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| image_flag = Flag of Norfolk, Virginia.gif| image_seal = Seal of Norfolk, Virginia.png| motto = Crescas (Latin for, “Thou shalt grow.“)frame=yesframe-width=290frame-align=centerzoom=10stroke-color=#808080title=Norfolkfill-opacity=0.436.8916|-76.2607}}}}| map_caption = Interactive map of Norfolk| pushpin_map = Virginia#USA#North America| pushpin_relief = 1| pushpin_mapsize = 290px| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of VirginiaLocation within the United StatesLocation within North America| pushpin_label = Norfolk| pushpin_label_position = left36497607region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}| subdivision_type = Country| subdivision_name = United StatesU.S. state>State| subdivision_name1 = VirginiaMunicipal corporation>Founded| established_date = 1682Municipal corporation>Incorporated| established_date2 = 1736County (United States)>CountyIndependent city (United States)>independent city)| government_type = List of mayors of Norfolk, Virginia>MayorKenny Alexander (United States Democratic Party>D)| area_total_sq_mi = 96.40| area_land_sq_mi = 53.27| area_water_sq_mi = 43.13| area_total_km2 = 249.68| area_land_km2 = 137.98| area_water_km2 = 111.70| elevation_m = 2.1| elevation_ft = 7| population_total = 238,0052020 United States Census>2020List of United States cities by population>95th in the United States3rd in Virginia| population_density_sq_mi = 4468| population_density_km2 = 1725| population_est = | pop_est_as_of = | population_urban = 1,047,869List of metropolitan statistical areas>37th)| postal_code_type = ZIP Codes| postal_code = 23501–23515, 23517–23521, 23523, 23529, 23541, 23551Area codes 757 and 948>757, 948www.norfolk.gov/}}| footnotes = Eastern Time Zone>EST| utc_offset = −5Eastern Time Zone>EDT| utc_offset_DST = −4Federal Information Processing Standard>FIPS codeUNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU >ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 31, 2008, U.S. Census website, Geographic Names Information System>GNIS feature IDTITLE=US BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY >DATE=OCTOBER 25, 2007, | pop_est_footnotes = | unit_pref = ImperialPUBLISHER=UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU, August 7, 2020, | blank3_name = Primary Airport| blank3_info = Norfolk International Airport| blank4_name = Light RailTide Light Rail>The TidePublic Transit>Public transportation| blank5_info = Hampton Roads Transit}}Norfolk ({{IPAc-en|audio=Pronounce Norfolk Virginia.ogg|ˈ|n|ɔ�r|f|ʊ|k}} {{respell|NOR|fuuk}}, {{IPAc-en|local|ˈ|n|ɔ�|f|ɪ|k}} {{respell|NAW|fik}}) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Norfolk had a population of 238,005, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, and the 95th-most populous city in the nation.WEB,www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/norfolkcityvirginia/POP010220, QuickFacts: Norfolk city, Virginia, census.gov, 2021-10-06, Norfolk holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads region (sometimes called “Tidewater“), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with ten cities.WEB, Where is “Tidewater� in Virginia? Hampton Roads?,www.virginiaplaces.org/chesbay/11chesa.html, Virginia Places, Norfolk was incorporated in 1705. Bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay, the city shares land borders with the independent cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. With coastline along multiple bodies of water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, including beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. The coastal zones are important for the economy. The largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, is located in Norfolk along with one of NATO’s two Strategic Command headquarters. Additionally, Norfolk is an important contributor to the Port of Virginia. It is home to Maersk Line, Limited, which manages the world’s largest fleet of US-flag vessels. This low-lying coastal infrastructure is very vulnerable to sea level rise, with water levels expected to rise by more than {{Convert|5.5|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} by the end of the 21st century.The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point, where many railroad lines started. It is linked to its neighbors by an extensive network of interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and three bridge-tunnel complexes.

History

Before 1607

In the late sixteenth century, the area on which Norfolk now sits was inhabited by the Chesepian people. William Strachey recorded that their settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Colonial Era

