh and swamp. Much of the area is covered with pocosin and the higher areas are used for agricultural farmlands.
The underlying structure of the region is a solid rock foundation that formed 250-500 million years ago and is covered with eroded clay, sand, and gravel carried eastward by rivers. The salinity of the water in the region gradually changes from freshwater inland to brackish and saltwater closer to the coast. the Eastern Shore, and Delaware round out the northern part of the region on the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. In the case of Virginia, the Tidewater region includes Hampton Roads, the rest of the Virginia Peninsula, the Middle Peninsula, the Northern Neck, and the Eastern Shore.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+County Population in Tidewater Region
!county
!2024 estimate
!% change 2020–2024
!2020 population
!2010 population
|-
!Virginia
!
!
!
!
|-
|Accomack
|33,411
|0.0
|33,413
|33,164
|-
|Alexandria
|159,102
| -0.2
|159,467
|139,966
|-
|Arlington
|239,807
|0.5
|238,643
|207,627
|-
|Caroline
|33,477
|8.4
|30,887
|28,545
|-
|Charles City
|6,564
| -3.1
|6,773
|7,256
|-
|Chesapeake
|254,997
|2.3
|249,422
|222,209
|-
|Chesterfield
|389793
|7.1
|364,548
|316,236
|-
|Colonial Heights
|18,674
|2.9
|18,170
|17,411
|-
|Essex
|10,683
|0.8
|10,599
|11,151
|-
|Fairfax
|1,160,925
|0.9
|1,150,309
|1,081,726
|-
|Fairfax (city)
|26,340
|9.1
|24,146
|22,565
|-
|Falls Church
|15,034
|2.6
|14,658
|12,332
|-
|Fredericksburg
|29,992
|7.2
|27,982
|24,286
|-
|Gloucester
|311,783
|3.1
|302,294
|288,288
|-
|Hampton
|137,596
|0.3
|137,148
|137,436
|-
|Hanover
|115,309
|4.8
|109,979
|99,863
|-
|Henrico
|338,696
|1.1
|334,389
|306,935
|-
|Hopewell
|22,970
| -0.3
|23,033
|22,591
|-
|Isle of Wight
|40,942
|6.0
|38,606
|35,270
|-
|James City
|82,797
|5.8
|78,254
|67,009
|-
|King and Queen
|6,747
|2.1
|6,608
|6,945
|-
|King George
|28,816
|7.8
|26,723
|23,584
|-
|King William
|19,232
|8.0
|17,810
|15,935
|-
|Lancaster
|11,062
|1.3
|10,919
|11,391
|-
|Mathews
|8,602
|0.8
|8,533
|8,978
|-
|Middlesex
|10,949
|3.1
|10,625
|10,959
|-
|New Kent
|27,218
|18.6
|22,945
|18,429
|-
|Newport News
|183,056
| -1.7
|186,247
|180,719
|-
|Norfolk
|231,105
| -2.9
|238,005
|242,803
|-
|Northampton
|12,004
| -2.2
|12,282
|12,389
|-
|Northumberland
|12,397
|4.7
|11,839
|12,330
|-
|Petersburg
|34,058
|1.8
|33,458
|32,420
|-
|Poquoson
|12,854
|3.2
|12,460
|12,150
|-
|Portsmouth
|96,482
| -1.5
|97,915
|95,535
|-
|Prince George
|43,589
|1.4
|43,010
|355,725
|-
|Prince William
|497,003
|3.1
|482,204
|401,002
|-
|Richmond
|9,215
|3.3
|8,923
|9,254
|-
|Richmond (city)
|233,655
|3.1
|226,610
|204,214
|-
|Spotsylvania
|152,021
|8.5
|140,032
|122,397
|-
|Stafford
|168,919
|7.6
|156,927
|128,961
|-
|Suffolk
|103,105
|9.2
|94,324
|84,585
|-
|Surry
|6,579
|0.3
|6,561
|7,058
|-
|Virginia Beach
|454,808
| -1.0
|459,470
|437,994
|-
|Westmoreland
|19,235
|4.1
|18,477
|17,454
|-
|Williamsburg
|16,030
|4.0
|15,425
|14,068
|-
|York
|71,410
|1.9
|70,045
|65,464
|-
!Maryland
!
