<P> Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia . As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068 . In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691 . </P> <P> Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area . It is bordered by James City County and York County . </P> <P> Williamsburg was founded in 1632 as Middle Plantation, a fortified settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers . The city served as the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and was the center of political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution . The College of William & Mary, established in 1693, is the second - oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the only one of the nine colonial colleges located in the South; its alumni include three U.S. presidents as well as many other important figures in the nation's early history . </P> <P> The city's tourism - based economy is driven by Colonial Williamsburg, the restored Historic Area of the city . Along with nearby Jamestown and Yorktown, Williamsburg forms part of the Historic Triangle, which attracts more than four million tourists each year . Modern Williamsburg is also a college town, inhabited in large part by William & Mary students and staff . </P>

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