Tabb is an unincorporated community in York County, Virginia, United States, on the Virginia Peninsula. Major roads include U.S. Route 17 and State Route 134. The community was named for Mary Octavia Tabb who served as postmaster from 21 December 1893 until early 1910, as per National Archives and Records Administration. It is home to Tabb High School, one of four high schools in York County. It is also home to Tabb Middle School, Tabb Elementary School, and Mount Vernon Elementary School. Tabb is served by the US Postal ServiceZIP code 23693. The ZIP code area had an estimated population of 23,807 in 2014. Tabb, Virginia uses the mailing address of Yorktown, Virginia. This area is also referred to as York County. York County is one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Tabb exists within Yorktown and is considered one of the top communities to live in for this area. Tabb is primarily a residential community, with a few commercial interests. The largest employer in Tabb is a Walmart Supercenterdepartment store built on the site of a former Cinema-City drive-in theater and grocery store at the intersection of U.S. Route 17 and State Route 171. Other major employers nearby include the NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base. With a number of small farms that offer fresh locally grown produce, and equestrian facilities, the community serves as a rural escape for the nearby cities of Hampton and Newport News. The city has grown over the years in population and commercialization. The cities surrounding Tabb offer many more commercial opportunities as well. There is an abundance of retail, food, and nightlife within the surrounding cities. The first organized land battle of the American Civil War, the Battle of Big Bethel, was fought on land in nearby Hampton as well as the area that later became Tabb. During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War, the Yorktown, VA was captured by the Union after the Battle of Yorktown. The York County area was used as a base by the Union Army under General George B. McClellan to launch an attack on Richmond.
The historic Thorpland Plantation, a colonial manor house begun in the 17th century on land originally patented by Christopher Calthorpe on July 13, 1635 is located in Tabb on Victory Blvd. It is one of the oldest wood frame houses still standing in America. This was one of many plantations that existed in this area during the 17th century.