!
!
!
|-
|Anne Arundel
|602,350
|1.6
|588,261
|537,656
|-
|Baltimore
|852,425
| -0.2
|854,535
|805,029
|-
|Baltimore City
|568,271
| -3.0
|585,708
|620,961
|-
|Calvert
|94,913
|2.3
|92,783
|88,737
|-
|Caroline
|34,248
|2.9
|33,293
|33,066
|-
|Cecil
|106,305
|2.5
|103,725
|101,108
|-
|Charles
|174,478
|4.7
|166,617
|146,551
|-
|Dorchester
|33,138
|1.9
|32,531
|32,618
|-
|Harford
|265,514
|1.8
|260,924
|244,826
|-
|Kent
|19,557
|1.9
|19,198
|20,197
|-
|Prince George's
|966,629
| -0.1
|967,201
|863,420
|-
|Queen Anne's
|53,688
|7.6
|49,874
|47,798
|-
|St. Mary's
|116,469
|2.4
|113,777
|105,151
|-
|Somerset
|25,241
|2.5
|24,620
|26,470
|-
|Talbot
|38,244
|1.9
|37,526
|37,782
|-
|Wicomico
|106,329
|2.6
|103,588
|98,733
|-
|Worcester
|54,337
|3.6
|52,460
|51,454
|-
!North Carolina
!
!
!
!
|-
|Bertie
|16,939
| -5.5
|17,934
|21,282
|-
|Beaufort
|44,576
| -0.2
|44,652
|47,759
|-
|Brunswick
|167,112
|22.3
|136,693
|107,431
|-
|Camden
|11,184
|8.0
|10,355
|9,980
|-
|Carteret
|70,259
|3.8
|67,686
|66,469
|-
|Chowan
|13,891
|1.3
|13,708
|14,793
|-
|Craven
|104,167
|3.4
|100,720
|103,505
|-
|Currituck
|32,278
|14.9
|28,100
|23,547
|-
|Dare
|38,183
|3.4
|36,915
|33,920
|-
|Gates
|10,299
| -1.7
|10,478
|12,197
|-
|Hetford
|19,169
| -11.1
|21,552
|24,669
|-
|Hyde
|4,583
| -0.1
|4,589
|5,810
|-
|New Hanover
|243,333
|7.8
|225,702
|202,667
|-
|Onslow
|212,954
|4.1
|204,576
|177,772
|-
|Pamlico
|12,550
|2.3
|12,276
|13,144
|-
|Pasquotank
|41,418
|2.1
|40,568
|40,661
|-
|Pender
|70,077
|16.4
|60,203
|52,217
|-
|Perquimans
|13,460
|3.5
|13,005
|13,453
|-
|Tyrrell
|3,517
|8.5
|3,245
|4,407
|-
!Delaware
!
!
!
!
|-
|Kent
|192,690
|6.0
|181,851
|162,310
|-
|New Castle
|588,093
|3.0
|570,719
|538,479
|-
|Sussex
|271,134
|14.2
|237,378
|197,145
|}
Climate
thumb|Sea level rise viewer from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The tidewater region has a warm, subtropical climate with mild winters and hot, humid summers, allowing for a long growing season. The Chesapeake Bay affects the climate on the Eastern Shore and inland from its cool winds during the warm months. There is a moderate amount of rainfall throughout the year at about 44 inches in coastal Maryland and slightly more down towards Tidewater Virginia.
