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Williamsburg, VA is a small, historic city on Virginia's Peninsula, and William & Mary gives it a steady college-town pulse alongside its living-history fame. The campus sits right beside Colonial Williamsburg, the restored 18th-century town, with Merchants Square's shops and restaurants spanning the line between the two. Students settle in the compact blocks near campus and the Historic Triangle's tree-lined streets, with quieter areas toward Lafayette within easy biking distance. The broader region links Jamestown and Yorktown for history that's hard to beat. The vibe is walkable, green, and steeped in colonial character, smaller and calmer than a big-city campus but tightly knit around the school.
Sits directly beside campus, blending shops and restaurants with apartments that upperclassmen favor for walkability. It puts you in the middle of everything.
The surrounding streets offer tree-lined blocks and proximity to Colonial Williamsburg's attractions. It pairs character with a short walk to class.
Toward Lafayette, quieter residential neighborhoods give you more space and calm within biking distance of class. It suits students who want a settled feel.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Williamsburg.
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) buses connect more of the region around William & Mary. They run less often than big-city systems and stops are limited, so plan around the schedule. William & Mary's GOWM shuttle is free for students and loops around campus and nearby residential areas. The shuttle covers most on-campus and near-campus trips well.
Williamsburg is compact and student-friendly, so most students walk or bike to campus and into the Historic Triangle. The city is flat and small, which makes cycling the default for a lot of people. If you live near Merchants Square or just off campus, walking handles daily classes fine. Biking is easy across the level terrain.
A car is genuinely useful here once you want groceries, Jamestown and Yorktown, or trips beyond town, since transit thins out. For day-to-day life near campus you can often leave it parked. A vehicle mainly earns its keep on regional trips and big errands. Check parking options before you lease near the core.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Student rentals here are often listed by the unit rather than the bedroom, so the math depends on roommates. A typical student apartment averages around $1,600 a month total, which split two or three ways lands each person near $550 to $800. Houses near campus run higher overall but split well with a full roommate group.
Browse student housing near each Williamsburg-area university.