Emergency Crime Scene and Biohazard Cleanup in Wachapreague, VA

Wachapreague is a small incorporated town in Accomack County on the seaside of Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The town's name comes from the Wachapreague, an Algonquian people who lived in the area centuries ago, and the name is traditionally rendered as 'little city by the sea.'

Wachapreague bills itself as the 'Little City by the Sea' and the 'Flounder Capital of the World,' titles noted by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Wachapreague had a population of 257 at the 2020 census, up 10.8% from 232 in 2010.

Wachapreague was once a much busier port town — its population peaked at 585 in the 1930 census.

At the 2000 census Wachapreague had 236 people in 133 households but 225 housing units, reflecting the many seasonal and vacation homes in the fishing community.

Wachapreague covers only about 0.22 square miles of land at an elevation of just 7 feet above sea level.

The Wachapreague Channel winds from the town through the seaside marsh out to the barrier islands, reaching the Atlantic Ocean between Cedar Island and Parramore Island, which makes the town a popular base for fishermen.

Land at Wachapreague was first patented by Nathaniel Bradford in 1662 for 1,000 acres, and the town's wharf was being used to ship goods to other American cities by 1825, according to the town's comprehensive plan.

The Wachapreague Hotel, built in 1902, drew hunters and fishermen from all over the country until it burned down in 1978.