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93-747: Virginia Beach , officially the City of Virginia Beach , is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census . Located on the southeastern coast of Virginia, it is the sixth-most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic and the 43rd-most populous city in the U.S . Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay , Virginia Beach

186-516: A freeman of a borough , a self-governing town or settlement in England. The Colony of Virginia was founded by a joint-stock company , the Virginia Company , as a private venture, though under a royal charter . Early governors provided the stern leadership and harsh judgments required for the colony to survive its early difficulties. Early crises with famine, disease, Native American raids,

279-610: A British warship. In 1776 the House of Burgesses ended. The final entry in the Journals of the House of Burgesses is "6th of May. 16 Geo. III. 1776 … FINIS." Edmund Pendleton , a member of the House of Burgesses (and President of the Committee of Safety) who was present at the final meeting, wrote in a letter to Richard Henry Lee on the following day, "We met in an assembly yesterday and determined not to adjourn, but let that body die." Later on

372-710: A Norfolk address. NAS Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach; it was decreed by the 2005 BRAC Commission that NAS Oceana must close unless the city of Virginia Beach condemns houses in areas designated as "Accident Potential Zones." This action has never been the position of the United States Navy; indeed, the Navy had not recommended NAS Oceana to the BRAC Commission for potential closure. Both NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads are considered to be

465-555: A complete list of these towns, see List of towns in Virginia . For major unincorporated population centers, see List of unincorporated communities in Virginia . Virginia's independent cities were classified by the Virginia General Assembly in 1871 as cities of the first class and cities of the second class. The Virginia Constitution of 1902 defined first class cities as those having a population of 10,000 or more based upon

558-660: A delegate in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He pursued reforms to slavery and introduced legislation allowing masters to take control over the emancipation of slaves in 1769, taking discretion away from the royal Governor and General Court. Jefferson persuaded his cousin Richard Bland to spearhead the legislation's passage, but the reaction was strongly negative. In 1769 the Virginia House of Burgesses passed several resolutions condemning Britain's stationing troops in Boston following

651-521: A hub of international commerce, as nearly 200 foreign firms have established a presence, an office location or their North American headquarters in Hampton Roads. Twenty internationally based firms have their U.S. or North American headquarters in Virginia Beach, including companies like Stihl , London Bridge Trading Company , Busch Vacuum Solutions, IMS Gear , and Sanjo Corte Fino. Other major companies headquartered in Virginia Beach include Amerigroup ,

744-781: A limited say in the management of their own affairs, including their finances. A House of Assembly was created at the same time in Bermuda (which had also been settled by the Virginia Company, and was by then managed by its offshoot, the Somers Isles Company ) and held its first session in 1620. A handful of Polish craftsmen , brought to the colony to supply skill in the manufacture of pitch, tar, potash, and soap ash, were initially denied full political rights. They downed their tools in protest but returned to work after being declared free and enfranchised, apparently by agreement with

837-409: A male householder with no partner present, and 28.1% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.49 and the median family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 21.7% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.8 years. The median income for a household

930-489: A municipal parking lot and potential future development. Real estate, defense, and tourism are major sectors of the Virginia Beach economy. Many local public and private groups have maintained a vested interest in real-estate redevelopment, resulting in a number of joint public-private projects, such as commercial parks. Examples of the public-private development include the Virginia Beach Convention Center,

1023-408: A popular vacation spot. Virginia Beach gained status as an independent city in 1952, although ties remained between it and Princess Anne County. In 1963, after voters in the two jurisdictions passed a supporting referendum, and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly , the two political subdivisions were consolidated as a new, much larger independent city, retaining the better-known name of

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1116-677: A series of resolves that became known as the Virginia Resolves , denouncing the Stamp Act and denying the authority of the British parliament to tax the colonies, since they were not represented by elected members of parliament . Newspapers around the colonies published all his resolves, even the most radical ones which had not been passed by the assembly. The assembly also sent a 1768 Petition, Memorial, and Remonstrance to Parliament. From 1769–1775 Thomas Jefferson represented Albemarle County as

