Portsmouth, Virginia

Independent city in Virginia, United States

Portsmouth, Virginia

Independent city

Downtown Portsmouth on the Elizabeth River

Flag

Interactive map of Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Show map of Virginia

Portsmouth

Show map of the United States

Coordinates: 36°50′04″N 76°20′30″W﻿ / ﻿36.83444°N 76.34167°W﻿ / 36.83444; -76.34167
Country| United States
State| Virginia
County| None (Independent city)
Founded| 1752
Named for| Portsmouth, England
Government

• Type| Mayor–council–manager[1]
• Mayor| Shannon Glover
Area

[2]

• Total| 46.68 sq mi (120.91 km2)
• Land| 33.30 sq mi (86.25 km2)
• Water| 13.38 sq mi (34.66 km2)
Elevation

| 20 ft (6 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total| 97,840
• Rank| 9th in Virginia
• Density| 2,940.39/sq mi (1,135.29/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes|

23701-23709

Area code(s)| 757, 948
FIPS code| 51-64000[3]
GNIS feature ID| 1497102[4]
Website| www.portsmouthva.gov

Portsmouth is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915.[5] It is the ninth-most populous city in Virginia and is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is a historic and active U.S. Navy facility located in Portsmouth.

## History

[edit]

Portsmouth Harbor in 1843; the Naval Hospital is visible in the background The Yellow Fever Memorial in Laurel Hill Cemetery was built to honor the "Doctors, Druggists and Nurses" from Philadelphia who helped fight the epidemic in Portsmouth[6] The Lightship Portsmouth is part of the Naval Shipyard Museum

In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as a suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.[7]

Portsmouth was founded by Colonel William Crawford, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.[8] It was established as a town in 1752 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and was named for Portsmouth, England.[7]

In 1767, Andrew Sprowle, a shipbuilder, founded the Gosport Shipyard adjacent to Portsmouth. The Gosport Shipyard at Portsmouth was owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia after the American Revolutionary War and was sold to the new United States federal government.[citation needed]

In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every three citizens. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1858.[6]

During the American 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.[citation needed]

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 1862.[citation needed]

Following the recapture of Norfolk and Portsmouth by the Union forces, the name of the shipyard was changed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The name of the shipyard was derived from its location in Norfolk County. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard today is located entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard name has been retained to minimize any confusion with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which itself is actually located in Kittery, Maine, across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[citation needed]

During and after World War II, the shipyard flourished, and suburban development surrounded both Norfolk and Portsmouth. Portsmouth continued as 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, the former Nansemond County, also consolidated with a smaller city, forming the new city of Suffolk in 1974.[citation needed] One of the older cities of Hampton Roads, in the early 21st century, Portsmouth was undergoing moderate urban renewal in the downtown.[citation needed]

The APM "MAERSK" marine terminal for container ships opened in 2007 in the West Norfolk section.[citation needed]

### Timeline

[edit]

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this article, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2023)

