Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, positioned at the heart of the Hampton Roads metropolitan region. It lies across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk and is located 13 miles (21 km) west of Virginia Beach, 18 miles (29 km) north of the North Carolina border, 79 miles (127 km) southeast of Richmond, and 148 miles (238 km) southeast of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915, making it the ninth-most populous city in Virginia. One of the oldest port cities on the American Eastern Seaboard, Portsmouth has played a central role in the naval and commercial history of the United States for more than two and a half centuries. Due to its strategic location, the city has long been associated with the United States Armed Forces, particularly the Navy, and is home to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, a historic and active Navy facility. For residents and visitors of Virginia Beach, Portsmouth represents one of the most historically significant and easily accessible neighboring cities in the Tidewater region.

Founding and Early History

Portsmouth was founded as a town in 1752, on 65 acres of land on the shores of the Elizabeth River. The town was founded by William Crawford, a wealthy merchant and ship owner who at various times had held office as the Norfolk County presiding court judge, high sheriff, militia lieutenant colonel, and representative to the House of Burgesses. The 65 acres were part of Colonel Crawford's extensive plantation and were constituted as a town by an enabling act of the General Assembly of Virginia. The town was named after the English naval port of that name, and many of the streets of the new town reflected the English heritage.

In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as a suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. In 1836, the town of Portsmouth was incorporated, and the town already had a rich history by the time it was separated from the county government and given status as an independent city in 1858.

The land upon which Portsmouth was built had deep indigenous roots before English settlement. The Chesepians were the Native American inhabitants of the area now known as South Hampton Roads during the Woodland Period and later, prior to the arrival of the English settlers in 1607. They occupied an area which is now the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach areas. Lower Norfolk County, formed in 1638, encompassed the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.

In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed one of every three citizens. Despite this devastating blow, the city recovered and continued to grow through the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard

No institution has shaped Portsmouth more profoundly than the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which — despite its name — sits entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is the nation's oldest and most venerable facility for shipbuilding and repair. Established under King George III in 1767 as the Gosport Shipyard, Virginia usurped it during the American Revolution. It was leased to the U.S. Navy in 1794 and purchased outright in 1801.

In 1827, construction began on the first of what would be the first two dry docks in the United States. The first one was completed three weeks ahead of similar projects in both Boston and South America, making it the first functional dry dock in the Americas. Dry Dock One, as it is referred to today, is still operational and is listed as a historical landmark in Portsmouth, Virginia.

During the Civil War, the shipyard became a flashpoint of national consequence. In 1861, Virginia joined the Confederate States of America. Fearing that the Confederacy would take control of the shipyard at Portsmouth, the shipyard commander ordered the burning of the shipyard. The Confederate forces did in fact take over the shipyard and did so without armed conflict through an elaborate ruse orchestrated by civilian railroad builder William Mahone. In early 1862, the Confederate ironclad warship CSS Virginia was rebuilt using the burned-out hulk of USS Merrimack. In the haste to abandon the shipyard, Merrimack had only been destroyed above the waterline, and an innovative armored superstructure was built upon the remaining portion. Virginia sank USS Cumberland, USS Congress, and engaged the Union ironclad USS Monitor in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads.

At its peak during World War II, the yard employed nearly 43,000 workers. Approximately 5,000–6,000 military personnel and 11,000 civilians work at the shipyard today. The facility remains one of the most important naval industrial installations in the United States, and its economic and cultural influence on Portsmouth — and by extension the broader Hampton Roads region — cannot be overstated.

Olde Towne Historic District

Portsmouth's Olde Towne Historic District is one of the most remarkable concentrations of historic architecture in the American South. Olde Towne boasts the largest collection of period homes between Charleston, South Carolina and Alexandria, Virginia. In a single square mile, the Olde Towne Historic District chronicles over 250 years of history in one of the largest collections of antique homes south of Alexandria, Virginia.

The Portsmouth Olde Towne Historic District is a national historic district located at Portsmouth, Virginia. It encompasses 89 buildings. It is located in the primarily residential section of Portsmouth and includes a notable collection of Federal and Greek Revival style townhouses, known as "basement houses." Other notable buildings include the Watts House (1799), Grice-Neeley House (circa 1820), Ball-Nivison House (1752), Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (1857), St. John's Episcopal Church (1898), and Court Street Baptist Church (1901–1903). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, with a boundary increase in 1983.