1209-539: Is humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ). For the Trewartha climate classification the climate is the northern limit of Cf ( subtropical ). Much of the year in Virginia Beach is mild to warm. The long summer season from late May through late September is often hot and humid, with frequent (but brief) late day thundershowers. Winters are cool with little frozen precipitation, and snowfall is light. The official weather statistics are recorded at Norfolk International Airport on

1302-463: Is 84 °F (29 °C) from July 1942, while a normal year's warmest night averages 80 °F (27 °C). Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable which is why it has earned the reputation as a vacation destination. It is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, and north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other major tropical storms, with

1395-580: Is a principal city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront . Near the point where the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Cape Henry was the site of the first landing of

1488-502: Is even farther from the City of Franklin. More Virginia counties are named for women than in any other state. Virginia's postal abbreviation is VA and its FIPS state code is 51 . List of the 95 counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia (links shown under FIPS County Code are for the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics Info Page for that county): The counties have the following Smithsonian trinomial abbreviations: The counties have

1581-518: Is known about them but archeological evidence suggests they may have been related to the Carolina Algonquian , or Pamlico people. They would have spoken one of the Algonquian languages . These were common among the numerous tribes of the coastal area, who made up the loose Powhatan Confederacy , numbering in the tens of thousands in population. The Chesepian occupied an area which is now defined as

1674-621: Is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world. It is located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel , which was the world's longest bridge-tunnel complex until the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge opened in 2018. The Chesepian were the historic indigenous people of the area now known as Tidewater in Virginia at the time of European encounter. Little

1767-627: Is one of the earliest Englishmen to settle in this area, which was developed as Virginia Beach. At the age of 18, he had contracted as an indentured servant to pay for passage to the Virginia Colony in the hopes of bettering his life. He earned his freedom after several years and became a leading citizen of the area. In 1629, he was elected to the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth Cittie [ sic ], one of four "cities" (or incorporations) which were subdivided areas established in 1619. In 1634,

1860-504: Is summer, specifically July to early September, with August the single wettest month, averaging over 5.5 inches of rain. From October to June, average monthly precipitation is remarkably consistent, ranging between 3.1 and 3.7 inches. Virginia Beach averages 2200 hours of sunshine annually, higher than the USA average. The highest recorded temperature to date was 105 °F (41 °C) in July 2010, and

1953-401: Is the most populated city within the metropolitan area, it functions as a suburb . Virginia Beach is 19 miles (31 km) east of Norfolk, Virginia , 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Chesapeake, Virginia , 208 miles (335 km) south of Washington, D.C. , 107 miles (172 km) southeast of Richmond, Virginia , and 200 miles (320 km) northeast of Raleigh, North Carolina . When

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2046-579: Is widespread. Other plants like the Windmill Palm , Sabal palmetto , Butia odorata (in protected locations), and Oleander are successfully grown here while they succumb to the colder winter temperatures to the north and inland to the west. The hardiness zone is 8b along the coast and in Urban areas, and 8a inland and to the northwest. On April 30, 2023, an EF-3 tornado struck the Great Neck neighborhood in

2139-447: The 2010 Census , the racial composition of Virginia Beach was as follows: As of the 2000 Census , there were 425,257 people, 154,455 households, and 110,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,712.7 inhabitants per square mile (661.3/km). There were 162,277 housing units at an average density of 653.6 units per square mile (252.4 units/km). There were 154,455 households, out of which 38.8% had children under

2232-653: The American Revolutionary War for safety reasons. The House of Burgesses became the House of Delegates in 1776, retaining its status as the lower house of the General Assembly , the legislative branch of the Commonwealth of Virginia . Through the General Assembly and House of Burgesses, the Virginia House of Delegates is considered the oldest continuous legislative body in the New World . In honor of

