TheChesepian were the historic indigenous people of the area now known asTidewater in Virginia at the time of European encounter. Little is known about them[12] but archeological evidence suggests they may have been related to theCarolina Algonquian, or Pamlico people. They would have spoken one of theAlgonquian languages. These were common among the numerous tribes of the coastal area, who made up the loosePowhatan Confederacy, numbering in the tens of thousands in population. The Chesepian occupied an area which is now defined as the independent cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.[13]
Princess Anne County (1691–1963), now defunct, with Virginia Beach from 1895 Virginia map
In 1607, after a voyage of 144 days, three ships headed by CaptainChristopher Newport, and carrying 105 men and boys, made their first landfall in the New World on the mainland, where the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay meets theAtlantic Ocean. They named it Cape Henry, afterHenry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of KingJames I of England. These English colonists of theVirginia Company of London moved on from this area, as they were under orders to seek a site further inland, which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries. They created their first permanent settlement on the north side of theJames River atJamestown.[14]
Adam Thoroughgood (1604–1640) ofKing's Lynn,Norfolk, England is one of the earliest Englishmen to settle in this area, which was developed as Virginia Beach. At the age of 18, he had contracted as anindentured servant to pay for passage to theVirginia Colony in the hopes of bettering his life. He earned his freedom after several years and became a leading citizen of the area. In 1629, he was elected to theHouse of Burgesses forElizabeth Cittie [sic], one of four "cities" (or incorporations) which were subdivided areas established in 1619.[15]
Lower Norfolk County was large when first organized, defined as from the Atlantic Ocean west past theElizabeth River, encompassing the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.[15] It attracted many entrepreneurs, including William Moseley with his family in 1648. Belonging to the Merchant Adventurers Guild of London, he immigrated fromRotterdam of theNetherlands, where he had been in international trade. He settled on land on the north side of theElizabeth River, east of what developed asNorfolk.
Following the increased settlement, in 1691 Lower Norfolk County was divided to formNorfolk andPrincess Anne counties. Princess Anne, the easternmost county in South Hampton Roads, extended from Cape Henry at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, south to what became the border of the North Carolina colony. It included all of the area fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Princess Anne County was known as a jurisdiction from 1691 to 1963, over 250 years.[17]
In the early centuries, this area was rural and developed for plantation agriculture. In the late 19th 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 ofSeatack. The hotel was foreclosed and the railroad was reorganized in 1887. The hotel was upgraded and reopened in 1888 as the Princess Anne Hotel.[18]
In 1891, guests at the new hotel watched the wreck and rescue efforts of theUnited States Life-Saving Service for the Norwegian barqueDictator. The ship's figurehead, which washed up on the beach several days later, was erected as a monument to the victims and rescuers. It stood along the oceanfront for more than 50 years. In the 21st century, it inspired the pair of matchingNorwegian Lady Monuments, sculpted byØrnulf Bast and installed in Virginia Beach andMoss, Norway.[19]
The resort initially depended onrailroad andelectric trolley service. The completion ofVirginia Beach Boulevard in 1922, which extended from Norfolk to the oceanfront, opened the route forautomobiles,buses, andtrucks. The passenger rail service to the oceanfront was eventually discontinued as traffic increased by vehicles. The growing resort of Virginia Beach became anincorporated town in 1906. Over the next 45 years, Virginia Beach continued to grow in popularity as a seasonal vacation spot. The casinos were replaced by amusement parks and family-oriented attractions. In 1927 TheCavalier Hotel opened and became a popular vacation spot.[20][21]
Virginia Beach gained status as an independent city in 1952, although ties remained between it and Princess Anne County. In 1963, after voters in the two jurisdictions passed a supporting referendum, and with the approval of theVirginia General Assembly, the two political subdivisions were consolidated as a new, much larger independent city, retaining the better-known name of the Virginia Beach resort.[22]
The Alan B. Shepard Civic Center ("The Dome"), a significant building in the city's history because of the many famous musical acts played there,[23] was constructed in 1958,[24] and was dedicated to the career of former Virginia Beach resident and astronautAlan Shepard.[25] As the area changed, the Dome was frequently used as a bingo hall. The building was razed in 1994[24] to make room for a municipal parking lot and potential future development.
