The
Middle Peninsula is the second of three large
peninsulas on the western shore of
Chesapeake Bay in
Virginia, in the
United States. It lies between the
Northern Neck and the
Virginia Peninsula. This peninsula is bounded by the
Rappahannock River on the north and the
York River on the south, with the Chesapeake Bay to the east. It encompasses six Virginia counties:
Essex,
Gloucester,
King and Queen,
King William,
Mathews, and
Middlesex. Developed for tobacco plantations in the colonial era, in the 21st century the Middle Peninsula is known for its quiet rural life, vegetable
truck-farming, and fishing industry.