2325-636: The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines any independent cities with the county that it was once part of (before the legislation creating independent cities took place in 1871). Many county seats are politically not a part of the counties they serve; under Virginia law, all municipalities incorporated as cities are independent cities and are not part of any county. Some of the cities in the Hampton Roads area, including Virginia Beach , Chesapeake , Newport News , Hampton , and Suffolk were formed from an entire county. These cities are no longer county seats, since

2418-507: The Christian Broadcasting Network and Operation Blessing International . Other major employers include GEICO , VT and Navy Exchange Service Command . In addition, Virginia Beach is home to a number of small, innovative companies, such as Morphix Technologies , who cater for military industry. In September 2023, it was announced that Amazon will build 2 new operational delivery facilities in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach

2511-627: The College of William and Mary , while the Capitol was under construction. When the Capitol burned in 1747, the legislature moved back into the college until the second Capitol was completed in 1754. The present Capitol building at Colonial Williamsburg is a reconstruction of the earlier of the two lost buildings. In 1779, and effective in April 1780, the House of Delegates moved the capital city to Richmond during

2604-608: The Massachusetts Circular Letter of the previous year; these resolutions stated that only Virginia's governor and legislature could tax its citizens. The members also drafted a formal letter to the King, completing it just before the legislature was dissolved by Virginia's royal governor. In 1774, after Parliament passed the Boston Port Act to close Boston Harbor, the House of Burgesses adopted resolutions in support of

2697-527: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 497 square miles (1,290 km), of which 249 square miles (640 km) is land and 248 square miles (640 km) (49.9%) is water. It is the largest city in Virginia by total area and third-largest city by land area, and by far the largest by water area. The average elevation is 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level . A major portion of

2790-445: The judicial system . By 1643, the expanding colony had 15 counties. All of the county offices, including a board of commissioners, judges, sheriff, constable, and clerks, were appointed positions. Only the burgesses were elected by a vote of the people. Women had no right to vote. Only free and white men originally were given the right to vote, by 1670 only property owners were allowed to vote. In 1642, Governor William Berkeley urged

2883-744: The 18th century. The statehouse in Jamestown burned down for the fourth time on October 20, 1698. The General Assembly met temporarily in Middle Plantation , 11 miles (18 km) inland from Jamestown , and then in 1699 permanently moved the capital of the colony to Middle Plantation, which they renamed Williamsburg . The French and Indian War in North America from 1754 to 1763 resulted in local colonial losses and economic disruption. Higher taxes were to follow, and adverse local reactions to these and how they were determined would drive events well into

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2976-516: The Boston colonists which resulted in Virginia's royal governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore , dissolving the assembly. The burgesses then reassembled on their own and issued calls for the first of five Virginia Conventions . These conventions were essentially meetings of the House of Burgesses without the governor and Council, Peyton Randolph the Speaker of the House would serve as the President of

3069-578: The Colony was divided into the original eight shires of Virginia , soon renamed as counties . Thoroughgood is credited with using the name of his home in England when helping name " New Norfolk County " in 1637. The following year, New Norfolk County was split into Upper Norfolk County (soon renamed Nansemond County ) and Lower Norfolk County . Thoroughgood resided after 1634 was along the Lynnhaven River , named for his home in England. Lower Norfolk County

3162-633: The English colonists who eventually settled in Jamestown ; modern Virginia Beach was established in 1906. It is home to several state parks, protected beaches, and military bases. Virginia Wesleyan University , Regent University , Christian Broadcasting Network , the U.S. headquarters of Stihl , and the Association for Research and Enlightenment are based in Virginia Beach. It also hosts the annual East Coast Surfing Championships and Neptune Festival . The city

3255-565: The Green Line, an urban growth boundary dividing the urban northern and rural southern sections of the city. Infill and development of residential neighborhoods has placed a number of operating constraints on Naval Air Station Oceana , a major fighter jet base for the U.S. Navy. While the airbase enjoys wide support from Virginia Beach at large, the Pentagon Base Realignment and Closure commission has proposed closure of Oceana within

