New Kent County is located in the Virginia Coastal Plain along Interstate Route 64, 15 miles from downtown Richmond and 45 miles from the City of Newport News.

The County contains 212 square miles and is bounded by the Chickahominy River on the south, the Pamunkey and York Rivers on the north, Henrico County to the west and James City and York Counties on the east. See Map

New Kent County's rural atmosphere, superior access to transportation, close proximity of metropolitan areas, and large tracts of land make it attractive for commercial or residential development.

The area was already important to the local Indian culture, when it was first visited by Captain John Smith in 1607, the same year that his party of Englishmen arrived at Jamestown.  European settlement of New Kent began in the mid 1600's.  See History of New Kent County   

Transportation has been important to the development of New Kent since Colonial times and today the County's road, rail, air and water routes make it an ideal for businesses that require a variety of transportation options.

Agriculture:

New Kent County is home to Colonial Downs Racetrack, which is a significant part of the state's $1 billion horse industry.

Virginia has 150,000 horses, and some can be found racing in New Kent County. Thanks, in part, to the New Kent track, Virginia recently moved from 20th to 12th in the United States for equine inventory.

New Kent has 64 farms and 16,392 acres of farmland. Nearly 30 residents call farming their principal occupation. Half of the farms have cattle, and a few have laying hens.

In addition, the County had 3,329 acres of corn, 2,919 acres of wheat, 5,041 acres of soybeans and 578 acres of hay in 1997, according to the most recent government statistics.

Overall, New Kent County's agriculture generated more than $2.9 million in cash receipts in 1997, according to the latest agriculture census. http://www.vafb.com/cnty10.htm

Roads:

Interstate Route 64 bisects New Kent County providing direct access to Hampton Roads and Richmond.  Interstate 295 passes north/south within 3 miles and connects the County with the population centers of the east coast by way of I-95 and I-85.

State Route 33 connects the County with West Point, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck, and State Route 106 leads south across the James River to Hopewell and Petersburg.

State Route 60 runs east/west through the County.  It was the major route from Richmond to Hampton Roads prior to the construction of I-64 and is today an underused 4 lane divided highway.

Air:
Five miles west of New Kent County along I-64 and Rt. 60 is Richmond International Airport, providing passenger and freight service.

New Kent County Airport with its 3600 foot runway serves general aviation needs in the County. Airport Manager: Bill Kelly (804) 932-3984, airprtw96@aol.com 

Rail:
CSX and Norfolk-Southern railways cross east/west through the County.  Amtrak serves the area with terminals in Williamsburg and Richmond.

Water Transport:
New Kent County is bordered by the Chickahominy, Pamunkey and York Rivers.  The Pamunkey and York are navigable with private facilities.
 
Road and rail links with the Port of Hampton Roads, the nation's leader in export tonnage, gives New Kent businesses access to the world's markets.
 
Capital Improvement Investment Areas
The New Kent County Land Use Plan has designated four areas for improved services for the benefit of commercial/Industrial and residential development.  However, development in the County is not limited to these locations


For more information contact:
New Kent County Administrator
P. O. Box 50, New Kent, VA 23124
Phone: 804 966-9695, fax: 804 966-9370

Director of Planning
P. O. Box 50, New Kent, VA 23124
Phone: 804 966-9690, fax: 804 966-9370

New Kent Chamber of Commerce
P. O. Box 119, Providence Forge, VA 23140

932 and 966 phones local to Richmond

New Kent Home Page
New Kent Planning Commission