Moon, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moon, Virginia
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Unincorporated community
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 Moon, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Moon, Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Mathews |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
23119
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| Area code(s) | 804 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1470699 |
Moon is a small place in Mathews County, Virginia, United States. It is called an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city. Instead, it's part of the larger county.
Moon is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east-northeast of Mathews, which is the main town in the county. Even though it's not a city, Moon has its own post office with the ZIP code 23119.
How Moon Got Its Name
The name "Moon" for this community has a fun story behind it. It all started with a local shop owner named William Jefferson Callis. He wanted to open a post office inside his store.
The First Request
When Mr. Callis first asked the Post Office Department for a name, he suggested "Jeff." This was probably a shorter version of his own name. However, the Post Office Department did not approve this name for his new office.
A Mix-Up at the Post Office
Mr. Callis tried again. According to old records, he noticed that the mail usually arrived around midday. So, he thought "Noon" would be a good name for the post office. He sent in his second request with this idea.
But there was a small problem! Mr. Callis's handwriting wasn't very clear. Someone at the Post Office Department read his handwritten "Noon" as "Moon." And just like that, the "Moon Post Office" became official on December 8, 1902.
The Post Office Moves
For many years, the Moon Post Office stayed in Mr. Callis's original store. This store was located at 782 Fitchetts Wharf Road.
In April 2000, the post office moved to a new spot. It relocated to a trailer at 184 Haven Beach Road, still within the community of Moon, Virginia.