3348-692: The Norfolk and Virginia Beach Railroad and Improvement Company at the oceanfront, near the tiny community of Seatack . The hotel was foreclosed and the railroad was reorganized in 1887. The hotel was upgraded and reopened in 1888 as the Princess Anne Hotel. In 1891, guests at the new hotel watched the wreck and rescue efforts of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Norwegian barque Dictator . The ship's figurehead, which washed up on

3441-595: The Oceanfront Hilton Hotel, and the Virginia Beach Town Center . The city assisted in financing the project through the use of tax increment financing: creating special tax districts and constructing associated street and infrastructure to support the developments. The Town Center opened in 2003, with related construction continuing. The Convention Center opened in 2005. The city has begun to run out of clear land available for new construction north of

3534-457: The Virginia Beach resort. The Alan B. Shepard Civic Center ("The Dome"), a significant building in the city's history because of the many famous musical acts played there, was constructed in 1958, and was dedicated to the career of former Virginia Beach resident and astronaut Alan Shepard . As the area changed, the Dome was frequently used as a bingo hall. The building was razed in 1994 to make room for

3627-612: The Virginia Company. On July 30, 1619, Governor Yeardley convened the Virginia General Assembly as the first representative legislature in the Americas for a six-day meeting at the new timber church on Jamestown Island , Virginia. The unicameral Assembly was composed of the Governor, a Council of State appointed by the Virginia Company, and the 22 locally elected representatives. The Assembly's first session of July 30, 1619,

3720-533: The age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14. The age distribution was 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

3813-477: The area fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Princess Anne County was known as a jurisdiction from 1691 to 1963, over 250 years. In the early centuries, this area was rural and developed for plantation agriculture. In the late 19th century, the small resort area of Virginia Beach developed in Princess Anne County after the 1883 arrival of rail service to the coast. The Virginia Beach Hotel was opened and operated by

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3906-429: The assembly were to be levied. Still, most Virginia colonists were loyal to Prince Charles and were pleased with his restoration as King Charles II in 1660. He went on to directly or indirectly restrict some of the liberties of the colonists, such as requiring tobacco to be shipped only to England, only on English ships, with the price set by the English merchant buyers; but the General Assembly remained. A majority of

3999-461: The beach several days later, was erected as a monument to the victims and rescuers. It stood along the oceanfront for more than 50 years. In the 21st century, it inspired the pair of matching Norwegian Lady Monuments , sculpted by Ørnulf Bast and installed in Virginia Beach and Moss, Norway . The resort initially depended on railroad and electric trolley service. The completion of Virginia Beach Boulevard in 1922, which extended from Norfolk to

4092-549: The burgesses, meeting in conventions, listened to Patrick Henry deliver his "give me liberty or give me death" speech and raised regiments. The House of Burgesses was called back by Lord Dunmore one last time in June 1775 to address British Prime Minister Lord North's Conciliatory Resolution . Randolph, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, returned to Williamsburg to take his place as Speaker. Randolph indicated that

4185-672: The city a murder rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people. For 2007, Virginia Beach had 16 murders, for a murder rate of 3.7 per 100,000 people. That was lower than the national average that year of 6.9. The city's total crime index rate for 2007 was 221.2 per 100,000 people, lower than the national average of 320.9. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Virginia Beach, Virginia ranks 311th in violent crime among 385 cities containing more than 75,000 inhabitants. 34.4% of

4278-520: The city drains to the Chesapeake Bay by way of the Lynnhaven River and its tributaries. The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia in the Hampton Roads area bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Hampton Roads metropolitan area (officially the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the 37th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1.7 million. While Virginia Beach

4371-411: The city rejected several further development proposals. This rejection was significant from two perspectives. First, cities reject building very rarely, demonstrating the shift in public perception. Second, these rejections led to lawsuits by the developers. The rejection of these lawsuits in the courts provides precedent for other sorts of local climate change adaptation efforts in the future. Discussing