Real estate, defense, and tourism are major sectors of the Virginia Beach economy. Many local public and private groups have maintained a vested interest in real-estate redevelopment, resulting in a number of joint public-private projects, such as commercial parks. Examples of the public-private development include the Virginia Beach Convention Center, the Oceanfront Hilton Hotel, and theVirginia Beach Town Center. The city assisted in financing the project through the use of tax increment financing: creating special tax districts and constructing associated street and infrastructure to support the developments. The Town Center opened in 2003, with related construction continuing.[26][27][28] The Convention Center opened in 2005.[29][30]
The city has begun to run out of clear land available for new construction north of the Green Line, anurban growth boundary dividing the urban northern and rural southern sections of the city.[31] Infill and development of residential neighborhoods has placed a number of operating constraints onNaval Air Station Oceana, a major fighter jet base for the U.S. Navy. While the airbase enjoys wide support from Virginia Beach at large, the PentagonBase Realignment and Closure commission has proposed closure of Oceana by 2018 but this did not happen.[32] In 2012 a Navy jet that took off from Oceana experienced engine failure andcrashed into an apartment complex.[33]
This land crunch led to floodplain development. DuringHurricane Matthew, the heavy rainfall flooded over 2000 homes and left some neighborhoods with standing water for days.[34] Given the rising risks of flooding due toclimate change and the impetus of the hurricane damage, the city rejected several further development proposals. This rejection was significant from two perspectives. First, cities reject building very rarely, demonstrating the shift in public perception. Second, these rejections led to lawsuits by the developers. The rejection of these lawsuits in the courts provides precedent for other sorts of localclimate change adaptation efforts in the future. Discussing the matter, Mayor Dyer noted, "It's a confrontation with reality. Not everybody's going to be happy."[35]
On May 31, 2019, ashooting occurred at a municipal government building in Virginia Beach. A former employee entered the building and shot indiscriminately, killing 12 people and injuring four others before dying from a gunshot wound fired by responding officers.[36][37][38]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 497 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 249 square miles (640 km2) is land and 248 square miles (640 km2) (49.9%) is water.[39] It is the largest city inVirginia by total area and third-largest city by land area, and by far the largest by water area. The average elevation is 12 feet (3.7 m) abovesea level. A major portion of the city drains to theChesapeake Bay by way of theLynnhaven River and its tributaries.
The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia in theHampton Roads area bordering the Atlantic Ocean.[40] The Hampton Roads metropolitan area (officially the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the37th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1.7 million. While Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the metropolitan area, it functions as asuburb.
When the modern city of Virginia Beach was created in 1963, by the consolidation of the 253 square miles (660 km2) Princess Anne County with the 2 square miles (5.2 km2) City of Virginia Beach, the newly larger city was divided into seven boroughs: Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach.[45]
Much of the year in Virginia Beach is mild to warm. The long summer season from late May through late September is often hot and humid, with frequent (but brief) late day thundershowers. Winters are cool with little frozen precipitation, and snowfall is light. The official weather statistics are recorded at Norfolk International Airport on the extreme northwestern border of Virginia Beach. The mean annual temperature is 59.6 °F (15.3 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 5.8 inches (150 mm) at the airport to around 3.0 inches (76 mm) in the southeastern corner around Back Bay.[56] Average annual precipitation (the large majority rainfall) is high, ranging between 47 inches (1,200 mm) at the airport to over 50 inches (1,300 mm) per year at Back Bay. The wettest season is summer, specifically July to early September, with August the single wettest month, averaging over 5.5 inches of rain. From October to June, average monthly precipitation is remarkably consistent, ranging between 3.1 and 3.7 inches. Virginia Beach averages 2200 hours of sunshine annually, higher than the USA average.
The highest recorded temperature to date was 105 °F (41 °C) in July 2010, and the lowest recorded temperature was −3 °F (−19 °C) in January 1985, both being recorded at Norfolk International Airport.[57] The coldest daily maximum on record was 12 °F (−11 °C) in December 1917, whereas the 1991–2020 normals had a coldest maximum average of 29 °F (−2 °C).[57] This means that in spite of the mild normals, most years record at least one ice day, with rare exceptions. Summer nights are sometimes really hot. The all-time record warmest low temperature is 84 °F (29 °C) from July 1942, while a normal year's warmest night averages 80 °F (27 °C).[57]
Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable which is why it has earned the reputation as a vacation destination. It is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, and north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other major tropical storms, with the exception ofHurricane Isabel in 2003.[58] Because of the moderating effects of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach is the northernmost location on the east coast in which many species of plants (both subtropical and tropical) will reliably grow.Spanish moss, for example is near the northernmost limit of its natural range atFirst Landing State Park, and is the most northerly location where it is widespread. Other plants like theWindmill Palm,Sabal palmetto,Butia odorata (in protected locations), andOleander are successfully grown here while they succumb to the colder winter temperatures to the north and inland to the west. Thehardiness zone is 8b along the coast and in Urban areas, and 8a inland and to the northwest.