Norfolk’s lands were some of the first to draw settlers from the Virginia Colony, although Norfolk would not be incorporated as a town until the 1700s. When the establishment of the House of Burgesses introduced representative government to the colony in 1619, governor Sir George Yeardley divided the developed portion the colony into four incorporated jurisdictions, termed citties. The land on which Norfolk now sits fell under Elizabeth Cittie incorporation.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}In 1634 King Charles I reorganized the colony into a system of shires, and Elizabeth Cittie became Elizabeth City Shire. 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 land holding, through the head rights system, along the Lynnhaven River in 1636.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}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 (the latter now incorporated into the City of Norfolk), chiefly on Thoroughgood’s recommendation.WEB,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/04.html, The Origins of Norfolk’s Name, October 9, 2007, Norfolk Historical Society, dead,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/04.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20070910230143www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/04.html,">web.archive.org/web/20070910230143www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/04.html, September 10, 2007, This area of Virginia became known as the place of entrepreneurs, including men of the Virginia Company of London.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Norfolk developed in the late-seventeenth century as a “Half Moone� fort was constructed and {{cvt|50|acre|m2}} 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.WEB,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/06.html, The “Half Moone� Fort, February 19, 2008, Norfolk Historical Society, May 9, 2008,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/06.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20080509183336www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/06.html,">web.archive.org/web/20080509183336www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/06.html, dead, WEB,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/07.html, The Birth of “Norfolk Towne�, February 19, 2008, Norfolk Historical Society, February 8, 2012,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/07.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20120208131526www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/07.html,">web.archive.org/web/20120208131526www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/07.html, dead, 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 (present-day Virginia Beach).{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Norfolk was incorporated in 1705. In 1730, a tobacco inspection site was located here. According to the Tobacco Inspection Act, the inspection was “At Norfolk Town, upon the fort land, in the County of Norfolk; and Kemp’s Landing, in Princess Anne, under one inspection.� In 1736 George II granted it a royal charter as a borough.WEB,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/09.html, Norfolk Becomes a Borough, October 9, 2007, Norfolk Historical Society, March 13, 2018,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/09.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20180313153644www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/09.html,">web.archive.org/web/20180313153644www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/09.html, dead, It was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}File:Cannonball lodged in church wall.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A cannonball lodged in the wall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, fired by Lord Dunmore’s fleet during the Revolutionary War ]]Mercantile ties with the British Empire bolstered Norfolk’s base of Loyalist support during the early part of the American Revolution but were insufficient to allow the Royal Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore to make Norfolk his new capital after fleeing Williamsburg in 1775. On New Year’s Day, 1776, Lord Dunmore’s fleet of three ships shelled the city of Norfolk for more than eight hours. The gunfire, combined with fires started by the British and spread by the Patriots, destroyed more than 800 buildings, constituting nearly two-thirds of the city. Patriot forces destroyed the remaining buildings for strategic reasons the following month. Ultimately, Colonel Woodford drove Dunmore into exile, ending more than 168 years of British rule in Virginia.WEB,www.history.org/Almanack/resources/dateline/polcron.cfm#seeds, Cultural & Political Chronology (1750–1783), September 30, 2007, Colonial Williamsburg, Guy, Louis L. jr.“Norfolk’s Worst Nightmare� {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629224630www.norfolkhistorical.org/insights/2001_spring/nightmare.html|date=June 29, 2018 }}, Norfolk Historical Society Courier (Spring 2001), accessed January 3, 2008 Only the walls of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church survived the bombardment and subsequent fires. A cannonball from the bombardment (fired by the Liverpool) remains within the wall of Saint Paul’s.WEB,www.virginiastatenavy.com/HMS_OTTER.html, HMS Otter, September 30, 2007, Virginia State Navy,www.virginiastatenavy.com/HMS_OTTER.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20080513154403www.virginiastatenavy.com/HMS_OTTER.html,">web.archive.org/web/20080513154403www.virginiastatenavy.com/HMS_OTTER.html, May 13, 2008, dead,

Nineteenth century