4464-574: The city was 60.3% White, 18.8% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 2.9% some other race, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 10.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.0% of the population. Of the 179,752 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% were couples cohabitating, 18.0% had

4557-435: The city's population is affiliated with religious congregations, compared to the 50.2% nationwide figure. There are 146,402 adherents and 184 different religious congregations in the city: Virginia Beach is composed of a variety of industries, including national and international corporate headquarters, advanced manufacturers, defense contractors and locally owned businesses. The city's location and business climate have made it

4650-548: The city. Farmers are able to sell their goods and products at the city's Farmer's Market. Virginia Beach is home to several United States Military bases. These include the United States Navy 's NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads , and the Joint Expeditionary Base East located at Cape Henry. Additionally, NAB Little Creek is located mostly within the city of Virginia Beach but carries

4743-504: The clerk, commonwealth attorney and sheriff—and those shared officers stood for election in both the city and the county. At least two constitutional officers—treasurer and commissioner of the revenue—were required to be elected solely by the residents of the city. The distinction between first and second class cities was ended with the Virginia Constitution of 1971 . However, cities that were classified as second class cities at

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4836-646: The colonies. A network of secret organizations known as the Sons of Liberty was created to intimidate the stamp agents collecting the taxes, and before the Stamp Act could take effect, all the appointed stamp agents in the colonies had resigned. The Massachusetts Assembly suggested a meeting of all colonies to work for the repeal of the Stamp Act, and all but four colonies were represented. The colonists also increased their non-importation efforts, and sought to increase in local production. In May 1765, Patrick Henry presented

4929-482: The colony except it be aiding and assisting the same against any foreign or domestic enemy." Especially after the massacre of almost 400 colonists on March 22, 1622, by Native Americans , and epidemics in the winters before and after the massacre, the governor and council ruled arbitrarily , showing great contempt for the assembly and allowing no dissent. By 1624, the royal government in London had heard enough about

5022-522: The convention, and they would elect delegates to the Continental Congress . The First Continental Congress passed their Declaration and Resolves , which inter alia claimed that American colonists were equal to all other British citizens, protested against taxation without representation, and stated that Britain could not tax the colonists since they were not represented in Parliament. In 1775

5115-419: The counties ceased to exist once the cities were completely formed but are functionally equivalent to counties. Also in Virginia, a county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County and is completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of

5208-427: The county. Many towns are as large as cities but are not incorporated as cities and are situated within a parent county or counties. Seven independent cities had 2020 populations of less than 10,000 with the smallest, Norton having a population of only 3,687. In 2020, the largest towns were Leesburg (with 48,250 people) and Blacksburg (44,826). Six other towns also had populations of over 10,000 people. For

5301-513: The creation of a bicameral legislature which the Assembly promptly implemented; the House of Burgesses was thus formed and met separately from the Council of State. In 1652, the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell forced the colony to submit to being taken over by the English government. Again, the colonists were able to retain the General Assembly as their governing body. Only taxes agreed to by

5394-485: The eldest son of King James I of England . These English colonists of the Virginia Company of London moved on from this area, as they were under orders to seek a site further inland, which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries. They created their first permanent settlement on the north side of the James River at Jamestown . Adam Thoroughgood (1604–1640) of King's Lynn , Norfolk , England

5487-659: The end of the year, many colonies were practicing non-importation, a refusal to use imported British goods. In 1765, the British Quartering Act , which required the colonies to provide barracks and supplies to British troops, further angered American colonists; and to raise more money for Britain, Parliament enacted the Stamp Act on the American colonies, to tax newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, broadsides, legal documents, dice, and playing cards. American colonists responded to Parliament's acts with organized protest throughout

5580-425: The exception of Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Because of the moderating effects of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach is the northernmost location on the east coast in which many species of plants (both subtropical and tropical) will reliably grow. Spanish moss , for example is near the northernmost limit of its natural range at First Landing State Park , and is the most northerly location where it

