Colonial Parkway

SCENIC DRIVE · COLONIAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Colonial Parkway

A 23-mile National Park Service roadway linking Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown through the landscapes of Virginia’s Historic Triangle.

Length
23 miles

Managed by
National Park Service

Connects
Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown

Access
Road closures and detours may affect travel

The Colonial Parkway is both a practical link between the Historic Triangle’s major sites and a destination in its own right. The scenic road runs between the James River at Jamestown and the York River near Yorktown, connecting the historic areas of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown.

Expect a deliberately landscaped drive through woods, river views and tidal landscapes, rather than a fast highway or a commercial strip. The Parkway is part of Colonial National Historical Park, and its route ties together places associated with the early English colony and the American Revolution. Construction began in 1931 and the road was completed in 1957.

Why visit the Colonial Parkway?

The Parkway makes a visit to the Historic Triangle feel connected: you can travel between the Jamestown and Yorktown areas while experiencing the designed landscape between them. Its changing scenery—woodland stretches, open water and estuary views—offers a quieter counterpoint to the museums, reconstructed streets and battlefield sites along the route.

It is also a historic work of parkway design. The National Park Service describes it as a planned scenic corridor created to unify the park’s dispersed historic places while preserving the character of the land around them.

Start here

Plan the Parkway as a route between places, not as a drive guaranteed to be open end to end. The National Park Service’s rehabilitation project page reports construction closures and detours, including a closure beginning around September 9, 2026, between Fusiliers Redoubt Ramp and Penniman Road at Route 199. It says all segments within the project limits are closed to traffic; check the NPS project page for current maps and conditions before setting out, and follow posted detours.

The Parkway’s Williamsburg tunnel has low-clearance restrictions: the NPS lists clearance at the curb of 10 feet 4 inches toward Jamestown and 10 feet 6 inches toward Yorktown. Check the official Parkway page if your vehicle is tall or oversized, and obey posted signs and detours.

What to see and do

Drive the scenic route

Take in the Parkway’s designed landscape as you travel between the James and York rivers. Check the NPS closure and detour information first; active rehabilitation work may interrupt sections of the route.

Explore the Jamestown end

At the southern end, connect the Parkway drive with the historic site at Jamestown. Confirm current site access and operating details with the official operators before visiting.

Make a Williamsburg stop

The Parkway passes beneath part of Williamsburg in a tunnel. Use the drive as a link to the city’s historic district and other attractions, while checking your route for construction changes.

Visit Yorktown Battlefield

At the Yorktown end, explore the landscape associated with the decisive 1781 Revolutionary War campaign. Check the battlefield’s official visitor information for current access.

Cycle with care

The NPS permits bicycles on paved park roads, but there are no bike lanes separating cyclists from vehicle traffic. Pedestrians and bicycles are prohibited in the Williamsburg tunnel; review the park’s current cycling guidance before planning a ride.

History and significance

The Colonial Parkway was conceived as a scenic connection among Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, sites often grouped as Virginia’s Historic Triangle. The National Park Service authorized Colonial National Historical Park in 1930; the parkway was part of the vision for bringing the park’s separated historic areas into a connected visitor experience.

Construction took place over more than two decades, shaped by funding constraints, land acquisition, wartime interruptions and the challenges of routing the road near Williamsburg. The Parkway was completed in 1957. Its curving alignment, landscaping and limited-access design were intended to make the journey itself part of the park experience.

Planning a visit

• **Check access before leaving.** The Parkway is undergoing rehabilitation, and closures or detours can change. Consult the NPS rehabilitation page and its current detour map on the day of travel.
• **Allow time for a slower drive.** This is a scenic park road, not a route to treat like an expressway. Follow posted speed limits, construction signs and traffic directions.
• **Check vehicle clearance.** The Williamsburg tunnel has low clearance; the NPS publishes directional clearance figures on its Parkway page.
• **If cycling, plan for shared traffic.** NPS guidance notes that cyclists share paved park roads with vehicles, and that bicycles and pedestrians cannot use the Williamsburg tunnel.
• **Confirm site details separately.** Hours, fees and access rules at Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield and nearby attractions are distinct from Parkway road access and may change.

Nearby attractions

Historic Triangle
The regional grouping of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown that the Parkway connects.

Historic Jamestowne
The archaeological historic site at the Jamestown end of the Parkway.

Colonial Williamsburg
A living-history district in Williamsburg, close to the Parkway route.

Yorktown Battlefield
The battlefield and historic landscape at the Yorktown end of the route.

Jamestown Settlement
A nearby museum experience exploring early Virginia and the Jamestown colony.

American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
A museum near Yorktown focused on the American Revolution.

References

External links

• The Colonial Parkway — National Park Service
• Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation Project — National Park Service
• Maps — Colonial National Historical Park
• Bicycling Information — Colonial National Historical Park