(File:Norfolk, from Gosport, Virginia (NYPL b12349153-423885).jpg|thumb|Norfolk, from Gosport, Virginia, New York Public Library)Following recovery from the Revolutionary War’s burning, Norfolk and its citizens struggled to rebuild. In 1804, another serious fire along the city’s waterfront destroyed some 300 buildings and the city suffered a serious economic setback. In the War of 1812 between America and Great Britain, Norfolk saw action between American militia led by Richard Lawson and the British navy. On July 13, 1813. A British landing party of 8 marines and 16 sailors landed at the beaches of Norfolk to construct a well and gather water. Richard Lawson concealed his company of militia behind a benign looking sandhill. Richard Lawson and his militia sprang their ambush by opening fire from their concealment behind the Sandhills. The British landing party who suffered 3 marines killed surrendered. Richard Lawson who suffered none killed had his militia destroy the British boat, take all provisions, and take the brass cannon. The American militia under Lawson returned to town with their prisoners.BOOK, Hannings, Bud, 2012, The War of 1812: A Complete Chronology with Biographies of 63 General Officers, Jefferson,NC, McFarland; Illustrated edition, 138, 978-0786463855, During the 1820s, agrarian communities across the American South suffered a prolonged recession, which caused many families to migrate to other areas. Many moved west into the Piedmont, or further into Kentucky and Tennessee. This migration also followed the exhaustion of soil due to tobacco cultivation in the Tidewater, where it had been the primary commodity crop for generations.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Virginia made some attempts to phase out slavery and manumissions increased in the two decades following the war. Thomas Jefferson Randolph gained passage of an 1832 resolution for gradual abolition in the state. However, by that time the increased demand from the settlement of the lower South states had created a large internal market for slavery. The invention of the cotton gin in the late-eighteenth century had made profitable the cultivation of short-staple cotton in the uplands, which was widely practiced.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}File:Joseph Jenkins Roberts.jpg|thumb|upright|Joseph Jenkins Roberts, born and raised in Norfolk, became the first President of LiberiaPresident of LiberiaThe American Colonization Society proposed to “repatriate� free blacks and freed slaves to Africa by establishing the new colony of Liberia and paying for transportation. But most African Americans wanted to stay in their birthplace of the United States and achieve freedom and rights there. For a period, many emigrants to Liberia from Virginia and North Carolina embarked from the port of Norfolk. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a free person of color native to Norfolk, emigrated via the American Colonization Society and later was elected as the first president of Liberia, establishing a powerful family.WEB,www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/754/Joseph_Roberts_Liberias_first_President, Joseph Roberts, Liberia’s first President!, February 19, 2008, The African-American Registry,www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/754/Joseph_Roberts_Liberias_first_President," title="web.archive.org/web/20071123023225www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/754/Joseph_Roberts_Liberias_first_President,">web.archive.org/web/20071123023225www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/754/Joseph_Roberts_Liberias_first_President, November 23, 2007, On June 7, 1855, the 183-foot vessel Benjamin Franklin put into Hampton Roads for repairs. The ship had just sailed from the West Indies, where there had been an outbreak of yellow fever. The port health officer ordered the ship quarantined. After eleven days, a second inspection found no issues, so it was allowed to dock. A few days later, the first cases of yellow fever were discovered in Norfolk, and a machinist died from the disease on July 8. By August, several people were dying per day, and a third of the city’s population had fled in the hopes of escaping the epidemic. No one understood how the disease was transmitted. With both Norfolk and Portsmouth being infected, New York banned all traffic from those sites. Neighboring cities also banned residents from Norfolk. The epidemic spread through the city via mosquitoes and poor sanitation, affecting every family and causing widespread panic. The number of infected reached 5,000 in September, and by the second week, 1,500 had died in Norfolk and Portsmouth.Donna, Bluemink YELLOW FEVER IN NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, 1855,as reported in the DAILY DISPATCH of Richmond, Virginia 2005 accessed 29 September 2019www.usgwarchives.net/va/yellow-fever/yftoc.html File:Battle of Hampton Roads 3g01752u.jpg|thumb|Battle of Hampton Roads between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia ]]On April 4, 1861, Norfolk city delegate to the Virginia Secession Convention, George Blow, voted against secession. Following the Battle of Fort Sumter, another vote occurred on April 17, where Blow voted for secession, the vote passed and Virginia seceded from the Union. In the spring of 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads took place off the northwest shore of the city’s Sewell’s Point Peninsula, marking the first fight between two ironclads, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. The battle ended in a stalemate but changed the course of naval warfare; from then on, warships were fortified with metal.WEB,americancivilwar.com/monitor.html, Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac, October 9, 2007, Americancivilwar.com, In May 1862, Norfolk Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city to Union General John E. Wool and his forces. They held the city under martial law for the duration of the Civil War. Thousands of slaves from the region escaped to Union lines to gain freedom; they quickly set up schools in Norfolk to start learning how to read and write, years before the end of the war.WEB,www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/46.html, Lincoln Plans the Recapture of Norfolk, October 9, 2007, Norfolk Historical Society, October 22, 2007,norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/46.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20071022033431norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/46.html,">web.archive.org/web/20071022033431norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/46.html, dead,

