48 Facts About Norfolk Virginia

Norfolk Virginia holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads region, which has more than 1.

The largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk Virginia, is located in Norfolk Virginia along with one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters.

Norfolk Virginia developed in the late-seventeenth century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and 50 acres were acquired from local natives of the Powhatan Confederacy in exchange for 10, 000 pounds of tobacco.

In part because of its merchants' numerous trading ties with other parts of the British Empire, Norfolk Virginia served as a strong base of Loyalist support during the early part of the American Revolution.

Dunmore secured small victories at Norfolk but was driven into exile by the Virginia militia, commanded by Colonel Woodford.

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Norfolk Virginia's departure brought an end to more than 168 years of British rule in Virginia.

Norfolk Virginia made some attempts to phase out slavery and manumissions increased in the two decades following the war.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a free person of color native to Norfolk Virginia, emigrated via the American Colonization Society and later was elected as the first president of Liberia, establishing a powerful family.

In early 1861, Norfolk Virginia voters instructed their delegate to vote for secession.

Thousands of slaves from the region escaped to Union lines to gain freedom; they quickly set up schools in Norfolk Virginia to start learning how to read and write, years before the end of the war.

In 1958, United States district courts in Norfolk Virginia ordered schools to open for the first time on a racially integrated basis.

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.

Norfolk 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.

When Norfolk Virginia was first settled, homes were made of wood and frame construction, similar to most medieval English-style homes.

Norfolk Virginia still had simple wooden structures among its more ornate buildings.

Norfolk Virginia has a humid subtropical climate and its USDA Hardiness Zone is 8a.

The highest murder rate Norfolk Virginia has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when its rate was 24.

Since Norfolk Virginia serves as the commercial and cultural center for the unusual geographical region of Hampton Roads, it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk Virginia from that of the region as a whole.

Major companies headquartered in Norfolk Virginia include Norfolk Virginia Southern, Landmark Communications, Dominion Enterprises, FHC Health Systems, Portfolio Recovery Associates, and BlackHawk Products Group.

The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk Virginia increased from 50, 000 in 2003, to 107, 000 in 2004 and 2005.

Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk Virginia'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.

Norfolk Virginia has a variety of performing groups with regular seasons and which make appearances in the city's annual festivals.

The Virginia Arts Festival, founded in 1997, is based in Norfolk and has events throughout the region, drawing in arts from around the world and featuring local talent.

Revitalization of downtown Norfolk Virginia has helped to improve the Hampton Roads cultural scene.

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Norfolk Virginia celebrates the rich ethnic diversity of its population with sights, sounds, attractions and special events that pay tribute to the city's long multicultural heritage.

Norfolk Virginia has a variety of parks and open spaces in its city parks system.

Norfolk Virginia Zoological Park, opened in 1900, is a 65-acre zoo with hundreds of animals on display, including the critically endangered Siberian tiger and threatened white rhino.

Norfolk Virginia has two universities with Division I sports teams — the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Norfolk Virginia State University Spartans — which provide many sports including football, basketball, and baseball.

From 1970 to 1976, Norfolk served as the home court for the Virginia Squires regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA).

In 1971, Norfolk Virginia built an entertainment and sports complex, featuring Chrysler Hall and the 13, 800-seat Norfolk Virginia Scope indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown.

Norfolk Virginia Scope has served as a venue for major events including the American Basketball Association All-Star Game in 1974, and the first and second NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships in 1982 and 1983.

Six-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Lou Thesz lived in Norfolk and opened a wrestling school, Virginia Wrestling Academy, downtown in 1988.

Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a sheriff, social services, and a court system.

The Walter E Hoffman U S Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges, four magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges.

Additionally, Norfolk Virginia has its own general district and circuit courts, which convene downtown.

Norfolk Virginia is home to three public universities and one private.

Norfolk Virginia State offers degrees in a wide variety of liberal arts, Social Work, Nursing, and Engineering.

Norfolk Virginia Wesleyan College is a small private liberal arts college and shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Norfolk Virginia Beach.

Norfolk Virginia is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads area.

Norfolk Virginia is served by Cox Cable which provides LNC 5, a local 24-hour cable news television network.

Several major motion pictures have been filmed in and around Norfolk Virginia, including Rollercoaster, Navy Seals, and Mission: Impossible III (partially filmed at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel).

Norfolk Virginia was the terminus of the Atlantic and Danville Railway in 1890.

Norfolk Virginia is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.

Norfolk Virginia is primarily served by the Norfolk Virginia International Airport, now the region's major commercial airport.

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Norfolk Virginia has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern Branches of the Elizabeth River.

Currently, water for the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach is pumped from Lake Gaston into the City of Norfolk's reservoir system and then diverted to the City of Chesapeake for treatment by the City of Chesapeake.

Norfolk Virginia is served by Sentara Norfolk Virginia General Hospital, Sentara Leigh Hospital, and Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center.