Northern Neck : Virginia

The good life awaits 55+ adults who choose the Northern Neck, Virginia as their retirement community. Situated between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, with the Cheseapeake on the east, this area has both rural charm and instant access to the water. The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It is rich in history and very agricultural. The first Northern Neck tourist in 1608, Captain John Smith, referred to it “as a place heaven and earth never agreed better to frame man’s habitation.”

The Northern Neck is a very large geographical area including parts of 5 counties: King George, Richmond, Lancaster,  Westmoreland, and Northumberland. Kilmarnock is one of the larger of the many small towns in the Neck. Richmond is the nearest big city. The region starts near King George and Colonial Beach and goes down to the city of Lancaster. Other towns include Montross, Tappahannock, Urbanna, Hague, Callao, Lottsburg, Heathsville, and Reedville. Active adults interested in this region should also consider nearby Fredericksburg for retirement, which is located at the top of the neck. 

City people might find it too slow.

The region is located between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, with the Chesapeake on the east. The average January temperature is about 40 and the average in July is in the high 70s.

There are many museums and historical sites in the area. The Northern Neck is home to three of America's presidents - George Washington, James Madison, and James Monroe. The George Washington National Monument Birthplace features colonial American farmlife.