20th century to present

(File:Va. - Norfolk - Granby Street from corner of City Hall Avenue; busy street scene with autos and electric trolleys LCCN2006688632.jpg|thumb|Granby Street from corner of City Hall Avenue, 1915)1907 brought both the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell’s Point. The large Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula’s favorable location and laid the groundwork for the world’s largest naval base. Southern Democrats in Congress gained its location here. Commemorating the tricentennial anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the exposition featured many prominent officials, including President Theodore Roosevelt, members of Congress, and diplomats from twenty-one countries. By 1917, as the US prepared to enter World War I, the Naval Air Station Hampton Roads had been constructed on the former exposition grounds.WEB,www.twainquotes.com/TwainRogersVA.html, Mark Twain and Henry Huttleston Rogers in Virginia, October 2, 2007, twainquotes.com, In the first half of the twentieth century, the city of Norfolk expanded its borders through annexation. In 1906, the city annexed the incorporated town of Berkley, making the city cross the Elizabeth River.WEB,www.norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1906.asp, Norfolk: 1906 Annexation, October 9, 2007, City of Norfolk,norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1906.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20071127123719norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1906.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20071127123719norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1906.asp, November 27, 2007, In 1923, the city expanded to include Sewell’s Point, Willoughby Spit, the town of Campostella, and the Ocean View area. The city included the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay.WEB,www.norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1923.asp, Norfolk: 1923 Annexation, October 9, 2007, City of Norfolk,norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1923.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20071127131146norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1923.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20071127131146norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1923.asp, November 27, 2007, After a smaller annexation in 1959, and a 1988 land swap with Virginia Beach, the city assumed its current boundaries.WEB,www.norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1955.asp, Norfolk: 1955 Annexation, October 9, 2007, City of Norfolk,norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1955.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20071127140029norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1955.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20071127140029norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/histories_1955.asp, November 27, 2007, The establishment of the Interstate Highway System following World War II brought new highways to the region. A series of bridges and tunnels, constructed during fifteen years, linked Norfolk with the Peninsula, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. In 1952, the Downtown Tunnel opened to connect Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. The highways also stimulated the development of new housing suburbs, leading to the population spreading out. Additional bridges and tunnels included the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1957,WEB,www.roadstothefuture.com/I64_VA_HRBT.html, Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, October 2, 2007, Roads to the Future, the Midtown Tunnel in 1962,WEB,www.roadstothefuture.com/Mid_Tunn_Port_Norf_MLK.html, Midtown Tunnel Parallel Tube Project, October 2, 2007, Roads to the Future, and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and State Route 44) in 1967.WEB,www.roadstothefuture.com/I264_VA_Desc.html, Interstate 264 in Virginia, October 2, 2007, Roads to the Future, In 1991, the new Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge complex opened a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and Interstate 464 with the Downtown Tunnel tubes.WEB,www.roadstothefuture.com/HR_Interstates_Freeways.html, Hampton Roads Area Interstates and Freeways, October 2, 2007, Roads to the Future, In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, as the public system was supported by all taxpayers. It ordered integration, but Virginia pursued a policy of “massive resistance�. (At this time, most black citizens were still disfranchised under the state’s turn-of-the-century constitution and discriminatory practices related to voter registration and elections.) The Virginia General Assembly prohibited state funding for integrated public schools.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}In 1958, United States district courts in Virginia ordered schools to open for the first time on a racially integrated basis. In response, Governor J. Lindsay Almond ordered the schools closed. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals declared the state law to be in conflict with the state constitution and ordered all public schools to be funded, whether integrated or not. About ten days later, Almond capitulated and asked the General Assembly to rescind several “massive resistance� laws.WEB,www.vahistorical.org/civilrights/massiveresistance.htm, Massive Resistance – The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia, August 9, 2007, Virginia Historical Society,www.vahistorical.org/civilrights/massiveresistance.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20080915113935www.vahistorical.org/civilrights/massiveresistance.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20080915113935www.vahistorical.org/civilrights/massiveresistance.htm, September 15, 2008, dead, In February 1959, seventeen black children entered six previously segregated Norfolk public schools.JOURNAL, Bly, Antonio T., The Thunder during the Storm-School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia, 1957–1959: A Local History,www.jstor.org/stable/2668221, The Journal of Negro Education, September 4, 2023, 106–114, 10.2307/2668221, 1998, 67, 2, 2668221, Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir Chambers editorialized against massive resistance and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.WEB,www.landmarkcom.com/about/history.php, Landmark Communications Company History, October 11, 2007, Landmark Communications, dead,www.landmarkcom.com/about/history.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20071009234858www.landmarkcom.com/about/history.php,">web.archive.org/web/20071009234858www.landmarkcom.com/about/history.php, October 9, 2007, With new suburban developments beckoning, many white middle-class residents moved out of the city along new highway routes, and Norfolk’s population declined, a pattern repeated in numerous cities during the postwar era independently of segregation issues. In the late-1960s and early-1970s, the advent of newer suburban shopping destinations along with freeways spelled demise for the fortunes of downtown’s Granby Street commercial corridor, located just a few blocks inland from the waterfront. The opening of malls and large shopping centers drew off retail business from Granby Street.WEB,www.janafshopping.com/aboutjanaf.php, History of JANAF Shopping Center, August 9, 2007, JANAF Shopping Center, dead,www.janafshopping.com/aboutjanaf.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20070930065349www.janafshopping.com/aboutjanaf.php,">web.archive.org/web/20070930065349www.janafshopping.com/aboutjanaf.php, September 30, 2007, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been based in Norfolk since 1996.WEB,www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=107, PETA’s History: Compassion in Action, Peta.org, May 14, 2012, dead,www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=107," title="web.archive.org/web/20070715193941www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=107,">web.archive.org/web/20070715193941www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=107, July 15, 2007, mdy-all, WEB,corporateofficeheadquarters.org/peta/, Corporate Office Headquarters, Peta Corporate Office Headquarters, June 29, 2018, Norfolk’s city leaders began a long push to revive its urban core. While Granby Street underwent decline, Norfolk city leaders focused on the waterfront and its collection of decaying piers and warehouses. Many obsolete shipping and warehousing facilities were demolished. In their place, planners created a new boulevard, Waterside Drive, along which many of the high-rise buildings in Norfolk’s skyline have been erected. In 1983, the city and The Rouse Company developed the Waterside festival marketplace to attract people back to the waterfront and catalyze further downtown redevelopment.WEB,www.watersidemarketplace.com/, Waterside Marketplace, February 21, 2008, Waterside, March 5, 2008,www.watersidemarketplace.com/," title="web.archive.org/web/20080305190902www.watersidemarketplace.com/,">web.archive.org/web/20080305190902www.watersidemarketplace.com/, dead, Waterside was redeveloped in 2017. Additionally, the waterfront area hosts the Nauticus maritime museum and the USS Wisconsin. Other facilities opened in the ensuing years, including the Harbor Park baseball stadium, home of the Norfolk Tides Triple-A minor league baseball team. In 1995, the park was named the finest facility in minor league baseball by Baseball America.WEB,www.norfolktides.com/ballpark/, Harbor Park, October 10, 2007, Harbor Park, Norfolk’s efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim from economic development and urban planning circles throughout the country. Downtown’s rising fortunes helped to expand the city’s revenues and allowed the city to direct attention to other neighborhoods.WEB,www.norfolk.gov/About/, About Norfolk, February 21, 2008, City of Norfolk, dead,www.norfolk.gov/About/," title="web.archive.org/web/20080205225234www.norfolk.gov/About/,">web.archive.org/web/20080205225234www.norfolk.gov/About/, February 5, 2008, mdy-all,

Geography

File:Newport news norfolk portsmouth.jpg|thumb|Newport News, Hampton, Isle of Wight County, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Norfolk, from space, July 1996. Norfolk is located in the upper-right quadrant; east is at the top.]]The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia at the junction of the Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake Bay. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 37th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 1,716,624 in 2014.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, and York, as well as the North Carolina counties of Currituck and Gates. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism. Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA though it functions more as a suburb. Additionally, Norfolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area, which includes the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA, the Elizabeth City, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area, and the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area. The CSA is the 32nd largest in the nation with an estimated population in 2013 of 1,810,266.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Sea level rise and subsidence

File:Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates, v2, 2010 Washington D.C., U.S. (13873799193).jpg|thumb|left|Population density and elevation above sea level around the Chesapeake Bay. Norfolk is especially vulnerable to sea level risesea level riseBeing low-lying and largely surrounded by water, Norfolk is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change.MAGAZINE, Arnold, Carrie, December 27, 2020, Rising to meet the tide against the threat of coastal flooding,arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/rising-to-meet-the-tide-against-the-threat-of-coastal-flooding/, 2020-12-28, Ars Technica, Knowable Mag, en-US, In addition, the land on which it is built is slowly subsiding. Some areas already flood regularly at high tide, and the city commissioned a study in 2012 to investigate how to address the issue in the future: it reported the cost of dealing with a sea-level rise of one foot would be around $1,000,000,000. Since then, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2013 have estimated that if current trends hold, the sea in Norfolk will rise by 5 and 1/2 feet or more by the end of this century.NEWS, Montgomery, Lori,www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/in-norfolk-evidence-of-climate-change-is-in-the-streets-at-high-tide/2014/05/31/fe3ae860-e71f-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html, In Norfolk, evidence of climate change is in the streets at high tide, The Washington Post, 2014-05-31, 2016-06-21, NEWS, Jarvis, Brooke,www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/magazine/when-rising-seas-transform-risk-into-certainty.html, When Rising Seas Transform Risk Into Certainty, The New York Times, 2017-04-18, 2018-08-01,

Cityscape

{{see also|List of tallest buildings in Norfolk, Virginia}}(File:Downtown Norfolk during the day.jpg|thumb|Downtown Norfolk)When Norfolk was first settled, homes were made of wood and frame construction, similar to most medieval English-style homes. These homes had wide chimneys and thatch roofs. Some decades after the town was first laid out in 1682, the Georgian architectural style, which was popular in the South at the time, was used. Brick was considered more substantial construction; patterns were made by brick laid and Flemish bond. This style evolved to include projecting center pavilions, Palladian windows, balustraded roof decks, and two-story porticoes. By 1740, homes, warehouses, stores, workshops, and taverns began to dot Norfolk’s streets.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Norfolk was burned down during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolution, Norfolk was rebuilt in the Federal style, based on Roman ideals. Federal-style homes kept Georgian symmetry, though they had more refined decorations to look like New World homes. Federal homes had features such as narrow sidelights with an embracing fanlight around the doorway, giant porticoes, gable or flat roofs, and projecting bays on exterior walls. Rooms were oval, elliptical or octagonal. Few of these federal rowhouses remain standing today. A majority of buildings were made of wood and had a simple construction.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}In the early nineteenth century, Neoclassical architectural elements began to appear in the federal style row homes, such as ionic columns in the porticoes and classic motifs over doorways and windows. Many Federal-style row houses were modernized by placing a Greek-style porch at the front. Greek and Roman elements were integrated into public buildings such as the old City Hall, the old Norfolk Academy, and the Customs House.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Greek-style homes gave way to Gothic Revival in the 1830s, which emphasized pointed arches, steep gable roofs, towers and tracer-lead windows. The Freemason Baptist Church and St. Mary’s Catholic Church are examples of Gothic Revival. Italianate elements emerged in the 1840s including cupolas, verandas, ornamental brickwork, or corner quoins. Norfolk still had simple wooden structures among its more ornate buildings.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}High-rise buildings were first built in the late nineteenth century when structures such as the current Commodore Maury Hotel and the Royster Building were constructed to form the initial Norfolk skyline. Past styles were revived during the early years of the twentieth century. Bungalows and apartment buildings became popular for those living in the city.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}As the Great Depression wore on, Art Deco emerged as a popular building style, as evidenced by the Post Office building downtown. Art Deco consisted of streamlined concrete faced appearance with smooth stone or metal, with terracotta, and trimming consisting of glass and colored tiles.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Neighborhoods

{{See also|List of neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia}}File:Whittle House Norfolk.jpg|thumb|Taylor-Whittle HouseTaylor-Whittle HouseNorfolk has a variety of historic neighborhoods, notably Freemason and West Freemason. Some neighborhoods, such as Berkley, were formerly cities and towns. Others, including Willoughby Spit and Ocean View, have a long history tied to the Chesapeake Bay. The city’s revitalization in recent decades has transformed neighborhoods such as Downtown, Ghent and Fairmount Park. Popular residential neighborhoods include Ghent, Colonial Place, Larchmont, North Shore, Edgewater, and Lafayette Shores.WEB, The Pros & Cons of Living in Norfolk, Virginia,lifeinhamptonroadsva.com/living-in-norfolk-virginia-top-pros-and-cons/, Life in Hampton Roads Virginia,