|

* 1752 – Portsmouth founded by politician William Crawford; named after Portsmouth, England.[9]
* 1779 – Portsmouth sacked by British forces during the American Revolutionary War.[10]
* 1812 – Dismal Swamp Canal opens.[11]
* 1821 – Fire.[12]
* 1822 – Norfolk-Portsmouth steam ferry begins operating.[12]
* 1824 – October 25: Lafayette visits Portsmouth.[13]
* 1836 – Town of Portsmouth incorporated.[9]
* 1837 – Portsmouth & Roanoke Railroad begins operating.[12]
* 1840 – Population: 6,477.[14]
* 1846 – Norfolk County Courthouse built.[12]
* 1850 – Population: 8,626.[14]
* 1855 – Yellow fever outbreak.[15]
* 1858 – City of Portsmouth incorporated as an independent city (separated from Norfolk County).[9]
* 1865 – Zion Baptist Church founded.[16][17]
* 1867 – Virginia Baptist State Convention organized during a meeting in Portsmouth.[18]
* 1870 – Population: 10,590.
* 1890 – Became a stop on the Atlantic and Danville Railway.[19]
* 1894 – Annexation of portions of Norfolk County North of the city[20]
* 1900 – Lyceum Theatre in business.[21]
* 1910 – Population: 33,190.
* 1909 – Annexation of portions of Norfolk County West of the city.[20]
* 1914 – Portsmouth Public Library opens.
* 1919 – Expansion via the annexation of parts of Norfolk County that included the port zone (Pinner's Point) along the Elizbeth River to the north and residential areas to the West.[20]
* 1922 – Chevra Thilim Synagogue built.[22]
* 1939 – Lyric Theatre in business.[21]
* 1945 – Portsmouth Public Community Library founded with Bertha Edwards as the founding librarian[23]
* 1948 – The fourth annexation since becoming an independent city, pushing the city boundary westward to Western Branch.[20]
* 1949 – Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum established.[24]
* 1950 – Population: 80,039.
* 1952 – Downtown Tunnel opens.
* 1955 – Portsmouth Historical Association founded.[24]
* 1957 – WAVY-TV begins broadcasting.[13]
* 1960 – Population: 114,773. Portsmouth annexes additional portions of Norfolk County, including ten square miles and 36,000 residents.[20]
* 1963 – Public Library's "Local History Room" established.[25]
* 1966 – Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum established.[12]
* 1968 – Further annexation of Norfolk County including ten square miles of land, 14 square miles of water area, and 11,000 residents, all within the northern one-third of Western Branch Borough.[20]
* 1974 – Richard Joseph Davis becomes mayor.
* 1981 – Portsmouth Times newspaper begins publication.[26]
* 1984 – James W. Holley III becomes mayor.
* 1993 – Bobby Scott becomes U.S. representative for Virginia's 3rd congressional district.[27]
* 1998 – Museum of Military History established.[24]
* 2001 – Randy Forbes becomes U.S. representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district.[28]
* 2010 – Population: 95,535.[29]
* 2017 – John L. Rowe Jr. becomes mayor.[30]
* 2023 – Rivers Casino Portsmouth, the first permanent Casino in Virginia History, opens in Portsmouth on Victory Blvd, January 23, 2023

## Historic sites

[edit]

Built in 1846, the Portsmouth Courthouse is a historic landmark in the center of the Olde Towne Historic District.

### Olde Towne

[edit]

The Olde Towne Historic District features one of the largest collections of historically significant homes between Alexandria, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina.[31] The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was built by slaves and free men and is the second-oldest building in Portsmouth and the city's oldest black church.[citation needed]

The city contains a number of other historic buildings, as well, including the Pass House, which was built in 1841 by Judge James Murdaugh and occupied by Union troops from 1862 to 1865. Federal forces required Portsmouth residents to obtain a written pass to travel across the Elizabeth River and beyond. These passes were issued from the English basement and thus the name "Pass House" was derived.[32][33]

### Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

[edit]

Formerly the Naval Hospital Portsmouth, the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is a United States Navy medical center adjacent to the Olde Towne Historic District and Park View Historic District. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy medical system with the motto "First and Finest."[34]

### Seaboard Coastline Building

[edit]

Located at 1 High Street in the Olde Towne Historic District, the Seaboard Coastline Building is a historic train station and former headquarters of the Seaboard Air Line railroad company.[citation needed]

### The Hill House

[edit]

A four-story 1825 English basement home furnished entirely with original family belongings. It is evident from the furnishings that the Hill family were avid collectors and lived graciously over a period of 150 years. The house remains in its original condition, with limited renovation through the years.[citation needed]

### Cedar Grove Cemetery

[edit]

Established in 1832, Cedar Grove Cemetery is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Portsmouth. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia, the cemetery is noted for its funerary art and the civic, business, maritime, religious and military leaders who are buried there. Historical markers placed throughout the cemetery allow for self-guided tours. The cemetery is located between Effingham Street and Fort Lane in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Entrance is through the south gate to the cemetery, located on London Boulevard.[citation needed]

## Geography

[edit]

Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Norfolk, seen from space in July 1996. Portsmouth is in the center-right portion of the photo. North is at left.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Portsmouth has a total area of 47 square miles (120 km2), of which 34 square miles (88 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (28.0%) is water. The city is also bisected by the West Branch of the Elizabeth River which flows from neighboring Suffolk.[35]

### Climate

[edit]

