Norfolk

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Norfolk holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads region, which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants. The largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, is located in Norfolk along with one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters. It is home to Maersk Line, Limited, which manages the world's largest fleet of US-flag vessels. This low-lying coastal infrastructure is very vulnerable to sea level rise, with water levels expected to rise by more than 5.5 feet by the end of the 21st century. The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point, where many railroad lines started. In 1775, Norfolk was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond because of its numerous merchants' ties with other parts of the British Empire. After fleeing the colonial capital of Williamsburg, Norfolk served as a strong base of support during the early part of the American Revolution. In 1634 King Charles I reorganized the colony into a system of shires. The former Elizabeth Cittie became Elizabeth City Shire. The City of Norfolk developed in the late-seventeenth century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed.

History

Norfolk is the primary city name, but also Fleet, Naval Base are acceptable city names or spellings, Joint Forces Staff College, Naval Communications Area Ma, Norfolk Naval Air Station, Norfolk Naval Public Works C, Norfolk Naval Station on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Norfolk. Norfolk was incorporated in 1705. By 1775, Norfolk developed into what contemporary observers argued was the most prosperous city in Virginia. It was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond. Norfolk served as a strong base of Loyalist support during the early part of the American Revolution. In the War of 1812 between America and Great Britain, Norfolk saw action between American militia led by Richard Lawson and the British navy. In 1832, Thomas Jefferson gained passage of an resolution for gumming out manumission in the two decades following the war. Some attempts were made to phase out slavery and manumissions were increased in the following two decades. In 1736 George II granted it a royal charter as a borough. The city suffered a serious economic setback in 1820s, which caused many families to migrate to other areas, or further into Kentucky and Tennessee. Norfolk was the site of a tobacco inspection site in 1730, according to the Tobacco Inspection Act, the inspection was "At Norfolk Town, upon the fort land, in the County of Norfolk; and Kemp's Landing, in Princess Anne, under one inspection" In 1691, Lower Norfolk County split to form Norfolk County (included in present-day cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (present-day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was also the site for the first American Civil War battle, which took place in 1775. The Battle of Norfolk was fought between the British and the American Patriots in 1776.

Geography

The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the 37th largest in the United States. It includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, and York. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism. In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities. In 2013, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2013 have estimated that if current trends hold, the sea in Norfolk will rise by 5 and 1/2 feet or more by the end of this century. In 2012, the city commissioned a study to investigate how to address the issue in the future: it reported the cost of dealing with a sea-level rise of one foot would be around $1,000,000, 000. Norfolk was burned down during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolution, Norfolk was rebuilt in the Federal style, based on Roman ideals. In the early nineteenth century, Neoclassical architectural elements began to appear in the federal style row homes, such as ionic columns in the porticoes and classic motifs over doorways and windows. Many Federal-style row houses were modernized by placing a Greek-style porch at the front.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 242,803 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. Non-Hispanic Whites were 44.3% of the population in 2010, down from 68.5% in 1970. For the year of 2007, Norfolk had a total crime index of 514.7 per 100,000 residents. The highest murder rate Norfolk has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when its rate was 24.5%. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Norfolk, Virginia, ranked as the 87th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants' Norfolk is home to the U.S. Navy's Naval Station Norfolk. The city is located on the Eastern Seaboard of Virginia. It is located in the Hampton Roads region of the eastern half of the state. Norfolk is located near the eastern tip of Virginia, on the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay, and the western edge of Virginia Beach. Norfolk has a population of 1.2 million, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the United States. The population density is 4,362.8 people per square mile (1,684.4/km²). There were 94,416 housing units at an average density of 1,757.3 per squaremile (678.5/km 2). The racial makeup of the city was 47.1% White, 43.1%. Native American, 3.3%. Asian, 0.2%. Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.6%.

Economy

Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the unusual geographical region of Hampton Roads. The waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton Roads region play an important part in the local economy. In addition to commercial activities, Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy. The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair businesses for the city of Norfolk. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense spending. The second largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the region's cargo ports. In Norfolk, Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world's largest and fastest container cranes. Together, the three terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million TEUs and 475,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the second busiest port on the east coast of North America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey. Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. Many of the largest international shipping companies have chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003 to 107,000, in 2005, and to the c c in 2007.

Arts and culture

Norfolk is the cultural heart of the Hampton Roads region. The city hosts numerous annual festivals and parades. The Chrysler Museum of Art is the area's most comprehensive art museum. The Hermitage Foundation Museum is the only Smithsonian Affiliate in the area. The Norfolk NATO Festival highlights Norfolk's role as the North American Headquarters of NATO and fosters cultural exchange and appreciation of NATO allies. The Virginia Arts Festival, founded in 1997, is based in Norfolk and has events throughout the region, drawing in arts from around the world and local talent. The St. Patrick's Day parade takes place in the city's historic Ghent neighborhood twice yearly in May and October and attracts upwards of 20,000 visitors. The National Maritime Center, opened on the downtown waterfront in 1994, features hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters, aquaria, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. The MacArthur Memorial, located in the nineteenth-century Norfolk courthouse and city hall in downtown, contains the tombs of General Douglas MacArthur and his wife, a museum and a vast research library, personal belongings (including his famous corncob pipe) and a short film that chronicles his life. Other Norfolk cultural venues include the Attucks Theatre, the Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center (formerly the Loew's State Theater) and the Naro Expanded Cinema. A range of arts and cultural festivals take place annually in Norfolk. In addition to its museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts organizations.

