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Virginia
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Portsmouth Sealjpg
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VAMap-doton-PortsmouthPNG
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250
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Location in Virginia
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1752
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Independent City
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Dr James W Holley III
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1207 Km&2 (466 Mi&2 )
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859 km&2 (332 mi&2)
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349 km&2 (135 mi&2)
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2887%
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2000
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100,565
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1,1709
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Eastern
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5
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368313
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763456
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wwwportsmouthvagov
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(pronounced "Port-smith") is an
Independent City located in the
U.S. Commonwealth of
Virginia . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,565, but a
July 1 ,
2002 Census estimate showed the city's population dropping to 99,790.
The
Norfolk Naval Shipyard , often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active
U.S. Navy facility which is actually located in Portsmouth, despite its name. The
Shipyard builds, remodels, and repairs the Navy's ships of all types.
Portsmouth has miles of waterfront land on the
Elizabeth River as part of the harbor of
Hampton Roads . A bright spot in Portsmouth's economic outlook is a new marine terminal for container ships scheduled to open in 2007 in the West Norfolk section.
Portsmouth is located on the western side of the
Elizabeth River directly across from the
City Of Norfolk . In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a
Shipbuilder , who petitioned King
James I Of England for a land grant. The area was soon settled as a plantation community. Portsmouth was founded as a town in
1752 by William Crawford, a wealthy merchant and ship owner. In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of
Yellow Fever which killed 1 of every 3 citizens. It became an
Independent City from
Norfolk County in
1858 .
During the
US Civil War , in
1861 , Virginia joined the
Confederate States Of America . Fearing that the Confederacy would take control of the shipyard at Portsmouth, the shipyard commander ordered the burning of the shipyard. The Confederate forces did in fact take over the shipyard, and did so without armed conflict through an elaborate
Ruse orchestrated by civilian
Railroad builder
William Mahone (soon to become a famous Confederate officer). The
Union forces withdrew to
Fort Monroe across Hampton Roads, which was the only land in the area which remained under Union control.
In early 1862, the Confederate
Ironclad Warship CSS ''Virginia'' was rebuilt using the burned-out hulk of
USS ''Merrimack'' . ''Virginia'' engaged the
Union ironclad
USS ''Monitor'' in the famous
Battle Of Hampton Roads during the Union blockade of
Hampton Roads . The Confederates burned the shipyard again when they left in May of
1862 .
Following its recapture of Norfolk and Portsmouth (and the shipyard) by the Union forces, the name of the shipyard was changed to
Norfolk Naval Shipyard , after the largest city in the area, even though the shipyard was actually located in neighboring Portsmouth. This choice of name was also probably to minimize any confusion with the pre-existing
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire .
Portsmouth was the
County Seat of
Norfolk County until 1963 when the new
City Of Chesapeake was formed in a political consolidation with the
City Of South Norfolk . Portsmouth's other county neighbor,
Nansemond County also consolidated with a smaller city, forming the new
City Of Suffolk in 1974.
In the early 21st century, Portsmouth was undergoing moderate
Urban Renewal in the downtown area. However, population had been declining and there was no room for expansion, as it is surrounded by water and other cities of
South Hampton Roads .
A Virginia state legislator recently proposed a plan by which Portsmouth would merge with its neighbor cities of
Norfolk and
Suffolk . After a cold reception from Suffolk, the legislator changed the plan so that it would merge only Portsmouth and Norfolk. The plan, in any form, is enthusiastically embraced by many in Portsmouth.
The city has a radically limited tax base. A large portion of the city is controlled by the
U.S. Navy ; when Navy facilities are combined with schools, churches, and other tax-exempt entities, over half of Portsmouth's assessed valuation is off the tax rolls. A new marine terminal for container ships scheduled to open in 2007 in the West Norfolk section. Virginia has funded millions of dollars in railroad and transportation improvements to serve it.
,
Hampton , Portsmouth and
Norfolk ,
Virginia from space in July 1996. (Portsmouth is in the center right portion of the photo)]]
Portsmouth is located at 36°49'52" North, 76°20'44" West (36.831298, -76.345641).
According to the
United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 120.7
Km&2 (46.6
Mi&2 ). 85.9 km&
2 (33.2 mi&
2) of it is land and 34.9 km&
2 (13.5 mi&
2) of it is water. The total area is 28.87% water.
From the earliest development, Portsmouth has been oriented to the water. In the 1830s, it was the first community on Hampton Roads to receive a new land transportation innovation,
Railroad service. A predecessor line of the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad extended to the rapids of the
Roanoke River on its fall line near
Weldon, North Carolina . It was to be 20 more years before its bigger neighbor, the City of Norfolk, also received a rail line, in 1858, when the
Norfolk And Petersburg Railroad was completed. In the 21st century, the city has access to lines of
CSX Transportation ,
Norfolk Southern and three
Short Line Railroad s.
Portsmouth is served by
Interstate 264 and Interstate 664, which is part of the
Hampton Roads Beltway .
U.S. Route 17 and
U.S. Route 58 pass through. The Elizabeth River is crossed via the
Midtown Tunnel , the
Downtown Tunnel , and the southern branch is crossed by the
Jordan Bridge .
As of the
Census of 2000, there were 100,565 people, 38,170 households, and 25,497 families residing in the city. The
Population Density was 1,170.9/km&
2 (3,032.7/mi&
2). There were 41,605 housing units at an average density of 484.4/km&
2 (1,254.7/mi&
2). The racial makeup of the city was 45.84%
White , 50.61%
African American , 0.48%
Native American , 0.77%
Asian , 0.07%
Pacific Islander , 0.61% from
Other Races , and 1.62% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 38,170 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were
Married Couples living together, 10.9% have a female household with no husband present and 33.2% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,742, and the median income for a family was $39,577. Males had a median income of $30,122 versus $23,375 for females. The
Per Capita Income for the city was $16,507. 16.2% of the population and 13.3% of families were below the
Poverty Line . 22.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
- On July 14, 1820, the first Lightship in the U.S. was stationed off Craney Island.
