Living near Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Cheatham Annex

The closest place to live to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown's Gate 3 is Lee Hall, at the north end of Newport News, about 2 miles and 5 minutes away. Yorktown, Gloucester Point, Denbigh and Kiln Creek are about 15 minutes out; Grafton, Tabb, Seaford and Williamsburg about 20; Poquoson about 25. For Cheatham Annex, the station's separate parcel on the York River, Williamsburg is closest at about 15 minutes. Every one of these areas draws the same 2026 BAH, because NWS Yorktown (ZIP 23691) and the Williamsburg-area ZIPs around Cheatham Annex (23185, 23187 and 23188) are all in Military Housing Area VA297, Hampton/Newport News. Adam Triplett, the Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS® #1 individual agent every year since 2018 and a Grafton High School graduate, has closed 111 sales of homes with Yorktown addresses and 198 in Newport News (Adam's closed-sales record, 2006 through July 2026).

Naval Weapons Station Yorktown at a glance

The Navy acquired the site by presidential proclamation on August 7, 1918, to support the Allied mine barrage in the North Sea. It covered about 20 square miles, which made it the largest naval installation in the world at the time (Military OneSource). Today it is one of the Navy's major East Coast ordnance facilities, bordered by the York River, Colonial National Historical Park, York County, Newport News and James City County. Tenant commands listed by Military OneSource include Navy Munitions Command CONUS East Division, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two detachment, a Marine Corps Security Force Regiment unit and branch medical and dental clinics.

Getting there, per Military OneSource as of October 2026:

• Gate 3 is on Longfellow Road off Jefferson Avenue (Route 143). From I-64 eastbound, take exit 247, turn left onto Jefferson Avenue and left at the first light. From I-64 westbound, take exit 247 to Yorktown Road, turn left onto Jefferson Avenue, go about three quarters of a mile and turn right onto Longfellow Road.
• Arriving on a weekend, report to the Combined Bachelor Quarters, Nelson House, Building 704, inside Gate 3, then to your command the next working day.
• There is no base transportation, and taxis from Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport run about $40 to $50 one way.

Cheatham Annex

Cheatham Annex is a separate parcel on the York River in upper York County, near Williamsburg. Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE is based there, and bachelor enlisted and officer quarters are available at both Yorktown and Cheatham Annex (757-887-7712). Williamsburg (about 6 miles, 15 minutes), Lee Hall (about 15 minutes) and New Town in James City County (about 20 minutes) are the closest areas measured. Queens Lake, a York County neighborhood with Williamsburg addresses, is in the same part of the county.

Areas near NWS Yorktown, ranked by drive time to Gate 3

Approximate off-peak drive times; the full table and method are below.

1. Lee Hall (Newport News): about 5 minutes

The north end of Newport News, between the weapons station and Fort Eustis, about 5 minutes from both. It shares ZIP 23603 with the Navy's Yorktown Housing Service Center at 1970 Von Steuben Drive. Schools: Newport News Public Schools.

2. Yorktown: about 15 minutes

Yorktown's historic village sits on the York River about 5 miles from Gate 3, next to Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown. Most homes with a Yorktown address are in surrounding York County subdivisions rather than the village itself. Schools: York County School Division. See Yorktown and York County and York River waterfront homes.

3. Gloucester Point: about 15 minutes

Across the York River on the Coleman Bridge (Route 17), about 7 miles from Gate 3. The Coleman Bridge has been toll-free since August 8, 2025. Schools: Gloucester County Public Schools. See the Gloucester area guide.

4. Denbigh and Kiln Creek: about 15 minutes

Denbigh covers much of northern Newport News along Warwick Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue, with single-family subdivisions, townhomes and apartment communities. Kiln Creek is a planned community with a golf course and a homeowners association. Denbigh and Kiln Creek's Newport News villages are in Newport News Public Schools; Kiln Creek's York County villages are in York County School Division.

5. Grafton and Coventry (York County): about 20 minutes

Grafton runs along Route 17 about 9 miles from Gate 3, and nearby Coventry is another York County subdivision option. Both are York County School Division; Grafton High School is in this part of the county.

6. Williamsburg and James City County: about 20 minutes

About 11 to 12 miles to Gate 3 and the closest areas to Cheatham Annex. Schools are Williamsburg-James City County Schools, which is reviewing attendance zones as of October 2026 (WJCC redistricting); see WJCC school assignment. See Williamsburg and James City County.