The preservation of the Portsmouth Olde Towne Historic District was advanced by the 1968 Olde Towne Conservation Project, Virginia's first federally assisted urban conservation effort. Unlike Norfolk, where nearly the entire historic downtown was leveled after World War II to build skyscrapers, Portsmouth's historic district remains almost entirely intact. To keep it that way, Olde Towne was officially designated as a historic area in 1963.

For lovers of history and architecture, Olde Towne Portsmouth is a must-see. The "Path to History" is a self-guided tour that links America's first naval hospital to her oldest naval shipyard, the one that gave birth to the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) and America's first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley. The district also contains notable cultural institutions. The Arts and Cultural District offers over twenty public art displays in eight city blocks. It incorporates the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center, Tidewater Community College's Visual Arts Center, the historic Commodore Theater, the waterfront concert hall Harbor Pavilion, and the Children's Museum of Virginia, the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth.

Geography, Demographics, and Economy

Portsmouth covers approximately 33 square miles and occupies a key position on the Hampton Roads harbor. Located on one of the world's deepest natural harbors, Portsmouth is home to the Port of Virginia and the Fifth District of the US Coast Guard Command. At mile-marker zero of the Intra-Coastal Waterway, Portsmouth has spectacular waterfront views, many full-service marinas for visiting boaters, and the Elizabeth River Ferry connecting pedestrians to downtown Norfolk. Portsmouth connects to neighboring Norfolk via two tunnels — the Downtown Tunnel (I-264) and the Midtown Tunnel (US 58) — making cross-river travel relatively seamless for commuters.

As of the 2020 census, there were 97,915 people living in the city. The census reported the city as 52.7% Black or African American, 35.7% White, 4.9% two or more races, 1.3% Asian, 0.4% Native American or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Approximately 4.5% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race. There were 8,612 veterans living in the city, making up approximately 8.7% of the population. The median household income was $58,972, and the per capita income was $32,915, with 17.6% of the population living in poverty.

The economy of Portsmouth employs approximately 41,500 people. In 2023, the largest industries were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,497 people), Retail Trade (5,422 people), and Manufacturing (5,203 people). Portsmouth offers a diverse landscape of highly skilled workforce and a robust infrastructure that includes two of the Port of Virginia terminals — Portsmouth Marine Terminals (PMT) and the Virginia International Gateway (VIG). The city is proud to host many private-sector business opportunities in ship repair, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and more.

Portsmouth has six historic districts: Cradock, Downtown, Olde Towne, Park View, Port Norfolk, and Truxtun. The Cradock district's 759 Colonial Revival and Bungalow-style buildings were developed in 1918 in response to the massive influx of Naval Shipyard workers during World War I. The Truxtun neighborhood was developed exclusively for African-American residents as a result of the rapid influx of workers at the Naval Shipyard during World War I.

Relationship to Virginia Beach

Portsmouth and Virginia Beach share a common geographic and historical heritage as neighboring cities within the Hampton Roads Southside. The distance between Portsmouth and Virginia Beach is 25 miles, while the road distance is approximately 20.3 miles. Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach cover the Southside of Hampton Roads.

The two cities share a common ancestry that stretches back to Virginia's earliest colonial period. Lower Norfolk County, formed in 1638, encompassed the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. Both communities were shaped by their proximity to the water, their role in early American commerce, and a deep entanglement with military history. The Hampton Roads area has the largest concentration of military bases and facilities of any metropolitan area in the world.

With its central location, Portsmouth is easy to get to — just a quick ferry ride from downtown Norfolk, and just minutes from Virginia Beach and Colonial Williamsburg. The Elizabeth River Ferry, which connects Olde Towne Portsmouth directly to Norfolk's Waterside District, further integrates Portsmouth into the broader regional transportation and tourism network that links it to Virginia Beach.

For Virginia Beach residents, Portsmouth offers a nearby destination rich in colonial and naval history, pedestrian-friendly streets, waterfront dining, and world-class museums — making it a key cultural partner in the Coastal Virginia experience. As a smart city, Portsmouth focuses on providing forward-thinking amenities offering rich history and culture and dynamic business districts and neighborhoods. The city features robust festival calendars, immersive museums, and art experiences throughout the year.