Norfolk

Norfolk is an independent city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan region of southeastern Virginia, sharing its eastern boundary directly with Virginia Beach. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia and the 100th-most populous city in the United States. The city holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (sometimes called "Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants; established in 1682 as a colonial seaport, it quickly developed into a major center for trade and shipbuilding. For residents and visitors of Virginia Beach, Norfolk functions as an immediate urban neighbor — accessible via an extensive system of highways, bridges, and tunnels — offering a concentration of military history, maritime culture, arts institutions, and educational resources that complements Virginia Beach's resort-oriented character.

Early History and Colonial Origins

In the late sixteenth century, the area that is now Norfolk was inhabited by the Chesepian people, who referred to the land as "K'che-sepi-ack." According to historical accounts from William Strachey, the Chesepian settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607.

English settlement of the area proceeded rapidly in the early seventeenth century. After persuading 105 people to settle in the colony, Adam Thoroughgood — who had immigrated to Virginia in 1622 from King's Lynn, Norfolk, England — was granted a large landholding along the Lynnhaven River in 1636. When the South Hampton Roads portion of the shire was separated, Thoroughgood suggested the name of his birthplace for the newly formed New Norfolk County. One year later, it was divided into two counties, Upper Norfolk and Lower Norfolk, chiefly on Thoroughgood's recommendation. Thoroughgood's influence thus gave the entire region, including present-day Virginia Beach, the name it carries to this day.

Norfolk developed in the late seventeenth century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and 50 acres were acquired from local natives of the Powhatan Confederacy in exchange for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The House of Burgesses established the "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" in 1680. In 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County split to form Norfolk County — included in present-day cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth — and Princess Anne County, which corresponds to present-day Virginia Beach.

The City of Norfolk was established as a town in 1682, then as a borough in 1736, and was incorporated as a city in 1845. A lucrative trade developed with Britain and the West Indies, and in recognition of its commercial importance, Norfolk was presented a silver mace by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie in 1753. During the American Revolution, the royal governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, made it his headquarters in December 1775, declared martial law, and defeated the Virginia militiamen at nearby Kempsville. Later that month, Colonel William Woodford and his Virginia riflemen routed the British at Great Bridge and occupied Norfolk, which on January 1, 1776, was bombarded by Dunmore's fleet anchored in the Elizabeth River.

Relationship with Virginia Beach

Norfolk and Virginia Beach share a uniquely intertwined history rooted in the same colonial land grants and county formations. In the late nineteenth century, the small resort area of Virginia Beach developed in Princess Anne County after the 1883 arrival of rail service to the coast; the Virginia Beach Hotel was opened and operated by the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Railroad and Improvement Company at the oceanfront, near the tiny community of Seatack. Rail connections between the two cities were pivotal to Virginia Beach's emergence as a tourist destination, as Norfolk served as the departure point for visitors heading to the beach.

The completion of Virginia Beach Boulevard in 1922, which extended from Norfolk to the oceanfront, opened the route for automobiles, buses, and trucks; passenger rail service to the oceanfront was eventually discontinued as traffic increased. The growing resort of Virginia Beach became an incorporated town in 1906.

Rather than be annexed by Norfolk, Virginia Beach merged with Princess Anne County in 1963. The freeway system and Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel suddenly made travel easier for weekend getaways and vacations from the East Coast. Additional bridges and tunnels connecting the two cities included the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1957, the Midtown Tunnel in 1962, and the Virginia Beach–Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and State Route 44) in 1967. Today, the two cities function as complementary urban centers within Hampton Roads — Virginia Beach providing resort beaches and suburban space, while Norfolk anchors the region's urban, cultural, and military infrastructure.

Approximately 54% of the 171,000 people working in Virginia Beach live in the city itself, with 10% residing in Norfolk; an additional 99,600 people commute from Virginia Beach, with 35% traveling to Norfolk for work. This daily flow of workers underscores how deeply the two cities' economies and populations remain interconnected.