Climate

Narrative below is based on climate data from the 1991–2020 period. Norfolk has a humid subtropical climate and its USDA Hardiness Zone is 8a. Spring arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summers are consistently warm and humid, but the nearby Atlantic Ocean often exercises a slight cooling effect on daytime high temperatures, but a slight warming effect on nighttime low temperatures (compared to areas farther inland). As such, temperatures reach {{cvt|90|°F}} or higher on an average 35 days annually, and {{cvt|100|°F|1}} are uncommon, occurring in fewer than one-third of all years.WEB,xmacis.rcc-acis.org/, xmACIS2, NOAA Regional Climate Centers, 1) “Single-Station → Seasonal time seriesâ€�; 2) Annual max temp “maximumâ€� or “number of daysâ€� ≥ 100; 3) “ORFthrâ€� in the Station selection ID., On average, July is the warmest month, with a normal mean temperature of {{cvt|81.1|°F|1}}. On average, July and August are the wettest months, due to frequent summer thunderstorm activity. In August and September, rainfall remains high, due to rising frequency of tropical activity (hurricanes and tropical storms), which can bring high winds and heavy rains. These usually brush Norfolk and only occasionally make landfalls in the area; the highest-risk period is mid-August to the end of September. Fall is marked by mild to warm days and cooler nights. Winter is usually mild in Norfolk, with average winter days featuring lows near or slightly above freezing and highs in the upper-40s to mid-50s (8 to 13 Â°C). On average, the coldest month of the year is January, with a normal mean temperature of {{cvt|42.2|°F|1}}, Snow occurs sporadically, with an average winter accumulation of {{cvt|6.2|in|cm|1}}. Norfolk’s record high was {{cvt|105|°F|0}} on August 7, 1918, and July 24 and 25, 2010, and the record low was {{cvt|−3|°F|0}} recorded on January 21, 1985.{{Norfolk, Virginia weatherbox}}

Demographics

{{US Census population|1790=2959|1800=6926|1810=9193|1820=8478|1830=9814|1840=10929|1850=14326|1860=14620|1870=19229|1880=21966|1890=34871|1900=46624|1910=67452|1920=115777|1930=129710|1940=144335|1950=213513|1960=305872|1970=307951|1980=266979|1990=261229|2000=234403|2010=242803|2020=238005|estyear=|estimate=|estref=|align-fn=centerPUBLISHER=US CENSUS BUREAUPUBLISHER=UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LIBRARY ARCHIVE-DATE=AUGUST 11, 2012 URL-STATUS=DEAD, 1900–1990HTTPS://WWW.CENSUS.GOV/POPULATION/CENCOUNTS/VA190090.TXT >TITLE=POPULATION OF COUNTIES BY DECENNIAL CENSUS: 1900 TO 1990 ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 2, 2014, 1990–2000HTTPS://WWW.CENSUS.GOV/POPULATION/WWW/CEN2000/BRIEFS/PHC-T4/TABLES/TAB02.PDF >TITLE=CENSUS 2000 PHC-T-4. RANKING TABLES FOR COUNTIES: 1990 AND 2000 ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 2, 2014, weblink 2020}}

2020 census

{{Expand section|date=December 2023}}{| class=“wikitable� style="text-align:center;�Norfolk city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition{{nobold>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.}}!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)!Pop 2000WEB, P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Norfolk city, Virginia,data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=1600000US5157000, United States Census Bureau, !Pop 2010WEB, P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Norfolk city, Virginia,data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US5157000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2, United States Census Bureau, !{{partial|Pop 2020}}WEB, P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Norfolk city, Virginia,data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US5157000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2, United States Census Bureau, !% 2000!% 2010!{{partial|% 2020}}Non-Hispanic or Latino whites>White alone (NH)|110,221|107,46397,205|47.02%|44.26%40.84%Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans>Black or African American alone (NH)|102,268|102,45293,553|43.63%|42.20%39.31%Native Americans in the United States>Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)|971|935832|0.41%|0.39%0.35%Asian Americans>Asian alone (NH)|6,477|7,8618,828|2.76%|3.24%3.71%Pacific Islander Americans>Pacific Islander alone (NH)|220|359475|0.09%|0.15%0.20%|Some Other Race alone (NH)|483|4711,331|0.21%|0.19%0.56%Multiracial Americans>Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)|4,848|7,11812,651|2.07%|2.93%5.32%Hispanic and Latino Americans>Hispanic or Latino (any race)|8,915|16,14423,130|3.80%|6.65%9.72%|Total|234,403|242,803238,005|100.00%|100.00%100.00%

2010 Census

(File:USA Norfolk city, Virginia age pyramid.svg|200px|thumb|left|Population age distribution for Norfolk){{update|section|date=October 2021|reason=Newer information is available from the 2020 census report}}As of the censusWEB,www.census.gov, United States Census Bureau, May 14, 2011, U.S. Census website, of 2010, there were 242,803 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|4,362.8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 94,416 dwelling units at an average density of {{convert|1,757.3|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 47.1% White, 43.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.6% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 44.3% of the population in 2010,WEB,quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51710.html, Norfolk city, Virginia, State & County QuickFacts, U.S. Census Bureau, May 4, 2012,quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51710.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20120514022945quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51710.html,">web.archive.org/web/20120514022945quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51710.html, May 14, 2012, dead, down from 68.5% in 1970.WEB, Virginia – Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau,www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html, May 4, 2012, dead,www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20120812191959www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html,">web.archive.org/web/20120812191959www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html, August 12, 2012, There were 86,210 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.WEB, Department of Development, October 2014, Demographic Profile for Norfolk and the Hampton Roads Region,www.norfolk.gov/DocumentCenter/View/874/Demographics-Fact-Sheet?bidId=, March 23, 2024, The City of Norfolk, The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. This large gender imbalance is due to the military presence in the city, most notably Naval Station Norfolk.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}The median income for a household in the city was $31,815, and the median income for a family was $36,891. Males had a median income of $25,848 versus $21,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,372. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those ages 65 or over.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}For the year of 2007, Norfolk had a total crime index of 514.7 per 100,000 residents. This was above the national average of 320.9 that year. For 2007, the city experienced 48 homicides, for a murder rate of 21.1 per 100,000 residents. Total crime had decreased when compared to the year 2000, which the city had a total crime index of 546.3. The highest murder rate Norfolk has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when its rate was 24.5 per 100,000 residents. For the year 2007 per 100,000, Norfolk experienced 21.1 murders, 42.6 rapes, 399.3 robberies, 381.3 assaults, 743.3 burglaries, and 450.6 automobile thefts.WEB,www.city-data.com/city/Norfolk-Virginia.html, Norfolk, Virginia (VA) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, sex offenders, City-data.com, May 14, 2012, According to the Congressional Quarterly Press ‘2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Norfolk, Virginia, ranked as the 87th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants.WEB,os.cqpress.com/citycrime/MetroCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf, AMSAFM2.WK4, May 14, 2012, dead,os.cqpress.com/citycrime/MetroCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20090326212621os.cqpress.com/citycrime/MetroCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20090326212621os.cqpress.com/citycrime/MetroCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf, March 26, 2009,

