Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia has a long history as a strategic maritime / military point. The Norfolk Naval Base, the world's largest naval base, is headquartered in Norfolk. Port Services annually controls the movement of more than 3,100 ships as they arrive and depart their berths. Port facilities extend more than four miles along the waterfront and include some seven miles of pier and wharf space.  The area is home to  78 aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, large amphibious ships, submarines, and a variety of supply and logistics ships. The world's largest military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is also headquartered in Norfolk.

Norfolk, a 93.3 square-mile independent city located in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth, is where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay. It also shares land borders with the independent cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east.

Founded in 1682, Norfolk's popular logo, an elegant young mermaid, symbolizes 300 years of maritime and naval heritage. Attractions include the battleship USS Wisconsin at Nauticus, the National Maritime Center that showcases global maritime commerce on Norfolk's downtown waterfront. Adjacent to the Nauticus Museum is the Half Moone Cruise Terminal for various cruise lines. Norfolk's scenic downtown waterfront offers views of tugboats, visiting cruise ships, sailboats and merchant ships sharing the water.

The Port of Virginia reaches out to over 200 nations, handling ships loaded up to 26 containers across, with obstruction-free channels 50 feet deep (the deepest channels available on the Eastern Seaboard). From its early founding as "America's First Port" at Jamestown in 1607, the Port of Virginia has been a boon to Virginia's economy. The Virginia Maritime Association works to ensure the continued growth of the Port and related commercial activity. Current expansion projects include the construction of a new marine terminal on Craney Island, a joint venture by the Virginia Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Port activity has a substantial economic impact on the entire Hampton Roads region. The Virginia Port Authority plays a significant role in the area's income and employment. A 2008 economic impact study estimates that port operations generate $12.3 billion in local output, $4.1 billion in employee compensation, and 100,244 in total employment. The transportation hub of the Hampton Roads Region, Norfolk, Virginia is home to the Norfolk International Airport. Hampton Roads Transit provides public transportation for Norfolk and ferry service from downtown Norfolk to Old Town Portsmouth. As the city is bordered by multiple bodies of water, it is linked to the surrounding areas by a large network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels and bridge-tunnel complexes. The major roadways in the area include Interstate 64, U.S. Route 58, U.S. Route 60, U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 460.

An estimated 237,309 residents called Norfolk, VA home in 2007 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly evenly split between men and women, the average age was 29.4, far younger than the U.S. average of 36.4. Norfolk, Va. is in the midst of urban renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and hotel construction downtown. There is new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and many of its neighborhoods are being revitalized.

To boaters, Norfolk is known as Mile Marker Zero on the famous Intracoastal Waterway. Boaters have many options: the Little Creek Marina, Bay Point Marina and the Vinings Landing Marine Center all offer direct access from the bay with no bridges to navigate. The Sailtime Sailing Center offers fractional boating, American Sailing Association certified lessons and sailboat rentals. The Waterside Marina and Willoughby Harbor Marina are also located in Norfolk.