Tangier
Sign in to saveAlso known as Tangier, Virginia, Tangier, VA
town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Virginia
- County
- Accomack
- Mayor
- James Eskridge
- Total
- 0.54 sq mi (1.40 km )
- Land
- 0.54 sq mi (1.40 km )
- Water
- 0 sq mi (0.00 km )
- Elevation
- 3 ft (0.91 m)
- Density
- 806.6/sq mi (311.42/km )
- Time zone
- UTC-5 ( Eastern (EST) )
- Summer dst
- UTC-4 (EDT)
- Area codes
- 757, 948
- Fips code
- 51-77520
- Website
- https://tangiervirginia.org/
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- Tangier
- Population
- 436
- Area
- 3.226387
- Elevation
- 1
- Official website
- www.tangierislandva.com
- Image
- 2000-06-10 02 Watermen unloading lobsters on Tangier Island, Virginia USA.jpg
- Households
- 227
- Dialing code
- 757
Show 4 more facts
- Commons category
- Tangier, Virginia
- postal code
- 23440
- water as percent of area
- 0
- per capita income
- 24810
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Article
Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 436 at the 2020 census. Since 1850, the island's landmass has been reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scenario, much of the remaining landmass is expected to be lost in the next 50 years and the town will likely need to be abandoned.
The people who came to permanently settle the island arrived in the 1770s, and were farmers. In the late 19th century, the islanders began to become more dependent on harvesting crabs and oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. As the waterman livelihood became more important and more lucrative, there were often conflicts among the oyster dredgers and oyster tongers in the bay, and between those living in Maryland and those living in Virginia.