On April 30, 2023, an EF-3tornado struck the Great Neck neighborhood in the northeastern section of the city. It was on the ground from 5:48 to 5:53 PM EST. Miraculously, no one was killed nor injured. It is the strongest tornado on record to hit the city.[59][60][61]
As of the 2022[update]American Community Survey estimates, there were 455,618 people and 179,752 households.[69][70] Thepopulation density was 1,861.8 inhabitants per square mile (718.8/km2). There were 191,169 housing units at an average density of 781.2 per square mile (301.6/km2).[71][72][70] The racial makeup of the city was 60.3% White, 18.8% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 2.9% some other race, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 10.3% from two or more races.[70]Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.0% of the population.[70]
Of the 179,752 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% were couples cohabitating, 18.0% had a male householder with no partner present, and 28.1% had a female householder with no partner present.[69] The median household size was 2.49 and the median family size was 3.08.[69]
The age distribution was 21.7% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.8 years.[73]
The median income for a household was $83,245, with family households having a median income of $103,451 and non-family households $54,258. Theper capita income was $44,287.[74][75] Out of the 447,930 people with a determined poverty status, 10.0% were below thepoverty line. Further, 14.4% of minors and 8.8% of seniors were below the poverty line.[76]
Virginia Beach city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 6.6% (2.2% Puerto Rican, 1.9% Mexican, 0.3% Dominican, 0.2% Panamanian, 0.2% Salvadoran, 0.2% Cuban, 0.2% Colombian)
As of the2000 Census,[6] there were 425,257 people, 154,455 households, and 110,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,712.7 inhabitants per square mile (661.3/km2). There were 162,277 housing units at an average density of 653.6 units per square mile (252.4 units/km2).
There were 154,455 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% weremarried couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14.
The age distribution was 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,705, and the median income for a family was $53,242. Virginia Beach had the 5th highest median family income among large cities in 2003.[82] Theper capita income for the city was $22,365. About 5.1% of families and 8.2%[83][84] of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
7.1% of the people under the age of 65 years are disabled while 8.6% people don't have health insurance.[84]
The city of Virginia Beach has a lower crime rate than the other regional cities ofHampton Roads,Newport News,Norfolk, andPortsmouth, which all exceed national average crime rates.[85] In 1999 Virginia Beach experienced 12 murders giving the city a murder rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people. For 2007, Virginia Beach had 16 murders, for a murder rate of 3.7 per 100,000 people. That was lower than the national average that year of 6.9. The city's total crime index rate for 2007 was 221.2 per 100,000 people, lower than the national average of 320.9.[86] According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Virginia Beach, Virginia ranks 311th in violent crime among 385 cities containing more than 75,000 inhabitants.[87]
34.4% of the city's population is affiliated with religious congregations, compared to the 50.2% nationwide figure. There are 146,402 adherents and 184 different religious congregations in the city:[88]
Virginia Beach is composed of a variety of industries, including national and international corporate headquarters, advanced manufacturers, defense contractors and locally owned businesses.[89] The city's location and business climate have made it a hub of international commerce, as nearly 200 foreign firms have established a presence, an office location or their North American headquarters in Hampton Roads. Twenty internationally based firms have their U.S. or North American headquarters in Virginia Beach, including companies likeStihl,London Bridge Trading Company, Busch Vacuum Solutions,IMS Gear, and Sanjo Corte Fino.[90] Other major companies headquartered in Virginia Beach includeAmerigroup, theChristian Broadcasting Network andOperation Blessing International.[91][92] Other major employers includeGEICO,VT andNavy Exchange Service Command.[93][94] In addition, Virginia Beach is home to a number of small, innovative companies, such asMorphix Technologies, who cater for military industry.[95] In September 2023, it was announced thatAmazon will build 2 new operational delivery facilities in Virginia Beach.[96] Virginia Beach was ranked at number 45 on Forbes list of best places for business and careers.