"Climate change" is thought to be impactful in the Tidewater region due to "rising" sea levels from melting ice sheets/glaciers and rising water temperatures. According to the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Atlantic is rising three to four times the pace of the "global average" and especially fast on Virginia's coast, which has one of the highest rates in the country. Norfolk, Virginia has been identified as the most vulnerable city to rising sea levels on the Atlantic Coast, and it is possible that by 2100, the Tidewater region could have up to an 8-foot change in high tides.
left|thumb|American Alligator
The most common fish in the region are minnows, shiners, carp, sunfish, largemouth bass, and catfish. Some species are resident while others migrate. Aquatic turtles and water snakes are abundant along with frogs and toads. There are fewer amphibians in the area because of the abundance of fish that eat their eggs. The American alligator has inhabited the region, specifically parts of North Carolina since prehistory. The largest amounts of alligators in the region today are found on the eastern side of the Alligator River by the Albemarle Sound. According to the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS), 21.9% are under 18 years old, 16.7% are over 65, and the median age is 37.7. The sex ratio is 96.1 males per 100 females.
The Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck & Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commissions PUMA in Virginia had a total population of 172,419 according to the 2023 ACS. Of this, 17.6% are under 18, 28.5% are over 65, and median age is 50.3. Females make up 51.5% of the population and males the other 48.5%.
Households, families, and marital status
An estimated 710,613 total households live in Hampton Roads with the average household size being 2.44. Of these, 73% are 1-unit structures, 24.8% are 2-or-more unit structures, and 2.1% are mobile homes or other unit types. More than a quarter of households have children under 18. There are an estimated 458,380 total families with an average size of 3.02. Of the population 15 years and over, 34.5% never married, 47.6% are now married (except separated), 10.7% are divorced, and 5.3% are widowed.
The Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck & Accomack-Northampton area has a total of 75,279 households with an average of 2.2 persons her household. Single-unit homes make up 84% of housing units, 4.9% are multi-unit homes, and 11.1% are mobile homes. Of the population 15 years and over, 55.5% are married and 44.5% are single. and the median income per household is $79,325. Two earners are present in 41.3% of families, while 34% have only one earner. Of the population 25 years and over, 93% are high school graduates or higher and 36.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher.
The Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck & Accomack-Northampton area has a median household income of $65,940, and 10.4% of the population is below the poverty line. Of the population 25 years and over, 11.4% have no degree, 35.4% graduated high school, 16% have a bachelor's degree, and 10% have a post-grad degree.
The Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck & Accomack-Northampton area is 68.3% White, 20.7% Black, 0.7% Asian, 5.7% Hispanic, 0.1% Native, 0% Islander, and 0.6% other.
Military and defense
The Tidewater region is home to numerous military installations, including Naval Station Norfolk (the world's largest naval base), Naval Air Station Oceana, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and Newport News Shipyard in Virginia. Maryland hosts Aberdeen Proving Ground and several Naval Support Activity installations, and North Carolina houses Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Norfolk, Virginia holds the only two NATO commands in North America, Allied Command Transformation and Joint Force Command Norfolk.
thumb|Flattops at Naval Station Norfolk
In the fiscal year of 2023, Virginia was the second-largest recipient of defense spending, receiving $68.5 billion, and Maryland was fifth-largest with $27.8 billion. In Hampton Roads specifically, direct Department of Defense spending was estimated to be more than $25 billion in 2022. Hampton Roads also has a significant military veteran and retiree population, and more than 7% of businesses are veteran owned. In 2014, Virginia had 63,650 shipyard jobs, the most out of every state next to California which had 37,140. Virginia's maritime industry is responsible for over $5.5 billion of the state's economy annually. Domestic cargo transported via ships originating in Virginia as well as being shipped to Virginia totaled more than $9 million and $6 million tons, respectively. The top state to send maritime cargo to and receive it from Virginia is Maryland. Between 2010 and 2019, cargo traffic in Hampton Roads had an increase of 43.2%. Similarly, tourism to the Outer Banks accounts for billions in spending annually.