5673-463: The extreme northwestern border of Virginia Beach. The mean annual temperature is 59.6 °F (15.3 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 5.8 inches (150 mm) at the airport to around 3.0 inches (76 mm) in the southeastern corner around Back Bay. Average annual precipitation (the large majority rainfall) is high, ranging between 47 inches (1,200 mm) at the airport to over 50 inches (1,300 mm) per year at Back Bay. The wettest season

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5766-432: The following Smithsonian trinomial abbreviations: House of Burgesses When Virginia declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain at the Fifth Virginia Convention in 1776 and became the independent Commonwealth of Virginia , the House of Burgesses was transformed into the House of Delegates , which continues to serve as the lower house of the General Assembly. Burgess originally referred to

5859-402: The independent cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. In 1607, after a voyage of 144 days, three ships headed by Captain Christopher Newport , and carrying 105 men and boys, made their first landfall in the New World on the mainland, where the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. They named it Cape Henry, after Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales ,

5952-458: The largest of their respective kind in the world. Furthermore, located in nearby Norfolk is the central hub of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet , Naval Station Norfolk . 54% of the 171,000 people working in Virginia Beach live in the city, 12% live in Chesapeake, and 10% live in Norfolk. An additional 99,600 people commute from Virginia Beach, with 35% going to Norfolk and 23% going to Chesapeake. Unemployment has been cut almost in half over

6045-408: The largest sub-division in Tidewater when completed, Bay Colony, Bayside , Cape Henry, Chesapeake Beach , Croatan Beach , Great Neck Point , Green Run , Kempsville , Larkspur , London Bridge , Lynnhaven , Newtown, The North End, Oceana , Ocean Park, Pembroke Manor , Princess Anne , Pungo , Red Mill Commons , Sandbridge , Shadowlawn, Thalia, and Thoroughgood. The climate of Virginia Beach

6138-449: The last census enumeration while second class cities were those that had a population of less than 10,000. Cities that previously been granted a city charter, but did not have the requisite population, had their status grandfathered in. Second class did not have a court of record and were required to share the cost of that court with their adjacent county and also shared the cost for three constitutional officers of that court—generally,

6231-494: The lowest recorded temperature was −3 °F (−19 °C) in January 1985, both being recorded at Norfolk International Airport. The coldest daily maximum on record was 12 °F (−11 °C) in December 1917, whereas the 1991–2020 normals had a coldest maximum average of 29 °F (−2 °C). This means that in spite of the mild normals, most years record at least one ice day, with rare exceptions. Summer nights are sometimes really hot. The all-time record warmest low temperature

6324-556: The matter, Mayor Dyer noted, "It's a confrontation with reality. Not everybody's going to be happy." On May 31, 2019, a shooting occurred at a municipal government building in Virginia Beach. A former employee entered the building and shot indiscriminately, killing 12 people and injuring four others before dying from a gunshot wound fired by responding officers. Virginia Beach is located at 36°51′02″N 75°58′40″W  /  36.8506°N 75.9779°W  / 36.8506; -75.9779  ( Virginia Beach ) . According to

6417-438: The members of the General Assembly of 1676 were supporters of Nathaniel Bacon . They enacted legislation designed to further popular sovereignty and representative government and to equalize opportunities. Bacon took little part in the deliberations since he was busy fighting the Native Americans. In 1691, the House of Burgesses abolished the enslavement of Native peoples; however, many Powhatans were held in servitude well into

6510-418: The military. In 1619, based on the instructions, Governor Yeardley initiated the election of 22 burgesses by the settlements and Jamestown. They, together with the royally appointed Governor and six-member Council of State, would form the first General Assembly as a unicameral body. The governor could veto its actions and the Company still maintained overall control of the venture, but the settlers would have

6603-467: The modern city of Virginia Beach was created in 1963, by the consolidation of the 253 square miles (660 km) Princess Anne County with the 2 square miles (5.2 km) City of Virginia Beach, the newly larger city was divided into seven boroughs: Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach has many distinctive communities and neighborhoods within its boundaries, including: Alanton , Aragona Village,

