Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach has a year-round tropical climate and one of the longest beaches in the United States. It's 35 miles long and 300 feet wide. Virginia Beach has a lot to offer its visitors, such as a coastal cuisine, a variety of sports including surfing, biking, and rollerskating, among many others. Available for exploration are the city's waterways and bay beaches.  

About Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is located in southeastern United States. The city ranks on top of the green cities list and has numerous environmentally-friendly resorts that attract visitors and residents who wish to reduce their carbon footprints.

There are over 1.6 million people living in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area, with about 430,000 people living within Virginia Beach's borders.  It has a mild climate, beautiful beaches, good schools, and a business-friendly environment.

Virginia Beach History

Virginia Beach has a rich history which dates back to the early 16th century. At that time the Chesepians (Native Americans) were the sole inhabitants of the region. The English colonists arrived at Cape Henry in April 1607 and established the first English settlement at Jamestown and formed the Colonial Virginia. The Colonial Virginia period ended in 1776 after the American Revolution when the region became part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1963, Virginia Beach became an independent city.

Before the arrival of the English settlers, the Chesepians inhabited the present-day areas of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. At that time, the areas were divided into Weapemiooc, Chawanook, Pomouic, Secotan and Newsiooc and were ruled by a chief or a king.

The Spanish were the first Europeans to sail past the Chesapeake Bay and landed in Virginia in 1524. Soon followed the English, who failed to establish their settlements twice until 1607, when they finally succeeded. Norfolk County was established and Virginia became a royal colony and was later divided into shires and counties. The lower Norfolk County gave rise to Norfolk County and Princess Anne County.

The present-day Virginia Beach was part of Princess Anne County since 1888, incorporated as a town in 1906, and finally became politically separate from the county in 1952. The light house built on Cape Henry upon the request of Virginia's governor in 1720 is now the official symbol of present-day Virginia Beach.

About Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the state of Virginia. It is the thirty-ninth largest city in the United States and has a population of approximately 437,994, according to the 2010 United States census.

Virginia Beach has a 35-mile long beach, with hundreds of hotels, restaurants and motels along the oceanfront. The city has gained a reputation as a year-round resort city and attracts millions of tourists every year. It has several protected beach areas and state parks, a large number of corporations, two universities and three military bases as well as various historic sites.

Virginia Beach is known for its strong tourism, military and agribusiness industries. The largest employers in the area include VT, GEICO and Navy Exchange Service Command as well as Amerigroup, Lillian Vernon and many more.

Tourism produces the largest percentage of Virginia Beach's economy and is one of the largest job providers, employing approximately 14,900 people. The city has 2.75 million visitors annually, which generates around $873 million in revenue.

The agribusiness industry contributes about $80 million to the city's economy, with about 172 farms in Virginia Beach. The farmers in and around Virginia Beach sell their farm produce and other goods at the farmer's market in the city.

Naval Air Station Oceana, part of the United States Navy is the largest employer in Virginia Beach. Fleet Training Center Dam Neck and the United States Army's Fort Story are also located in Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach is not home to any major league professional sports such as the NBA, MLB, or NHL. Most sporting events take place in the nearby city of Norfolk. However, the beaches are known for sports such as beach soccer, surfing, and volleyball, among others.

Virginia Beach Amphitheater hosts a variety of popular shows and concerts. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center has a 300,000-gallon aquarium in Norfolk Canyon, with sand tigers, nurse and brown sharks, and a 70,000-gallon sea turtle aquarium. There are as many as 18 historical sites in Virginia Beach, which are included in the National Register of Historic Places.

About County of Virginia Beach City, Virginia

The city of Virginia Beach does not belong to any county and is an independent city in the state of Virginia. It is a part of the America’s First Region which includes other independent cities such as Hampton, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and others. The city is the easternmost city on the Hampton roads. The Hampton roads make up the up the core of the Virginia Beach-Newport News-Norfolk. Virginia Beach was incorporated as a town in Princess Anne County in the year 1906. It is also designated as "America's First Region".

In 1634 the place where the city today is located was a part of the original eight shires of Virginia, which were later named as counties. New Norfolk County was formed in 1937 and was later divided into Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County. The Lower Norfolk County was later divided into Norfolk County and the Princess Anne County. Princess Anne County was formed in 1691, in which Virginia City was located. It was here that the city grew and prospered.

In 1952 Virginia Beach became a tiny independent city still maintaining ties with Princess Anne County for another 11 years until the Virginia General Assembly’s approval to consolidate a new much larger Virginia Beach City. Hence, Virginia Beach City does not come under the jurisdiction of any county and operates as a political subdivision of the State of Virginia.

The city does not have a designated redevelopment authority, however private and local public groups have kept the real estate in the city under constant development. The city is popular as a resort city because of its miles and miles of beaches and the availability of hundreds of resorts, hotels and motels along the beach. The city also has a strong military presence and also a large number of companies and corporations.