Ethnic groups

{{see also|Filipino Americans in Hampton Roads}}In 2010, 4,727 people of Filipino ancestry lived in Norfolk.WEB,ww1.odu.edu/life/support/fac/facts, Filipinos in the US, Old Dominion University, 2023-11-27, Chinese immigration occurred after 1885, and in 1995 300 families were members of the Chinese Community Association.NEWS, Tucker, George,scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp950402/04010178.htm, NORFOLK’S CHINESE HERITAGE DATES BACK MORE THAN A CENTURY, The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Tech, 1995-04-02, 2023-12-26,

Economy

File:1888 Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co Advert for Norfolk.jpg|thumb|left|1888 advertisement for the Market Square A&PA&PSince Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the unusual geographical region of Hampton Roads (and in its political structure of independent cities), it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk from that of the region as a whole.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}The waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton Roads region play an important part in the local economy. As a strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, its protected deep-water channels serve as a major trade artery for the import and export of goods from across the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and internationally.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}File:Wisconsin museum.JPG|thumb|Nauticus and USS Wisconsin ]]In addition to commercial activities, Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy, and Norfolk serves as the home for Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval installation. Located on Sewell’s Point Peninsula, in the northwest corner of the city, the station is the headquarters of the United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly known as the Atlantic Fleet), which compromises over 62,000 active-duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132 aircraft. The base also serves as the headquarters to NATO’s Allied Command Transformation.WEB, 2019-05-11, The biggest naval bases in the US,www.naval-technology.com/features/featurethe-biggest-naval-bases-in-the-us-4144545/, 2020-05-20, Naval Technology, en-GB, WEB,www.act.nato.int/contact-us, Contacts and Visits, Act.nato.int, 2014-11-02, 2016-06-21, The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair businesses for the city of Norfolk. Major private shipyards located in Norfolk or the Hampton Roads area include: Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Newport News) in Newport News, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, General Dynamics NASSCO Norfolk, and Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., while the US Navy’s Norfolk Naval Shipyard is just across the Downtown Tunnel in Portsmouth. Most contracts fulfilled by these shipyards are issued by the Navy, though some private commercial repair also takes place. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense spending, and that 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending.WEB,bpa.odu.edu/forecasting/sor/sor2004.shtml, State of the Region 2004, February 21, 2008, Old Dominion University,bpa.odu.edu/forecasting/sor/sor2004.shtml," title="web.archive.org/web/20080120224242bpa.odu.edu/forecasting/sor/sor2004.shtml,">web.archive.org/web/20080120224242bpa.odu.edu/forecasting/sor/sor2004.shtml, January 20, 2008, dead, After the military, the second largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the region’s cargo ports. Headquartered in Norfolk, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is a Commonwealth of Virginia owned entity that, in turn, owns and operates three major port facilities in Hampton Roads for break-bulk and container type cargo. In Norfolk, Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world’s largest and fastest container cranes.WEB,www.vaports.com/Facilities/FAC-term-nit.htm, Norfolk International Terminals, August 6, 2007, Virginia Port Authority,www.vaports.com/Facilities/FAC-term-nit.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20070803150402www.vaports.com/Facilities/FAC-term-nit.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20070803150402www.vaports.com/Facilities/FAC-term-nit.htm, August 3, 2007, Together, the three terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million TEUs and 475,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the second busiest port on the east coast of North America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey.WEB,hreda.com/publicImages/downloadFiles/The%20Port%20of%20Hampton%20Roads.pdf, The Port of Hampton Roads, August 6, 2007, Hampton Roads Economic Development Authority, dead,hreda.com/publicImages/downloadFiles/The%20Port%20of%20Hampton%20Roads.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20070808212304hreda.com/publicImages/downloadFiles/The%20Port%20of%20Hampton%20Roads.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20070808212304hreda.com/publicImages/downloadFiles/The%20Port%20of%20Hampton%20Roads.pdf, August 8, 2007, In addition to NIT, Norfolk is home to Lambert’s Point Docks, the largest coal trans-shipment point in the Northern Hemisphere, with an annual throughput of approximately 48,000,000 tons.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Bituminous coal is primarily sourced from the Appalachian mountains in western Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The coal is loaded onto trains and sent to the port where it is unloaded onto large breakbulk cargo ships and destined for New England, Europe, and Asia.