Parks and recreation

Norfolk has a variety of parks and open spaces in its city parks system. The Virginia Zoological Park, opened in 1900, is a 65-acre (260,000 m2) zoo with hundreds of animals on display. Town Point Park in downtown plays host to a wide variety of annual events from early spring through late fall. The city maintains three beaches on its north shore in the Ocean View area. Five additional parks contain picnic facilities and playgrounds for children. City also has some community pools open to city residents. The Norfolk Botanical Garden is a 155-acre botanical garden and arboretum located near the Norfolk International Airport. It is open year-round and has more than 1,000 species of plants and flowers. The City of Norfolk has one of the highest rates of obesity in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The city also has a high rate of obesity among adults and children, and a low obesity rate among adults aged 18 and older. The average age of the city's residents is 44.5 years. The median household income in the city is $42.2 million (U.S.) The city has a low unemployment rate of 3.7 percent (U-S. unemployment rate is 3.8 percent). The average household income is $32.2 billion (U.-S. poverty rate is 2.9 percent) The city's average household wealth is $28.1 million (P.C. household income).

Sports

Norfolk serves as home to the two highest level professional franchises in the state of Virginia. The Norfolk Tides play baseball in the International League, and the Norfolk Admirals play ice hockey in the ECHL. Norfolk served as the home court (along with Hampton, Richmond, and Roanoke) for the Virginia Squires regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) In 1971, Norfolk built an entertainment and sports complex, featuring Chrysler Hall and the 13,800-seat Norfolk Scope indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown. Norfolk Scope has served as a venue for major events including the American basketball Association All-Star Game in 1974 and the first and second NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships in 1982 and 1983. Six-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Lou Thesz lived in Norfolk and opened a wrestling school, Virginia Wrestling Academy, downtown in 1988. Norfolk Blues Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby team based in the city. The club plays in the Rugby Football League (RFL) and the American Rugby League (ARL). The club was founded by former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The team is known as the "Norfolk Blues" and play in the RFL's Eastern Conference. The Blues are a member of the American Football Conference (AFC). The team has won the AFC's Eastern Division three times, including the 2007-08 and 2008-09 championships. The RCL has also won the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship in 1982, 1983, and 1984.

Government

Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a sheriff, social services, and a court system. Norfolk operates under a council-manager form of government. The city government provides services for neighborhoods, including service centers and civic leagues that interact directly with members of City Council. Norfolk is located in Virginia's 2nd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Elaine Luria (Democrat) and Virginia's 3rd congressional district. It is considered a Democratic stronghold. The Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges, four magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges. Additionally, Norfolk has its own general district and circuit courts, which convene downtown. Norfolk's police department also provides support for neighborhood watch programs including a citizens' training academy, security design, a police athletic program for youth, and business watch programs. As of May 2016, the city council consists of: Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander; Mamie Johnson, Ward 3; Angelia Williams, Superward 7; Paul R. Riddick, Ward 4; Vice Mayor Dr. Theresa W. Whibley, Ward 2; Martin Thomas, Ward 1; Andria McClellan, Superwards 6; Thomas R. Smigiel Jr. Ward 5. The City government has an infrastructure to create close working relationships with its citizens. It also provides services such as preserving area histories, home rehabilitation centers, outreach programs, and university that trains citizens in neighborhood clean-up, event planning, neighborhood leadership.

Education

Norfolk City Public Schools won the $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education in 2005. The city is home to three public universities and one private school. Norfolk State University is the second largest HBCU in Virginia. Virginia Wesleyan College is a small private liberal arts college and shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Virginia Beach. Tidewater Community College offers two-year degrees and specialized training programs and is located in downtown. Norfolk Public Library, Virginia's first public library, consists of one main library, two anchor libraries, nine branch libraries and a bookmobile. The Slover Library, centrally located in the heart of downtown Norfolk, holds over 133,000 books and resources available for borrowing, hosts numerous classes and community events, and offers patrons the use of cutting-edge technologies and studio spaces. There are also a number of private schools located in Norfolk, the oldest of which, Norfolk Academy, was founded in 1728. Eastern Virginia Medical School, founded as a community medical school by the surrounding jurisdictions in 1973, is noted for its research into reproductive medicine and is Located in the region's major medical complex in the Ghent district. Virginia State University offers degrees in a wide variety of liberal arts, Social Work, Nursing, and Engineering. The library also has a local history and genealogy room and contains government documents dating back to the 19th century. It also offers services such as computer classes, book reviews, tax forms, and online book clubs. Norfolk City Public School System has five high schools, eight middle schools, 34 elementary schools and nine special-purpose/preschools.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia = 73.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Norfolk = 4.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 7,105 individuals with a median age of 31.6 age the population grows by 0.49% in Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,468 residents per square mile of area (1,725/km²). There are average 2.43 people per household in the 86,010 households with an average household income of $42,131 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.10% of the available work force and has dropped -1.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.86%. The number of physicians in Norfolk per 100,000 population = 313.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Norfolk = 47.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 7.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 102. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 215. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 31.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 37, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 41.19%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 48 years with median home cost = $171,760 and home appreciation of -7.79%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.43 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,857 per student. There are 14.7 students for each teacher in the school, 548 students for each Librarian and 333 students for each Counselor. 4.88% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.93% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.77% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).