6696-590: The need to establish cash crops , and lack of skilled or committed labor, meant the colony needed to attract enough new and responsible settlers if it were to grow and prosper. To encourage settlers to come to Virginia, in November 1618 the Virginia Company's leaders gave instructions to the new governor, Sir George Yeardley , which became known as "the great charter." It established that immigrants who paid their own way to Virginia would receive fifty acres of land and not be mere tenants. The civil authority would control

6789-538: The next decade. In 1764, desiring revenue from its North American colonies, Parliament passed the first law specifically aimed at raising colonial money for the Crown. The Sugar Act increased duties on non-British goods shipped to the colonies. The same year, the Currency Act prohibited American colonies from issuing their own currency. These angered many American colonists and began colonial opposition with protests. By

6882-409: The next decade. In 2012 a Navy jet that took off from Oceana experienced engine failure and crashed into an apartment complex. This land crunch led to floodplain development. During Hurricane Matthew , the heavy rainfall flooded over 2000 homes and left some neighborhoods with standing water for days. Given the rising risks of flooding due to climate change and the impetus of the hurricane damage,

6975-584: The north side of the Elizabeth River , east of what developed as Norfolk . Following the increased settlement, in 1691 Lower Norfolk County was divided to form Norfolk and Princess Anne counties. Princess Anne, the easternmost county in South Hampton Roads, extended from Cape Henry at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, south to what became the border of the North Carolina colony. It included all of

7068-484: The northeastern section of the city. It was on the ground from 5:48 to 5:53 PM EST. Miraculously, no one was killed nor injured. It is the strongest tornado on record to hit the city. As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 455,618 people and 179,752 households. The population density was 1,861.8 inhabitants per square mile (718.8/km). There were 191,169 housing units at an average density of 781.2 per square mile (301.6/km). The racial makeup of

7161-402: The oceanfront but also cluster around Virginia Beach Town Center and other parts of the city. Restaurants and entertainment industries also directly benefit from Virginia Beach's tourism. Virginia Beach has a large agribusiness sector which produces $ 80 million for the city economy. One hundred-seventy-two farms exist in Virginia Beach, mostly below the greenline in the southern portion of

7254-482: The oceanfront, opened the route for automobiles , buses , and trucks . The passenger rail service to the oceanfront was eventually discontinued as traffic increased by vehicles. The growing resort of Virginia Beach became an incorporated town in 1906. Over the next 45 years, Virginia Beach continued to grow in popularity as a seasonal vacation spot. The casinos were replaced by amusement parks and family-oriented attractions. In 1927 The Cavalier Hotel opened and became

7347-523: The original House of Burgesses, every four years, the Virginia General Assembly traditionally leaves the current Capitol in Richmond and meets for one day in the restored Capitol building at Colonial Williamsburg . The most recent commemorative session (the 26th) was held in January 2016. In January 2007, the Assembly held a special session at Jamestown to mark the 400th anniversary of its founding as part of

7440-480: The past they also included Norfolk and Alexandria, whose counties changed their names, ostensibly to end some of the confusion; as well as Bedford, where a city was surrounded by a county of the same name from 1968 until 2013, when the city reverted to town status. A city and county that share a name may be completely unrelated in geography. For example, Richmond County is nowhere near the City of Richmond, and Franklin County

7533-530: The past two years going from a high of 4.2% in January 2017 to 2.8% in June 2019. List of cities in Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia is divided into 95 counties, along with 38 independent cities that are considered county-equivalents for census purposes, totaling 133 second-level subdivisions. In Virginia, cities are co-equal levels of government to counties, but towns are part of counties. For some counties, for statistical purposes,

7626-416: The population of the town, followed by German at 10.6%, Irish at 9.6%, American at 6.8%, Italian at 5.1%, Sub-Saharan African at 2.4%, Polish at 2.3%, French at 1.9%, Scottish at 1.9%, Scotch-Irish at 0.9%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 0.8%, Dutch at 0.7%, Swedish at 0.6%, Norwegian at 0.6%, Welsh at 0.5%, Czech at 0.5%, Ukrainian at 0.5%, and Greek at 0.5%. According to

