Tangier, VA

Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2020 census counted 436 residents. Since 1850, the island's landmass has been reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scenario, much of the remaining landmass is expected to be lost in the next 50 years and the town will likely need to be abandoned. Once a major industry on the island, oystering has returned in recent years as a supplement to the more prominent crabbing business. The primary industry on the island besides fishing is tourism. Accomack County Public Schools operates the Tangier Combined School, the sole comprehensive K–12 public school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

As of 2018, it had 60 students. The through line in Tangier is the way its history and present-day settings remain visible on the same map. Tangier makes the most sense through those concrete details, with its history still visible in the settings people use today. The island's West Ridge has four bridges to the Main Ridge and a seawall built in 1990 to combat erosion, and it is also home to Tangier Island Airport. Canton Ridge is connected by just one bridge and, while once the largest ridge with up to 30 families, today is the smallest ridge and home to just a few families.