Land for Sale in Mathews County, Virginia

Mathews County is nearly surrounded by water — the Chesapeake Bay to the east, the Piankatank River to the south, and Mobjack Bay to the west. It's the smallest county in the region and the most defined by its waterfront character. Crabbing, oystering, and the watermen culture run deep here.

Nearly every parcel in Mathews has some relationship to tidal water. The county's finger-like peninsulas — Gwynn's Island, the New Point Comfort area, Haven Beach — create miles of shoreline relative to total land area. This means waterfront opportunities are abundant, but it also means flood exposure and wetland presence are higher than any other Tidewater county. Buyers must understand exactly how much of a parcel is buildable before committing.

Mathews has no hospital — the nearest is Riverside Walter Reed in Gloucester (20 minutes). Commercial services are limited to Mathews Courthouse and a few crossroads stores. This is a county for people who want water, quiet, and authenticity over convenience. The watermen community, artists, and retirees who live here chose it precisely because it hasn't changed much.

LandMatch is especially valuable in Mathews. Our usable land calculation — the percentage of each parcel outside wetlands and FEMA floodplains — can reveal that a 5-acre waterfront parcel has only 2 acres of buildable ground. We map every creek, flood zone boundary, and wetland polygon so you can evaluate Mathews properties with the precision this unique landscape demands.

Mathews County falls under Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, which requires a 100-foot vegetated buffer — a Resource Protection Area (RPA) — along every tidal shoreline, tidal wetland, and connected tributary. In a county where virtually every parcel has some relationship to tidal water, the RPA is one of the most important regulatory constraints a buyer needs to understand. The buffer applies to all of Mathews' tidal creeks — East River, North River, Stutts Creek, Winter Harbor, Put-In Creek — not just the open Bay shoreline. On Mathews' narrow peninsulas and finger-shaped waterfront lots, the 100-foot setback from each side can overlap, leaving very little buildable area in between. Mathews County's planning department can provide a site-specific RPA determination, and any serious buyer should request one before committing.