Poquoson, Virginia

Poquoson, Virginia
Independent city
Boats parked at the Poquoson Marina. Boating has been an important part of Poquoson's economy since its inception.
Seal
Nickname:  Bull Island
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Coordinates: 37°7′59″N 76°22′25″W / 37.13306°N 76.37361°W / 37.13306; -76.37361
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	None (Independent city)
Founded	1631
Government
• Mayor	Gordon C. Helsel Jr.
Area [1]
• Independent city	78.46 sq mi (203.20 km2)
• Land	15.36 sq mi (39.77 km2)
• Water	63.10 sq mi (163.43 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Independent city	12,460
• Density	811.20/sq mi (313.21/km2)
• Metro	1,799,674
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	23662
Area code(s)	757, 948
FIPS code	51-63768[2]
GNIS feature ID	1479363[3]
Website	http://www.poquoson-va.gov

Poquoson (/pəˈkoʊsən/), informally known as Bull Island, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,460.^[4] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County for statistical purposes.

Poquoson is located on the Virginia Peninsula, in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.

Poquoson, which was formerly part of York County, became an incorporated town in 1952 and an independent city in 1975. (In Virginia, municipalities incorporated as independent cities are not part of any county.) However, the ties remain close. Over 30 years after Poquoson became a politically independent entity, some constitutional services such as the courts, sheriff and jail continue to be shared with neighboring York County.

Poquoson is one of the oldest continuously named cities in Virginia. It is also one of the few to retain a name which derived from the Native Americans who inhabited the area before colonization by the English began in the 17th century.