7719-471: The population were below the poverty line , including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over. 7.1% of the people under the age of 65 years are disabled while 8.6% people don't have health insurance. The city of Virginia Beach has a lower crime rate than the other regional cities of Hampton Roads , Newport News , Norfolk , and Portsmouth , which all exceed national average crime rates. In 1999 Virginia Beach experienced 12 murders giving

7812-467: The problems of the colony and revoked the charter of the Virginia Company. Virginia became a crown colony and the governor and council would be appointed by the Crown . Nonetheless, the Assembly maintained management of local affairs with some informal royal assent, although it was not royally confirmed until 1639. In 1634, the General Assembly divided the colony into eight shires (later renamed counties ) for purposes of government, administration, and

7905-577: The resolution had not been sent to the Congress (it had instead been sent to each colony individually in an attempt to divide them and bypass the Continental Congress). The House of Burgesses rejected the proposal, which was also later rejected by the Continental Congress. The burgesses formed a Committee of Safety to take over governance in the absence of the royal governor, Dunmore, who had organized loyalists forces but after defeats, he took refuge on

7998-526: The role of the former House of Burgesses. In 1619, the General Assembly first met in the church in Jamestown. Subsequent meetings continued to take place in Jamestown. In 1700, the seat of the House of Burgesses was moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, near what was soon renamed Williamsburg . The Burgesses met there, first (1700 to 1704) in the Great Hall of what is now called the Wren Building at

8091-610: The same morning, the members of the fifth and final Virginia Revolutionary Convention met in the chamber of the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg and elected Pendleton its president. The convention voted for independence from Britain. The former colony had become the independent Commonwealth of Virginia and the convention created the Constitution of Virginia with a new General Assembly , composed of an elected Senate and an elected House of Delegates . The House of Delegates acceded to

8184-411: The time of the adoption of the 1971 Virginia Constitution were authorized to continue sharing their court system and three constitutional officers with the adjacent county. As of 2003 , 14 of Virginia's independent cities retain these features. There are several counties and cities that have the same name but are separate politically. These currently include Fairfax, Franklin, Richmond, and Roanoke. In

8277-453: Was $ 83,245, with family households having a median income of $ 103,451 and non-family households $ 54,258. The per capita income was $ 44,287. Out of the 447,930 people with a determined poverty status, 10.0% were below the poverty line . Further, 14.4% of minors and 8.8% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of English descent made up 11.7% of

8370-400: Was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 48,705, and the median income for a family was $ 53,242. Virginia Beach had the 5th highest median family income among large cities in 2003. The per capita income for the city was $ 22,365. About 5.1% of families and 8.2% of

8463-496: Was cut short by an outbreak of malaria and adjourned after five days. On the third day of the assembly, the assembly's Journal noted "Mr. Shelley, one of the Burgesses, deceased." Twenty-two (22) members were sent to the assembly from the following constituencies: The latter two burgesses were excluded from the assembly because John Martin refused to give up a clause in his land patent that exempted his borough "from any command of

8556-591: Was large when first organized, defined as from the Atlantic Ocean west past the Elizabeth River , encompassing the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. It attracted many entrepreneurs, including William Moseley with his family in 1648. Belonging to the Merchant Adventurers Guild of London, he immigrated from Rotterdam of the Netherlands , where he had been in international trade. He settled on land on

8649-453: Was ranked at number 45 on Forbes list of best places for business and careers. Tourism produces a large share of Virginia Beach's economy. With an estimated $ 857 million spent in tourism related industries, 14,900 jobs cater to 2.75 million visitors. City coffers benefit as visitors provide $ 73 million in revenue. Virginia Beach opened a Convention Center in 2005 which caters to large group meetings and events. Hotels not only line

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