Portsmouth experiences a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid with warm evenings. The mean annual temperature is 65 °F (18 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 3 inches and an average annual rainfall of 47 inches. No measurable snow fell in 1999. The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. The highest recorded temperature was 105.0 °F in 1980. The lowest recorded temperature was −3.0 °F on January 21, 1985.[36]

Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable, as 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.[37] Snow falls rarely, averaging 3 inches (76 mm) per season.[38]

* v
* t
* e

Climate data for Norfolk International Airport, Virginia (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1874–present[b])

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °F (°C)  | 84
(29)  | 82
(28)  | 92
(33)  | 97
(36)  | 100
(38)  | 102
(39)  | 105
(41)  | 105
(41)  | 100
(38)  | 95
(35)  | 86
(30)  | 82
(28)  | 105
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)  | 72.4
(22.4)  | 74.3
(23.5)  | 80.7
(27.1)  | 86.9
(30.5)  | 91.5
(33.1)  | 95.7
(35.4)  | 98.4
(36.9)  | 95.3
(35.2)  | 92.0
(33.3)  | 86.0
(30.0)  | 78.9
(26.1)  | 73.4
(23.0)  | 99.3
(37.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)  | 50.7
(10.4)  | 53.4
(11.9)  | 60.1
(15.6)  | 70.0
(21.1)  | 77.4
(25.2)  | 85.2
(29.6)  | 89.4
(31.9)  | 86.9
(30.5)  | 81.4
(27.4)  | 72.3
(22.4)  | 62.1
(16.7)  | 54.7
(12.6)  | 70.3
(21.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)  | 42.2
(5.7)  | 44.2
(6.8)  | 50.7
(10.4)  | 60.1
(15.6)  | 68.3
(20.2)  | 76.7
(24.8)  | 81.1
(27.3)  | 79.2
(26.2)  | 74.0
(23.3)  | 63.7
(17.6)  | 53.3
(11.8)  | 46.1
(7.8)  | 61.6
(16.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)  | 33.6
(0.9)  | 35.1
(1.7)  | 41.3
(5.2)  | 50.1
(10.1)  | 59.1
(15.1)  | 68.1
(20.1)  | 72.8
(22.7)  | 71.6
(22.0)  | 66.6
(19.2)  | 55.1
(12.8)  | 44.4
(6.9)  | 37.6
(3.1)  | 52.9
(11.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C)  | 18.7
(−7.4)  | 21.6
(−5.8)  | 27.4
(−2.6)  | 37.0
(2.8)  | 46.9
(8.3)  | 56.0
(13.3)  | 64.7
(18.2)  | 63.7
(17.6)  | 55.5
(13.1)  | 40.4
(4.7)  | 29.8
(−1.2)  | 23.9
(−4.5)  | 16.8
(−8.4)
Record low °F (°C)  | −3
(−19)  | 2
(−17)  | 14
(−10)  | 23
(−5)  | 36
(2)  | 45
(7)  | 54
(12)  | 49
(9)  | 40
(4)  | 27
(−3)  | 17
(−8)  | 5
(−15)  | −3
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm)  | 3.41
(87)  | 2.90
(74)  | 3.69
(94)  | 3.37
(86)  | 3.78
(96)  | 4.43
(113)  | 6.08
(154)  | 5.88
(149)  | 5.40
(137)  | 3.86
(98)  | 3.10
(79)  | 3.28
(83)  | 49.18
(1,249)
Average snowfall inches (cm)  | 3.2
(8.1)  | 1.5
(3.8)  | 0.4
(1.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 1.1
(2.8)  | 6.2
(16)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.7  | 9.2  | 10.9  | 10.0  | 11.2  | 9.7  | 10.6  | 10.2  | 9.4  | 7.7  | 8.9  | 9.9  | 118.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.7  | 1.3  | 0.5  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.5  | 4.0
Average relative humidity (%)  | 66.3  | 65.6  | 64.6  | 62.8  | 68.8  | 70.6  | 73.3  | 75.2  | 74.4  | 72.1  | 68.5  | 67.0  | 69.1
Average dew point °F (°C)  | 27.9
(−2.3)  | 28.9
(−1.7)  | 35.8
(2.1)  | 43.2
(6.2)  | 54.5
(12.5)  | 63.1
(17.3)  | 68.2
(20.1)  | 68.0
(20.0)  | 62.4
(16.9)  | 51.3
(10.7)  | 41.7
(5.4)  | 32.7
(0.4)  | 48.1
(9.0)
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 171.5  | 175.2  | 229.3  | 252.8  | 271.7  | 280.1  | 278.3  | 260.4  | 231.4  | 208.3  | 175.7  | 160.4  | 2,695.1
Percent possible sunshine | 56  | 58  | 62  | 64  | 62  | 64  | 62  | 62  | 62  | 60  | 57  | 53  | 61
Average ultraviolet index | 2  | 4  | 5  | 7  | 8  | 10  | 9  | 9  | 7  | 5  | 3  | 2  | 6
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[36][39][40]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[41]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1840| 6,477| | —
1850| 8,626| | 33.2%
1860| 9,496| | 10.1%
1870| 10,590| | 11.5%
1880| 11,390| | 7.6%
1890| 13,268| | 16.5%
1900| 17,427| | 31.3%
1910| 33,190| | 90.5%
1920| 54,387| | 63.9%
1930| 45,704| | −16.0%
1940| 50,745| | 11.0%
1950| 80,039| | 57.7%
1960| 114,773| | 43.4%
1970| 110,963| | −3.3%
1980| 104,577| | −5.8%
1990| 103,910| | −0.6%
2000| 100,565| | −3.2%
2010| 95,535| | −5.0%
2020| 97,915| | 2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[42]
1790–1960[43] 1900–1990[44]
1990–2000[45] 2010–2013[46]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Portsmouth, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[47] | Pop 2010[48] | Pop 2020[49] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 45,403  | 38,526  | 34,912  | 45.15%  | 40.33%  | 35.66%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 50,569  | 50,327  | 51,586  | 50.28%  | 52.68%  | 52.68%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 449  | 379  | 355  | 0.45%  | 0.40%  | 0.36%
Asian alone (NH)  | 762  | 994  | 1,244  | 0.76%  | 1.04%  | 1.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 60  | 104  | 134  | 0.06%  | 0.11%  | 0.14%
Other race alone (NH)  | 113  | 118  | 490  | 0.11%  | 0.12%  | 0.50%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)  | 1,461  | 2,168  | 4,781  | 1.45%  | 2.27%  | 4.88%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 1,748  | 2,919  | 4,413  | 1.74%  | 3.06%  | 4.51%
Total | 100,565 | 95,535 | 97,915 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