7. Tabb and Seaford (York County): about 20 minutes

Tabb is largely single-family subdivisions along Route 17 and Hampton Highway in lower York County. Seaford is a waterfront area on the Chesapeake Bay side of the county, so flood zones vary lot by lot. Both are York County School Division, about 12 miles from Gate 3.

8. Poquoson: about 25 minutes

An independent city about 15 miles from Gate 3, with its own four-school division (one school per level) and many waterfront and marsh-edge lots. See the Poquoson area guide and Poquoson flood zones and flood insurance.

Commute table: NWS Yorktown Gate 3 and Cheatham Annex

Approximate off-peak drive distances and times, estimated with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) from one reference point in each area to Gate 3 on Longfellow Road and to Cheatham Annex, rounded up to the next five minutes. Rush hour on I-64, Jefferson Avenue and Route 17 adds time.

Navy housing at NWS Yorktown

Navy family housing here is public-private venture (PPV) housing. Military OneSource's NWS Yorktown pages name the operator as Lincoln Military Housing and its JBLE page names Liberty Military Housing; the operator's site, livelmh.com, is branded Liberty Military Housing. What Military OneSource lists as of October 2026:

• Check in first. Service members with eligible family members are strongly encouraged to check in with the Yorktown Housing Service Center, 1970 Von Steuben Drive, Newport News, VA 23603 (757-847-7806 or 800-704-5488), within 30 days of arrival. Checking in does not obligate you to live in base housing.
• Waitlist. You can request a specific housing area; if nothing is open you go on a waitlist. Waits run from zero to three months up to 18 to 24 months, depending on the area and bedroom count. Applicants with family members enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program may qualify for priority placement on the waitlist, which does not guarantee an immediate home.
• Documents. Navy: orders and Page 2. Marines: orders and NAVMC 10922. Army and Air Force: orders and DD Form 93. Coast Guard: orders and CG-4170.
• Lease. PPV leases are six months.
• House hunting. Expect two to four weeks in a hotel or Navy Lodge; the closest Navy Lodge is in Norfolk, about 35 miles away. Off-base rentals are listed on HOMES.mil.
• Buying and selling help. The Navy Housing Service Center's real estate specialists (757-445-2832) and Fleet and Family Support workshops (757-887-4606) cover home buying, selling and VA loans.

2026 BAH at NWS Yorktown and Cheatham Annex

Those ZIPs all map to Military Housing Area VA297, Hampton/Newport News, in the Defense Travel Management Office's 2026 rate files. BAH follows the duty station, so the rate is the same in Gloucester Point, Williamsburg or Poquoson. Monthly 2026 rates:

Confirm your grade on the DoD BAH calculator.

Schools near NWS Yorktown

Military OneSource notes a rule specific to the station: children living in government quarters inside the perimeter fence attend York County schools, while those in quarters outside the fence may attend Newport News or York County schools. Confirm with the housing office and the division before you sign a lease.

Off base, assignment goes by address. York County School Division serves more than 13,000 students in 19 schools, including four high schools (Bruton, Grafton, Tabb and York); see York County school assignment. Newport News, Williamsburg-James City County, Gloucester and Poquoson each run their own divisions. Published data for any school is on Virginia's School Quality Profiles.

Flood zones and water

Several of the areas above, including Seaford, Poquoson, Gloucester Point and the York River shoreline, include waterfront and low-lying lots. Look up every address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Flood insurance is required for federally backed mortgages, including VA loans, on homes in special flood hazard areas.

Adam Triplett's record around NWS Yorktown

Adam is a 2002 graduate of Grafton High School, where he later coached with the varsity boys basketball staff. His closed-sales record, 2006 through July 2026, includes 111 homes with Yorktown addresses (40 since 2020), 9 in Seaford, 198 in Newport News, 37 in Williamsburg and 29 in Gloucester County. Twenty of his 42 sales at $500,000 and above had Yorktown addresses. Notable listing-side sales include Bunting Point, Yorktown ($905,000, 2021); Glebe Spring, Yorktown ($890,000, 2018); and Flamingo, Yorktown ($860,000, 2025).

When orders come, his process has three steps: assess the timeline from your report date, coordinate the punch list and contractors so nothing waits on you being in town, then sell and close remotely from your next duty station. See selling on PCS orders without being in town, the sold record and the military relocation hub.