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}Between 1925 and 2007, Ford Motor Company operated Norfolk Assembly, a manufacturing plant located on the Elizabeth River that had produced the Model-T, sedans and station wagons before building F-150 pick-up trucks.WEB, Despite Ford’s troubles, Norfolk plant is likely to keep on truckin’, Jeremiah McWilliams, The Virginian-Pilot November 11, 2005,content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860, April 11, 2008,content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860," title="archive.today/20070811045236content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860,">archive.today/20070811045236content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860, August 11, 2007, dead, mdy-all, Before it closed, the plant employed more than 2,600 people at the {{cvt|2800000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility.Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. In addition, many of the largest international shipping companies have chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. These companies are either located at the Norfolk World Trade Center building or have constructed buildings in the Lake Wright Executive Center office park. The French firm CMA CGM, the Israeli firm Zim Integrated Shipping Services, and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of the world’s largest shipping line, A. P. Moller-Maersk Group, have their North American headquarters in Norfolk.WEB,www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/bbdeal/bd040301.htm, CMA-CGM Picks Norfolk, Va., as Port of Call for 376-Employee HQ, August 6, 2007, The Site Selection Magazine, WEB,hreda.com/publicImages/downLoadFiles/MicrosoftWord-ZimAmericanIsraeliShippingCoHREDAFINAL-April2.pdf, Zim American Israeli Shipping in Hampton Roads, August 6, 2007, Hampton Roads Economic Development Authority, dead,hreda.com/publicImages/downLoadFiles/MicrosoftWord-ZimAmericanIsraeliShippingCoHREDAFINAL-April2.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20070808212304hreda.com/publicImages/downLoadFiles/MicrosoftWord-ZimAmericanIsraeliShippingCoHREDAFINAL-April2.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20070808212304hreda.com/publicImages/downLoadFiles/MicrosoftWord-ZimAmericanIsraeliShippingCoHREDAFINAL-April2.pdf, August 8, 2007, mdy-all, WEB,www.maersklinelimited.com/mll/, Maerske Line Ltd., October 10, 2007, Maerske Line Ltd., dead,www.maersklinelimited.com/mll/," title="web.archive.org/web/20071009100803www.maersklinelimited.com/mll/,">web.archive.org/web/20071009100803www.maersklinelimited.com/mll/, October 9, 2007, Major companies headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern,WEB,www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/Corporate%20Profile/, Corporate Profile, October 12, 2007, Norfolk Southern, Landmark Communications,WEB,www.landmarkcom.com/about/contact.php, About Us, October 12, 2007, Landmark Communications, dead,www.landmarkcom.com/about/contact.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20071021082914www.landmarkcom.com/about/contact.php,">web.archive.org/web/20071021082914www.landmarkcom.com/about/contact.php, October 21, 2007, Dominion Enterprises,WEB,www.dominionenterprises.com/, About Us, October 12, 2007, Dominion Enterprises, FHC Health Systems (parent company of ValueOptions),WEB,www.fhchealthsystems.com/contacts.htm, Contacts, October 12, 2007, FHC Health Systems, Portfolio Recovery Associates,WEB,www.portfoliorecovery.com/contact_us.php, Contact Information, October 12, 2007, Portfolio Recovery Associates, dead,www.portfoliorecovery.com/contact_us.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20080801145351www.portfoliorecovery.com/contact_us.php,">web.archive.org/web/20080801145351www.portfoliorecovery.com/contact_us.php, August 1, 2008, mdy-all, and BlackHawk Products Group.WEB,www.blackhawk.com/prod_details.asp?pid=contact_us, Contact Us, October 12, 2007, BlackHawk Products Group,www.blackhawk.com/prod_details.asp?pid=contact_us," title="web.archive.org/web/20070911115346www.blackhawk.com/prod_details.asp?pid=contact_us,">web.archive.org/web/20070911115346www.blackhawk.com/prod_details.asp?pid=contact_us, September 11, 2007, (File:Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center, Norfolk, VA.jpg|thumb|Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center)Though Virginia Beach and Williamsburg have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the region, the rebirth of downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown has driven tourism to become an increasingly important part of the city’s economy. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a $36 million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier.NEWS, Richards, Gregory, Sleek new cruise terminal set to welcome travelers,hamptonroads.com/node/247981, September 29, 2010, Virginian Pilot, April 7, 2007, January 20, 2012,hamptonroads.com/node/247981," title="web.archive.org/web/20120120102141hamptonroads.com/node/247981,">web.archive.org/web/20120120102141hamptonroads.com/node/247981, dead, Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk’s terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the cruise lines who enjoy its proximity to the city’s hotels, restaurants, shopping, and cultural amenities.WEB,www.cruisenorfolk.org/, Cruise Norfolk, August 9, 2007, Norfolk Cruise Terminal, August 12, 2007,www.cruisenorfolk.org/," title="web.archive.org/web/20070812061332www.cruisenorfolk.org/,">web.archive.org/web/20070812061332www.cruisenorfolk.org/, dead, Hampton Roads is home to four Fortune 500 companies. Representing the food industry, transportation, retail and shipbuilding, these four companies are located in Smithfield, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Newport News.

2013 Fortune 500 CorporationsNEWS,money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/full_list/index.html?iid=F500_sp_full, Fortune 500 2012, Fortune, January 4, 2013,

*213 Smithfield Foods *247 Norfolk Southern *346 Dollar Tree *380 Huntington Ingalls Industries