Tappahannock is located in
Essex County, of which it is the county seat, 41 miles NE of
Richmond between Millers Tavern and Warsaw along Highway 360 on the banks of the Rappahannock River in the
Eastern Region of the state. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 1,695, an increase of 66 since 1990.
Its name derives from an Indian term for "on the rising water".