Norfolk, Virginia

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Norfolk is a city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States of America. It is an independent city, and therefore not included in any county. Norfolk is one of Virginia's largest cities; As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 234,403. However, a recent 2004 census shows that the city's population has since risen to 237,835.

Norfolk is located on the Elizabeth River, in Hampton Roads, a large natural harbor. It is a part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA.

The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Norfolk is home to both the Norfolk Naval Base, the world's largest naval base, and the Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America's principal Class I railroads. It has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, and is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.

Since the 1970s, the downtown area and waterfront has undergone substantial revitalization. It is home to the Norfolk Tides, the top International League affiliate of the New York Mets, and the Norfolk Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

1 History
2 Norfolk features
3 Pronunciation
4 Geography
5 Demographics
6 Transportation
7 Trivia
8 Sister cities
9 Trivia
10 See also
11 External links

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History

The site of what is now Norfolk was originally the Chesipean Indian town Skicoak. (The Chesipeans had been destroyed by Powhatan by the time of the arrival of the first English settlers, who, in 1585, settled on Roanoke Island in modern-day North Carolina. In 1591, the colony of Roanoke disappeared without a trace.) The city was laid out in 1682 and incorporated in 1845. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1871.

On New Year's Day, 1776 the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore shelled the city of Norfolk. (A cannonball from Dunmore's siege may be viewed today in the wall of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.) Dunmore's forces had been defeated at the Battle of Great Bridge and he was seeking to take control of the rebellious colony. The damage from the shells and fire destroyed 800 buildings, almost two-thirds of the city. Colonists, essentially completing the destruction of the city, later destroyed another 400 buildings as part of a scorched earth policy.

In 1855, the city suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every 3 citizens. In 1858, the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad built by William Mahone was completed to Petersburg, where major connections were made with railroads to points north, west, and south. During the US Civil War, in 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac was fought off Norfolk. Early in the war, Mahone commanded the city's defenses during the period of Confederate occupation which ended in May, 1862.

In the late 19th century, the Norfolk and Western Railway established the community as a major coal export port and built a large transloading facility at Lambert's Point. The year 1907 brought the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the favorable location, laying the groundwork for the Norfolk Navy Base which was built there beginning in 1917. The city limits were expanded in 1923 to include Sewell's Point, Willoughby Spit, and Ocean View, adding the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. Ward's Corner, then just outside Norfolk, became the first non-downtown shopping district in the country.

Today, Norfolk is experiencing a great deal of urban renewal. Beginning in the late 1970s, mall-developer James W. Rouse developed Waterside in downtown Norfolk, a festival marketplace concept which helped transform a formerly seedy harbor area into a major catalyst for other redevelopment. Downtown Norfolk is clean, attractive and growing quickly. The Ghent community has become popular with artistic types and yuppies. Many other areas of Norfolk are being revitalized, including Ocean View and East Beach, both on the Chesapeake Bay.

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Norfolk features

Norfolk is a major military center. With Portsmouth (directly across the Elizabeth River, housing the Norfolk Naval Shipyard), it forms an extensive naval complex. The headquarters of the 5th Naval District, the Atlantic Fleet, the 2nd Fleet, and the Allied Command Transformation are at Sewell's Point. The Norfolk Navy Base is the largest naval base in the United States and includes a naval air station and other facilities. Several vessels of the Navy have been named USS Norfolk after the city. The battleship USS Wisconsin is berthed at the Nauticus National Maritime Center.

General Douglas MacArthur is buried in the city; there is a small museum for him, and a major shopping mall across the street from his burial site is named for him. The city is home to Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Norfolk State University (fifth largest black university in America); Virginia Wesleyan College, a private liberal arts college, lies within Norfolk City limits. The city's public school system comprises 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 special-purpose/preschools. In 1996 Granby High School became the only school in Norfolk to offer the International Baccalaureate Program curriculum to incoming freshmen. Norfolk Public Schools recently received a 2005 National Academic Award for having one of the most outstanding public school systems in the nation. Norfolk Academy, founded in 1728, is the city's oldest private school.

Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and fourth largest railroad line in America has its headquarters in downtown Norfolk. The international headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are located on the city's waterfront just to the west of downtown.

Waterside is a popular festival marketplace attraction. Other tourist destinations include the Virginia Zoo, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Nauticus, and the Ghent historic district.

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Pronunciation

Many longtime residents of Norfolk and Hampton Roads generally pronounce the city's name (IPA) Template:IPA, while others in the state use the pronunciation Template:IPA. The "L" in Norfolk is generally only pronounced by those from other locales and is considered incorrect by most people from the region. Similar pronunciation variations are found in the names of other Hampton Roads cities, such as Portsmouth and Suffolk.

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Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 249.4 km² (96.3 mi²). 139.2 km² (53.7 mi²) of it is land and 110.3 km² (42.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 44.22% water.

In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities.

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Demographics

Image:Newport news norfolk portsmouth.jpg As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 234,403 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,684.4/km² (4,362.8/mi²). There were 94,416 housing units at an average density of 678.5/km² (1,757.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.36% White, 44.11% African American, 0.46% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. 3.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution is 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 age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.

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. 19.4% of the population and 15.5% of families were below the poverty line. 27.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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Transportation

Norfolk is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes, notably the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel which enters Norfolk at Willoughby Spit. The major east-west routes are Interstate 64, U.S. Highway 58 and U.S. Highway 460. The major north-south routes are U.S. Highway 13 and U.S. Highway 17.

An extensive transit bus system and paratransit services are provided by Hampton Roads Transit, a regional public transport system headquartered in Hampton. A light rail service within the city is in planning stages.

Norfolk is served by Amtrak via connecting bus with the railroad line across Hampton Roads which terminates at Newport News, and runs west along the Virginia Peninsula to Richmond. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor are also under study.

Norfolk and the rest of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg and Poquoson, Virginia) are served by Norfolk International Airport and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

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Trivia

They could not name the Norfolk Naval Shipyard "Portsmouth Naval Shipyard," because there was already one of those in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
South Norfolk is a community in Chesapeake.
West Norfolk is a community in Portsmouth, as is Port Norfolk.

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Sister cities

Norfolk has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI): Kaliningrad (Russia), Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (Japan), Norfolk County/Norwich (United Kingdom), Toulon (France), and Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen (Germany).

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Trivia

Dunmore Street in Norfolk was named for John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor, who on New Year's Day in 1776 gave the order for the burning of Norfolk after leaving on a British warship. It is said that the naming of Dunmore Street was not to honor the governor, but to celebrate the place in Norfolk where he last set foot.
Granby Street was named for John Manners, Marquess of Granby (1721-1770), a British military hero.
Chesapeake Blvd does not go to Chesapeake, Hampton Blvd does not go to Hampton, and Norfolk Ave. in Virginia Beach does not go to Norfolk.

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