Life moves at a slower pace in Northumberland County, which lies on the Chesapeake Bay and is just across the Potomac River from Maryland. The abundance of waterways, laid-back lifestyle, and temperate climate have made it one of Virginia’s leading retirement and vacation communities. Northumberland comprises 286 square miles, with 94 square miles of water, and a population of approximately 12,400. At the time of English settlement around 1635, the area was inhabited by the Native American Wicomico and Chickacoan tribes. In 1648, this “Mother County of the Northern Neck” was organized and named after County Northumberland, England.