Military Presence

Norfolk's identity is inseparable from its role as one of the most significant military cities in the United States. Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base that serves as the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about 4 miles of waterfront space and 11 miles of pier and wharf space on the Hampton Roads peninsula known as Sewell's Point. It is the world's largest naval station, with the largest concentration of U.S. Navy forces — 75 ships alongside 14 piers and 134 aircraft and 11 aircraft hangars at the adjacently operated Chambers Field.

The Department of the Navy founded Naval Station Norfolk in 1917 on the grounds of the 1907 Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition. In 1908, the Norfolk-based Fidelity Land and Investment Company was given the task of finding a buyer for the grounds. After many rejections by the Navy and Congress, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson personally endorsed the idea of purchasing the Exposition grounds upon the entry of the United States into World War I in 1917.

Norfolk is an important contributor to the Port of Virginia and houses one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product — which includes the entire Norfolk–Newport News–Virginia Beach metropolitan statistical area — is attributable to defense spending, and 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending. The base's economic impact on the Virginia Beach–Norfolk region is therefore enormous, supporting tens of thousands of civilian and military jobs across both cities.

Port Services controls more than 3,100 ships' movements annually as they arrive and depart their berths. Air Operations conducts over 100,000 flight operations each year, an average of 275 flights per day or one every six minutes.

Economy and Port

Beyond its military sector, Norfolk sustains a multifaceted civilian economy. With one of the world's largest natural deep-water harbors and a temperate climate, the city hosts the Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), one of the largest general cargo ports on the East Coast. The Port's container volume for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, was 2,938,857 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units), a 3.9 percent increase from fiscal year 2018.

Shipping — including coal, tobacco, food products, and grain — shipbuilding, and light industry including chemicals, textiles, and agricultural machinery are among the major economic activities. Norfolk is home to Maersk Line, Limited, which manages the world's largest fleet of US-flag vessels.

In 2023, the largest industries in Norfolk's local economy were Health Care & Social Assistance (14,637 people), Retail Trade (11,685 people), and Educational Services (9,988 people). Norfolk had a population of approximately 235,000 people with a median age of 32.4 and a median household income of $64,017. The city's relative youth and diverse workforce are partly a product of its large military and university populations.

Norfolk is home to Virginia's first and only light rail system and the Commonwealth's only cruise terminal. The light rail system, known as the Tide, connects downtown Norfolk to the Old Dominion University campus and provides an alternative to the region's notoriously congested bridge-tunnel corridors.

Culture, Education, and Landmarks

Norfolk serves as the cultural capital of the Hampton Roads region, drawing visitors from Virginia Beach and beyond to its array of museums, arts districts, and historic neighborhoods.

The city has numerous cultural institutions including the Nauticus maritime museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, and Virginia Zoo. Visitors can step aboard the Battleship Wisconsin and trace the history of the region's naval fleet at the Hampton Roads Naval Center, both located at Nauticus, a maritime-focused museum and science center. The city's oldest standing neighborhood, Historic Freemason, features beautiful tree-lined cobblestone streets, manicured gardens, historic homes, and water views.

The creative NEON district contains over 80 pieces of public art, live performances, and eclectic restaurants. The MacArthur Memorial, situated in the heart of downtown Norfolk, commemorates the life and career of General Douglas MacArthur, who was born in the city.

In the realm of higher education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and a downtown campus of Tidewater Community College are located in Norfolk, and Virginia Wesleyan University sits on the border between Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Old Dominion University was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary; it awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1956 and became an independent institution in 1962. Five years later, Norfolk State University was founded as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia State University and became an independent institution in 1969.

Norfolk Public Library, Virginia's first public library, consists of one main library, two anchor libraries, nine branch libraries, and a bookmobile. The library also has a local history and genealogy room containing government documents dating back to the nineteenth century.

Norfolk encompasses 66 square miles and has seven miles of Chesapeake Bay beachfront and a total of 144 miles of shoreline along its lakes, rivers, and the Bay. Norfolk has 7.3 miles of public beaches for visitors to play in the sun, sand, and surf.