### 2010 census

[edit]

Age distribution in Portsmouth

As of the 2010 census,[50] there were 95,535 people, 38,170 households, and 25,497 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,032.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,170.9/km2). There were 41,605 housing units at an average density of 1,254.7 units per square mile (484.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 53.3% African American, 41.6% White, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

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 $46,340, and the median income for a family was $53,769. Males had a median income of $39,871 versus $33,140 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,108. About 13.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.[51]

## Arts and culture

[edit]

### Tourism

[edit]

Portsmouth has a long history as a port town and city. The Olde Towne Business and Historical District is located in the downtown area, where a combination of preservation and redevelopment has been underway. An example is Hawthorn Hotel & Suites at The Governor Dinwiddie Hotel, which was renovated and reopened in 2005 after being closed for more than 10 years. It has been recognized by Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historical Preservation that identifies hotels that have maintained their historical integrity, architecture and ambiance and provides resources for their preservation.[52] The historic hotel was named for Governor Robert Dinwiddie, who was the administrative head of the Colony of Virginia during the time Portsmouth was founded in 1752. It was largely through his efforts that Virginia survived the French and Indian War relatively well.[53] (Dinwiddie County near Petersburg was also named for him).[citation needed]

Other points of interest include the Portsmouth City Park, featuring the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[54] Portsmouth City Railroad with an operating Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotive named Pokey Smokey II. The original Pokey Smokey locomotive was built by Crown Metal Products and ran at the park for many years before being sold at auction. It now runs on the Mideast Railroad in Ederville in Carthage, North Carolina.[55][56]

In addition, the Railroad Museum of Virginia located at Harbor Center Way features vintage railroad artifacts, rolling stock, and an operating model train layout.[57]

Completed in 2023, the Rivers Casino Portsmouth boasts a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) casino floor with slots, table games, poker tables, and a sportsbook.