Tourism produces a large share of Virginia Beach's economy.[97][98][99] With an estimated $857 million spent in tourism related industries, 14,900 jobs cater to 2.75 million visitors. City coffers benefit as visitors provide $73 million in revenue. Virginia Beach opened a Convention Center in 2005 which caters to large group meetings and events. Hotels not only line the oceanfront but also cluster around Virginia Beach Town Center and other parts of the city. Restaurants and entertainment industries also directly benefit from Virginia Beach's tourism.[93][100][101]
Virginia Beach has a largeagribusiness sector which produces $80 million for the city economy. One hundred-seventy-two farms exist in Virginia Beach, mostly below the greenline in the southern portion of the city. Farmers are able to sell their goods and products at the city's Farmer's Market.[102][103]
NAS Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach; it was decreed by the 2005 BRAC Commission that NAS Oceana must close unless the city of Virginia Beach condemns houses in areas designated as "Accident Potential Zones." This action has never been the position of the United States Navy; indeed, the Navy had not recommended NAS Oceana to the BRAC Commission for potential closure.[32]
Both NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads are considered to be the largest of their respective kind in the world. Furthermore, located in nearby Norfolk is the central hub of the United States Navy'sAtlantic Fleet,Naval Station Norfolk.[109][110]
54% of the 171,000 people working in Virginia Beach live in the city, 12% live in Chesapeake, and 10% live in Norfolk. An additional 99,600 people commute from Virginia Beach, with 35% going to Norfolk and 23% going to Chesapeake. Unemployment has been cut almost in half over the past two years going from a high of 4.2% in January 2017 to 2.8% in June 2019.[111][verification needed]
The city is home to several points of interest in the historical, scientific, and visual/performing arts areas, and has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. TheVirginia Museum of Contemporary Art features regularly changing exhibitions in a variety of media. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media from internationally acclaimed artists as well as artists of national and regional renown. MOCA was born from the annualBoardwalk Art Show, which began in 1952 and is now the museum's largest fundraiser.[112]
One of the world's largest collections of World War I and World War II aircraft is located at theMilitary Aviation Museum in thePungo area of Virginia Beach.[115]
TheEdgar Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment was established in Virginia Beach in 1928 with 60 beds. The 67th street facility features a large private library of books on psychic matters and is open to the public. The traditional beach-architecture headquarters building features massage therapy by appointment. Cayce openedAtlantic University in 1930; it closed two years later but was re-opened in 1985. Atlantic University was originally intended for study of Cayce's readings and research on spiritual subjects.[122]
The city's largest festival, theNeptune Festival, attracts 500,000 visitors to the oceanfront and 350,000 visitors to the air show at NAS Oceana.[123][124] Celebrating the city's heritage link with Norway, events are held in September in the oceanfront and Town Center areas.[125][126] Every Labor Day Weekend, the American Music Festival provides festival attendees with live music performed on stages all over the oceanfront, including the beach on Fifth Street. The festival formerly ended with the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, but no longer since the cancelation of the event in the city.[127] Last Night On The Town is an annualNew Year's Eve celebration that takes place every December 31.[128][129]
Since Norfolk contains the central business district of Hampton Roads, most of the major spectator sports are located there. While the Hampton Roads area has been recently considered as a viable prospect for major-league professional sports, and regional leaders have attempted to obtainMajor League Baseball,NBA andNHL franchises in the recent past, no team has yet relocated to the area.[131][132] Hampton Roads is the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a club in a major professional sports league.
The city is also home to theEast Coast Surfing Championships, an annual contest of more than 100 of the world's top professional surfers and an estimated 400 amateur surfers. This is North America's oldest surfing contest.[137]
There are elevengolf courses open to the public in the city, as well as four country club layouts and 36 military holes at NAS Oceana's Aeropines course. Among the best-known public courses are Hell's Point Golf Club and Virginia Beach National, the latter of which hosted theVirginia Beach Open, aNationwide Tour event from 2000 to 2006.[138] Also, theKingsmill Resort in nearby Williamsburg hosts theKingsmill Championship, an annualLPGA Tour tournament.
