Moving to Gloucester, VA: What to Know Before You Move

Gloucester County sits on Virginia's Middle Peninsula, across the York River from Yorktown, with shoreline on the York River, the Chesapeake Bay, and several smaller rivers. It is a rural county of about 40,000 people, with no incorporated towns and a county seat at Gloucester Courthouse.
This guide covers what changes when you move here: how people get around, how water, trash, and taxes work, where to find schools and health care, and how to plan the move itself. The Other Moving Company is based in Hayes, in Gloucester County.

Gloucester County at a Glance

A few numbers help set expectations before you start looking at homes.

Population: 38,711 at the 2020 Census and an estimated 40,097 in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau).
Size: 288 square miles, and about a quarter of that is water.
Homes: about 80 percent of homes are owner-occupied, with a median value of $331,000 for 2020 to 2024 (Census estimates).
Commute: The average trip to work takes about 35 minutes.
Distance: Richmond is roughly 60 miles west, and the Peninsula is just across the Coleman Bridge.

Where People Live in Gloucester County

Gloucester is a county of unincorporated communities rather than towns, and each part of it moves a little differently.

Gloucester Courthouse

The county seat holds Main Street and county offices, and Riverside Walter Reed Hospital is nearby. It is where most county services are, so it is the easiest base if you want shops and appointments close by.

Gloucester Point

Gloucester Point sits at the north end of the Coleman Bridge, which makes it the shortest commute to Yorktown and the rest of the Peninsula. It is also home to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary’s graduate school for marine science.

Hayes and the Route 17 Corridor

Hayes runs along Route 17 between Gloucester Point and the Courthouse area. Our office is here, and the county’s Hayes convenience center on Guinea Road serves this end of the county.

Waterfront and Rural Gloucester

Away from Route 17, the county opens up to waterfront along the York, Ware, Severn, and North rivers and Mobjack Bay. Rural communities such as Ark, Achilles, White Marsh and Wicomico are spread across the rest of the county.

Getting Around: Route 17 and the Coleman Bridge

Route 17 is the main road through Gloucester, and State Route 14 is the other major corridor. Heading south, Route 17 crosses the York River on the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge, a double swing-span bridge that opens to let Navy ships reach Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and other installations upriver.

The bridge stopped charging tolls on August 8, 2025. Before that, drivers paid only when heading north into Gloucester. If your job is on the Peninsula, plan your commute around the bridge, since it is the only road crossing on the lower York River.

Housing, Water and Septic

Before you buy or rent in Gloucester, check three things that catch newcomers off guard.

Public Water or a Private Well

Gloucester County Public Utilities serves about 5,200 water accounts and about 1,900 sewer accounts in a county of roughly 40,000 people. If your new home is outside those systems, it most likely has a private well and septic system, so ask for recent inspection reports before closing. If you are on county water, sign up at the Public Utilities office on Carriage Court. Renters pay a $30 account transfer fee plus refundable deposits of $60 for water and $40 for sewer.

Flood Zones

With so much shoreline, some Gloucester properties sit in a flood zone. Look up the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before you sign, since flood insurance can change your monthly costs.

Internet Service

Rural internet has been a long-running issue here. In 2021, county officials said about 15 percent of families still lacked reliable broadband, and the county has pursued expansion projects since then. Confirm which providers serve your exact address, especially if you work from home.

Trash, Recycling and Moving Day Clutter

Gloucester County does not offer curbside trash pickup. Residents take trash and recycling to a county convenience center or pay a private hauler, and the private haulers do not collect recycling.

The five county sites are the Belroi, Court House, Dutton, and Hayes convenience centers and the Middle Peninsula Landfill and Recycling Center. They are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and closed Sundays.

That matters on move-out and unpacking days. The convenience centers accept furniture and household appliances, so you can haul off pieces that will not fit the new place. Plan a trip for the cardboard, too. If you would rather not make the runs yourself, our junk removal service can take unwanted items.

Settling In: Vehicles, Schools and Health Care

Register Your Vehicles

Register your vehicles with the Virginia DMV first, then file a personal property return with the Gloucester County Commissioner of the Revenue. The return is due by March 1 of your first year as a resident on January 1, and the county does not prorate, so you are taxed for the full year on vehicles you own on January 1. The county stopped issuing vehicle decals in 2006.

Enroll in School

Gloucester County Public Schools handles enrollment through its student registration page. Keep your lease or closing documents handy, since you will need to show where you live.

Find Health Care

Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester is a 67-bed hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, imaging, surgery, and women’s health services.

Life in Gloucester

The Gloucester Daffodil Festival on Main Street draws close to 25,000 visitors a year. The 40th festival ran March 28 and 29, 2026, and it includes the largest American Daffodil Society-sanctioned show in the country. If you are moving near Main Street in late March, check the festival dates before you book.

The county also holds the site of Werowocomoco, the capital of the Powhatan Confederacy, and long stretches of shoreline on the York River and Mobjack Bay.

Looking at Mathews County Too?

Mathews County is Gloucester’s smaller neighbor to the east. It has about 8,500 residents, is almost surrounded by water, and is one of the few counties in Virginia without a traffic signal. If you are weighing Mathews instead, the planning points below apply there too.

Planning Your Move to Gloucester

Rural and waterfront homes call for a little more planning than a move inside a subdivision.

Driveways: measure how far the house sits from the road and note gravel, soft ground, or low branches, so the truck can get close without getting stuck.
Outbuildings: list sheds, garages, docks, and boat gear early. They are easy to forget until moving day.
Weather: hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. For a late summer or fall move, keep a backup date in mind.
Bridge timing: if you are moving from the Peninsula, leave a little slack in the schedule for the Coleman Bridge.
Storage: if closing dates do not line up, short-term storage bridges the gap.

We are a family-owned moving company and a North American Van Lines agent, based in Hayes. Our movers in Gloucester, VA handle local moves across the county, and our long-distance movers handle moves into Gloucester from other states. We also offer packing for a full home or a few rooms.

FAQs About Moving to Gloucester, VA

Does Gloucester County have curbside trash pickup?

No, the county does not offer curbside trash pickup. Residents use one of five county convenience centers or hire a private hauler, and private haulers do not collect recycling.

Do homes in Gloucester have public water?

Some do. County water serves about 5,200 accounts and county sewer about 1,900, so many homes outside those systems use a private well and septic system.

Is there a toll on the Coleman Bridge?

No. The Coleman Bridge stopped collecting tolls on August 8, 2025.

When do I need to report my vehicles to Gloucester County?

File a personal property return by March 1 of your first year as a resident on January 1. Register the vehicles with the Virginia DMV first.

How far is Gloucester from Richmond?

Gloucester County sits about 60 miles east of Richmond. Yorktown and Newport News are much closer, just across the Coleman Bridge.