Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles. Named for sons of King James I of England in 1607, together Cape Henry and Cape Charles form the Virginia Capes.
Captain Newport, with his three ships, Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, and the group of 104 men and boys, subsequently explored inland and established Jamestown which became the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Current features
The Cape Henry Memorial commemorates The First Landing of the settlers that established Jamestown. Nearby, the historic Cape Henry Light was the first in the United States. Also of historical interest, the passenger station built in 1902 and served by the original Norfolk Southern Railway was restored late in the 20th century and is used as an educational facility by Fort Story, an Army base located at Cape Henry. First Landing State Park occupies the rest of the cape itself, as well as some of the nearby area.