Virginia Beach is host to a Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon each year on Labor Day weekend in conjunction with the American Music Festival. It is one of the largest Half Marathons in the world. The final 3 miles (4.8 km) are on the boardwalk.[139] Virginia Beach also hosts the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, founded in 1973 with over 24,000 participants. It is an annual race over St. Patrick's Day weekend and was recognized by Runner's World as one of the Top 20 marathons in the country in 1992.[140]
In the mid-1980's Virginia Beach achieved notoriety for constructing the firstskateboard ramps to be funded, maintained, and operated by a municipality.[141] As of 2024 the City of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Department maintains three skateparks: Mount Trashmore Skatepark, Williams Farm Skatepark, and Woodstock Park Skate Plaza, which is a park constructed above a 5 million gallon undergroundwastewater storage facility.[142][143]
Virginia Beach is home to 210 city parks, encompassing over 4,000 acres (1,600 ha), including neighborhood parks, community parks, district parks, and other open spaces.[144]
Mount Trashmore Park is clearly visible from I-264 when traveling to the oceanfront. The hill measures 60 ft (18 m) high and is the highest point in Virginia Beach.[145][146][147]
A Japanese-stylemoon bridge in the Miyazaki Japanese Garden, Red Wing Park
One of the major parks is Red Wing Park, a 97 acres (39 ha) park in east-central part of the city, very close to Oceana Naval Air Station. This land became a park in 1966. A unique feature of this park is the Miyazaki Japanese Garden, which is a result of its interactions with itssister cityMiyazaki, Japan.[148]
Virginia Beach's extensive park system is recognized as one of the best in the United States. In its 2013 ParkScore ranking,The Trust for Public Land reported that Virginia Beach had the 8th best park system among the 50 most populous U.S. cities.[156]
Historically, Virginia Beach had been more conservative than other large independent cities in Virginia.[157][158] It consistently backed Republican Party presidential candidates from 1968 to 2016, and in all but two elections from 1952 to 2016. However, the Republican edge in the city has diminished in recent years.John McCain andDonald Trump only managed to win a plurality of the city's votes in 2008 and 2016, winning the city despite losing statewide. In2020,[159]Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry Virginia Beach since 1964, and only the third to do so since Virginia Beach became an independent city. Biden became the first presidential candidate to win at least 51% of the vote in Virginia Beach since PresidentGeorge W. Bush in 2004.[160][161] In 2024, the city stayed in the Democratic column and supportedKamala Harris, though at a slightly narrower margin than 2020.[162]
United States presidential election results for Virginia Beach, Virginia[163]
Virginia Beach was chartered as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly of Virginia on January 1, 1963. The city currently operates under thecouncil–manager form of government.[164] Like all incorporated cities in Virginia, it is anindependent city and does not fall under the jurisdiction of acounty government.
The city's legislative body consists of an eleven-membercity council. Thecity manager is appointed by the council and acts as the chief executive officer. Through his staff, he implements policies established by the council.[165]
Members of the city council normally serve four-year terms and are elected on a staggered basis in non-partisan elections. Beginning in 2008, general elections are held the first Tuesday in November in even-numbered years. In previous years, elections were held the first Tuesday in May in even-numbered years. All registered voters are eligible to vote for all council members. Three council members and themayor serve on anat-large basis. All others are elected by district (and must live in the district they represent): Bayside, Beach, Centerville, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, and Rose Hall.[164]
The mayor is elected to a four-year term through direct election. The mayor presides over city council meetings and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. A vice mayor is also elected by the city council at the first meeting following a council election.[165]
Citizens of Virginia Beach also elect five constitutional officers, and candidates for these offices are permitted to run with an affiliated political party. Three of these offices deal substantially with public safety and justice: thesheriff,commonwealth's attorney, and theclerk of thecircuit court. The two other offices are concerned with fiscal policy: thecity treasurer and the commissioner of the revenue.[166][167] The city provides law enforcement through theVirginia Beach Police Department and emergency services through theVirginia Beach Fire Department.[168][169]
Virginia Beach is one of the few cities in the state with laws that prohibit profanity in public spaces. The law was repealed by theState Legislature in early 2020. It is considered aClass 3 misdemeanor.[171][172]
According to theU.S. Census, 28.1% of the population over twenty-five (vs. a national average of 24%) hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 90.4% (vs. 80% nationally) have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Prior to 1969, separate schools were maintained for black and white students. Before 1938, black students who wished to attend school past seventh grade had to travel to Norfolk and pay tuition to attendBooker T. Washington High School. In 1938, the first high school for blacks, thePrincess Anne County Training School was built. In 1961, in order to avoid the stigma of the term "training school", the school was renamed Union Kempsville High School at the request of the black community. When the public schools integrated in 1969, Union Kempsville was closed.[173][174][175]
