Atlas of Battles

siege, landmark, early modern

Siege of Yorktown

Siege of Yorktown was a siege conducted in 1781 at Yorktown, in what is now Virginia, United States. It was part of the American Revolutionary War, which ran from 1775 to 1783. The recorded result: Franco-American victory.

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This painting depicts the forces of British Major General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805) (who was not himself present at the surrender), surrendering to French and American fo
This painting depicts the forces of British Major General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805) (who was not himself present at the surrender), surrendering to French and American fo. John Trumbull, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1781
WhereYorktown, Virginia, United States37.231N, 76.502W
OutcomeFranco-American victory
BelligerentsUnited States; Kingdom of FranceagainstKingdom of Great Britain; Loyalist (American Revolution); Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel; Principality of Ansbach
Part ofAmerican Revolutionary War1775 to 1783

Where it sits in the American Revolutionary War

Battle of Machias, 1775Battle of Gloucester, 1775Siege of Savage's Old Fields, 1775Raid on Charlottetown (1775), 1775Battles of Lexington and Concord, 1775Siege of Boston, 1775Battle of Lexington, 1775Battle of Concord, 1775Capture of Fort Ticonderoga, 1775Battle off Fairhaven, 1775Battle of Chelsea Creek, 1775Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775Siege of Fort St. Jean, 1775Battle of Longue-Pointe, 1775Battle of Kemp's Landing, 1775Battle of Great Bridge, 1775Battle of Great Cane Brake, 1775Battle of Quebec, 1775Fortification of Dorchester Heights, 1776Battle of Iron Works Hill, 1776Battle of the Rice Boats, 1776Raid on Canso (1776), 1776Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, 1776Battle of Saint-Pierre, 1776Battle of Block Island, 1776Battle of Trois-Rivières, 1776Battle of Sullivan's Island, 1776Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet, 1776Battle of Lindley's Fort, 1776Battle of Long Island, 1776Landing at Kip's Bay, 1776Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776Battle of Valcour Island, 1776Battle of Pell's Point, 1776Battle of Mamaroneck, 1776Battle of White Plains, 1776Battle of Fort Washington, 1776Battle of Fort Lee, 1776Ambush of Geary, 1776Battle of Trenton, 1776Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, 1777Battle of White Marsh, 1777Siege of Fort Stanwix, 1777Second Battle of Machias, 1777Battle of the Assunpink Creek, 1777Battle of Princeton, 1777Battle of Millstone, 1777Battle of Punk Hill, 1777Battle off Yarmouth, 1777Battle of Bound Brook, 1777Battle of Ridgefield, 1777Battle of Thomas Creek, 1777Meigs Raid, 1777Battle of Short Hills, 1777Battle of Hubbardton, 1777Battle of Fort Anne, 1777Battle of Oriskany, 1777Battle of Bennington, 1777Battle of Staten Island, 1777Battle of Setauket, 1777Siege of Fort Henry, 1777Battle of Cooch's Bridge, 1777Battle of Brandywine, 1777Battle of the Clouds, 1777Battle of Freeman's Farm, 1777Battle of Paoli, 1777Siege of Fort Mifflin, 1777Battle of Germantown, 1777Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery, 1777Battles of Saratoga, 1777Battle of Bemis Heights, 1777Battle of Red Bank, 1777Battle of Gloucester, 1777Battle of Matson's Ford, 1777Mount Hope Bay raids, 1778Siege of Boonesborough, 1778Battle off Barbados, 1778Battle of Quinton's Bridge, 1778Frederica naval action, 1778Battle of Crooked Billet, 1778Battle of Barren Hill, 1778Battle of Cobleskill, 1778Battle of Monmouth, 1778Battle of Alligator Bridge, 1778Big Runaway, 1778Battle of Wyoming, 1778Battle of Rhode Island, 1778Action of 11 September 1778, 1778Baylor Massacre, 1778Battle of Edgar's Lane, 1778Battle of Chestnut Neck, 1778Affair at Little Egg Harbor, 1778Cherry Valley massacre, 1778Battle of St. Lucia, 1778Capture of St. Lucia, 1778Battle of Baton Rouge, 1779Battle of Minisink, 1779Battle of Martinique, 1779Action of 31 January 1779, 1779Battle of Beaufort, 1779Battle of Van Creek, 1779Battle of Kettle Creek, 1779Siege of Fort Vincennes, 1779Battle of Brier Creek, 1779Battle of Moca, 1779Battle of Stono Ferry, 1779Great Siege of Gibraltar, 1779Capture of Grenada, 1779Battle of Grenada, 1779Burning of Fairfield, 1779Battle of Norwalk, 1779Battle of Stony Point, 1779Battle of Paulus Hook, 1779Battle of Newtown, 1779Capture of Fort Bute, 1779Battle of Lake Pontchartrain, 1779Capture of Cayo Cocina, 1779Siege of Savannah, 1779Battle of Flamborough Head, 1779Battle of San Fernando de Omoa, 1779Battle of Guadeloupe, 1779Battle of Fort Charlotte, 1780Action of 8 January 1780, 1780Battle of Young's House, 