Jamestown
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
It was located, in what later became James City County, on the northeast bank of the James River, about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of present-day Williamsburg. It was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 4, 1607 O.S. (May 14, 1607 N.S.). It followed earlier, failed English colonization attempts, including the 1585 Roanoke Colony. A river island was selected to evade Spanish naval patrols; however, it was infested with mosquitoes, lacked potable water, and was used by the Paspahegh people. Despite supply missions, only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived the 1609–1610 winter known as Starving Time. In 1612, West Indies tobacco was successfully cultivated, leading to an economic boom for the colony and England.
Getting around Jamestown the local way
- Get aroundJamestown and Newport Ferry, Ferry Wharf, Phone: +1 401 423-9900 The 45-passenger Jamestown-Newport Ferry is a great way to visit Newport without the usual parking problems.
- Go nextNewport makes a great day trip a ten minute drive across the bridge or by ferry in season.
From Wikivoyage: Jamestown (Rhode Island), CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.