2010 Map of Cape Henry

About this map

Cape Henry serves as a critical navigational and historical anchor at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, where the transition from open water to complex tidal inlets defines the landscape. This era shows the developed coastal interface of Virginia Beach, featuring the iconic Old Cape Henry Lighthouse alongside the New Cape Henry Lighthouse and the Cape Henry Memorial Cross. Inland, the intricate waterways of Lynnhaven Bay and the Lynnhaven River create a fragmented geography of points and necks, such as Great Neck and Little Neck, which supported established residential communities like Lynnhaven Shores and Baylake Pines. The map records a sophisticated transportation network that includes the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel and the Lesner Bridge, illustrating how mid-20th-century infrastructure managed the confluence of heavy maritime traffic in the Chesapeake Channel with the suburban expansion of the Virginia coast.