1780Siege of Charleston, 1780Battle of Monck's Corner, 1780Battle of Martinique, 1780Battle of Lenud's Ferry, 1780Battle of St. Louis, 1780Battle of Waxhaws, 1780Battle of Connecticut Farms, 1780Battle of Mobley's Meeting House, 1780Battle of Ramsour's Mill, 1780Battle of Springfield, 1780Battle of Bull's Ferry, 1780Battle of Colson's Mill, 1780Battle of Rocky Mount, 1780Battle of Hanging Rock, 1780Battle of Piqua, 1780Action of 9 August 1780, 1780Battle of Camden, 1780Battle of Musgrove Mill, 1780Battle of Fishing Creek, 1780Battle of Black Mingo, 1780Battle of Wahab's Plantation, 1780Battle of Charlotte, 1780Action of 30 September 1780, 1780Battle of Kings Mountain, 1780Battle of Shallow Ford, 1780Battle of Klock's Field, 1780Battle of Tearcoat Swamp, 1780Battle of Fishdam Ford, 1780Battle of Blackstock's Farm, 1780Battle of Fort St. George, 1780Siege of Yorktown, 1781Siege of Fort Watson, 1781Siege of Fort Motte, 1781Battle of Mobile, 1781Battle of Cowpens, 1781Capture of Sint Eustatius, 1781Battle of Cowan's Ford, 1781Battle of Torrence's Tavern, 1781Battle of Fort Saint Joseph (1781), 1781Pyle's Massacre, 1781Battle of Wetzell's Mill, 1781Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781Battle of Cape Henry, 1781Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, 1781Battle of Blandford, 1781Battle of Fort Royal, 1781Siege of Pensacola, 1781Siege of Ninety-Six, 1781Siege of Augusta, 1781Battle of Spencer's Ordinary, 1781Battle of Green Spring, 1781Action of 21 July 1781, 1781Battle of the House in the Horseshoe, 1781Battle of Rockfish, 1781Lochry's Defeat, 1781Battle of Elizabethtown, 1781Action of 2 September 1781, 1781Battle of the Chesapeake, 1781Battle of Groton Heights, 1781Capture of HMS Savage, 1781Battle of Eutaw Springs, 1781Battle of Lindley's Mill, 1781Battle of Fort Slongo, 1781Battle of Johnstown, 1781Battle of Ushant, 1781Siege of Fort Henry, 1782Battle off Halifax, 1782Battle of Videau's Bridge, 1782Battle of Saint Kitts, 1782Siege of Brimstone Hill, 1782Battle of Sadras, 1782Battle of Wambaw, 1782Action of 16 March 1782, 1782Battle of Cuddalore, 1782Battle of Delaware Bay, 1782Battle of the Saintes, 1782Battle of Providien, 1782Battle of the Mona Passage, 1782Third Battle of Ushant, 1782Naval battle off Halifax, 1782Battle of Negapatam, 1782Hudson Bay expedition, 1782Battle of the Combahee River, 1782Action of 15 September 1782, 1782Battle of Cape Spartel, 1782Battle of James Island, 1782Action of 6 December 1782, 1782Action of 12 December 1782, 1782Battle of the Delaware Capes, 1782Action of 22 January 1783, 1783Action of 15 February 1783, 1783Action of 17 February 1783, 1783Battle of Grand Turk, 1783combat off the coast of Florida, 1783Colbert raid, 1783Battle of Cuddalore, 178317751783Siege of Yorktown, 1781
220 placed engagements of the American Revolutionary War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1781 (year precision)
to 19 October 1781
PlaceYorktown, Virginia, United States
37.231N, 76.502W
KindSiege, early modern
StrengthAmericans: 8,000–9,000 men; 5,900 regular troops; 3,100 militia (not engaged); French: 10,800 men and 29 warships; Total: 19,800 (fewer engaged)British: 5,000; German: fewer than 3,000; Total: 8,000–9,000
Casualties and losses88 killed; 301 wounded; Total: 389142–309 killed; 326–595 wounded prisoners; 7,416–7,685 captured; Total: 7,884 to 8,589
Commanders
Siege of YorktownSiege of YorktownBattle of Gloucester PointSiege of YorktownPeninsula CampaignBattle of WilliamsburgBattle of Big BethelBattle of Gloucester PointBattle of Big BethelNorfolkRichmondCharlottesvilleFredericksburgKitty HawkPetersburg100 km37.231N, 76.502W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Siege of Yorktown
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Siege of Yorktown today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-07-25. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 23 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -4 to 51 m, 55 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 45% tree cover, 43% water, 9% grassland.

tree cover: 45%water: 43%grassland: 9%built-up: 3%tree cover 45%water 43%grassland 9%built-up 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 45 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 42 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between 1781 and 1862.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1781

Siege of Yorktown is one of 2,009 engagements of the 18th century in the atlas and one of 1,148 in present-day United States (172 in Virginia).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q459447, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Yorktown, revision 1384219244, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.