Virginia Beach is home to three universities and branch centers for several other universities.Atlantic University a for-profit holistic learning institution is located in Virginia Beach and was founded in 1930.[122]Regent University, a private university founded by Christian evangelist and leaderPat Robertson, has historically focused on graduate education but has recently established an undergraduate program as well.[194]Virginia Wesleyan University is a private university in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that was founded in 1961 by Methodist ministerJoseph Shackford Johnston.[195]
TheVirginia Beach Public Library System provides free access to accurate and current information and materials to all individuals and promotes reading as a critical life skill. The library system has a collection of more than 1 million items including special subject collections.[201] VBPL has 10 main library branches, not including their bookmobile.[202]
The Hampton Roads/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach area is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM bands, with towers located around the Hampton Roads area.[205]
Greyhound/Trailways provides service from a central bus terminal in adjacent Norfolk. The Greyhound station in Virginia Beach is located on Laskin Road, about a mile west of the oceanfront. Bus services toNew York City via the Chinatown bus, Today's Bus, is located on Newtown Road.[222]
The city is connected toI-64 via I-264, which runs from the oceanfront, intersects with I-64 on the east side of Norfolk, and continues through downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth until rejoining I-64 at the terminus of both roads in Chesapeake whereI-664 completes the loop which forms the Hampton Roads Beltway.[223] Other major roads include Virginia Beach Boulevard (US 58), Shore Drive (US 60), which connects to Atlantic Avenue at the oceanfront, Northampton Blvd (US 13), Princess Anne Road (SR 165), Indian River Road (former SR 603), Lynnhaven Parkway, Independence Boulevard, General Booth Boulevard, and Nimmo Parkway.
The city is also connected to Virginia'sEastern Shore region via theChesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which is the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world and known as one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, atolled facility, carriesUS 13.[224][225][226]
Transportation within the city, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads is served by a regional bus service,Hampton Roads Transit.[227] An extension ofThe Tide light rail system from Norfolk to the oceanfront has been proposed multiple times,[228] but has been rejected by voters every time.[229]
A 2011 study byWalk Score ranked Virginia Beach the 39th most walkable of the fifty largest U.S. cities.[230] A 2021 study byWalk Score ranked Virginia Beach as the 45th most walkable large city in the United States.[231]
Water and sewer services are provided by the City's Department of Utilities. Virginia Beach receives its electricity fromDominion Virginia Power which has local sources including the Chesapeake Energy Center (a gas power plant), coal-fired plants in Chesapeake andSouthampton County, and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant. Norfolk headquarteredVirginia Natural Gas, a subsidiary ofAGL Resources, distributesnatural gas to the city from storage plants inJames City County and Chesapeake.[232]
Currently, water for the Tidewater area is pumped fromLake Gaston, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border along with the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers.[233][234][235]
The city provides wastewater services for residents and transports wastewater to the regional Hampton Roads Sanitation District treatment plants.[236]
Broadband internet service is provided by Cox Communications throughout the majority of the city. Verizon also provides its Fios internet service, but in limited areas as of 2021.
TheMonopoly Here and Now: The US edition (2015) of the game, released in honor of the game's 80th birthday, included Virginia Beach as a property that could be bought, sold and traded. The city was included afterHasbro held an online vote in order to determine which cities would make it into an updated version of the game. Virginia Beach received the fourth highest number of votes in the online contest, earning it a green spot on the board. The top Boardwalk spot went toPierre, South Dakota.[246]
In the television series,The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019), which is set in analternate 1960s, Virginia Beach is mentioned as being the site of aD-Day style invasion byNazi Germany, which led to the defeat of the United States and its occupation.[247][248]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Norfolk kept January 1874 to December 1945 at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown, and at Norfolk Int'l since January 1946. For more information, seeThreadex.
^"Virginia Beach city"(PDF). Virginia Employment Commission. May 12, 2018. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on November 17, 2017. RetrievedNovember 16, 2017.
^Townsend, Phillip (March 16, 2023)."Tony Hawk has a long history with Virginia Beach".13News Now.But there was a half pipe that brought in people from all over the country – the Mount Trashmore half pipe, one of the only public skate parks in the U.S. at the time.
^"Skate Parks".City of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation. RetrievedOctober 21, 2024.
Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.
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