## Sports

[edit]

The Portsmouth Cavaliers were a basketball team founded in 2010 and played in the American Basketball Association for the 2011–12 season. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Cavaliers played their home games at the Chick-fil-A Fieldhouse on the campus of Portsmouth Catholic Regional School. The club spent one season in the American Professional Basketball League (APBL) before folding.[citation needed]

Each April since 1953, the city hosts the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where college basketball seniors play in front of scouts from the NBA and top European leagues. Many top basketball stars played in the PIT before successful pro careers, including Jimmy Butler, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and John Stockton.

## Government

[edit]

United States presidential election results for Portsmouth, Virginia[58] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 12,755  | 28.61%  | 30,948  | 69.42% | 879  | 1.97%
2016 | 12,795  | 29.58%  | 28,497  | 65.87% | 1,969  | 4.55%
2012 | 12,858  | 28.00%  | 32,501  | 70.77% | 563  | 1.23%
2008 | 13,984  | 29.97%  | 32,327  | 69.27% | 354  | 0.76%
2004 | 15,212  | 38.48%  | 24,112  | 60.99% | 210  | 0.53%
2000 | 12,628  | 35.62%  | 22,286  | 62.86% | 541  | 1.53%
1996 | 10,686  | 30.18%  | 22,150  | 62.55% | 2,573  | 7.27%
1992 | 12,575  | 33.45%  | 20,416  | 54.30% | 4,608  | 12.26%
1988 | 16,087  | 44.61%  | 19,698  | 54.63% | 274  | 0.76%
1984 | 18,940  | 46.42%  | 21,623  | 53.00% | 238  | 0.58%
1980 | 13,660  | 38.00%  | 20,900  | 58.14% | 1,389  | 3.86%
1976 | 12,872  | 35.51%  | 22,837  | 63.01% | 537  | 1.48%
1972 | 20,090  | 58.49% | 13,124  | 38.21%  | 1,136  | 3.31%
1968 | 9,402  | 25.15%  | 15,734  | 42.09% | 12,245  | 32.76%
1964 | 8,420  | 34.31%  | 16,073  | 65.49% | 51  | 0.21%
1960 | 6,900  | 40.64%  | 9,902  | 58.32% | 178  | 1.05%
1956 | 5,390  | 47.13%  | 5,683  | 49.69% | 363  | 3.17%
1952 | 3,621  | 36.74%  | 6,188  | 62.79% | 46  | 0.47%
1948 | 2,056  | 27.86%  | 4,612  | 62.48% | 713  | 9.66%
1944 | 1,129  | 16.42%  | 5,735  | 83.39% | 13  | 0.19%
1940 | 675  | 11.73%  | 5,053  | 87.83% | 25  | 0.43%
1936 | 861  | 13.23%  | 5,617  | 86.30% | 31  | 0.48%
1932 | 1,840  | 34.76%  | 3,344  | 63.17% | 110  | 2.08%
1928 | 3,474  | 57.32% | 2,587  | 42.68%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 604  | 17.70%  | 2,206  | 64.64% | 603  | 17.67%
1920 | 1,061  | 24.40%  | 3,228  | 74.24% | 59  | 1.36%
1916 | 376  | 20.76%  | 1,368  | 75.54% | 67  | 3.70%
1912 | 64  | 3.31%  | 1,529  | 79.02% | 342  | 17.67%
1908 | 407  | 25.92%  | 1,154  | 73.50% | 9  | 0.57%
1904 | 247  | 17.31%  | 1,151  | 80.66% | 29  | 2.03%
1900 | 566  | 24.27%  | 1,743  | 74.74% | 23  | 0.99%
1896 | 769  | 34.89%  | 1,380  | 62.61% | 55  | 2.50%
1892 | 1,052  | 37.41%  | 1,728  | 61.45% | 32  | 1.14%
1888 | 1,107  | 43.07%  | 1,439  | 55.99% | 24  | 0.93%
1884 | 1,344  | 50.60% | 1,312  | 49.40%  | 0  | 0.00%
1880 | 1,024  | 44.64%  | 1,270  | 55.36% | 0  | 0.00%

Portsmouth is governed under the Council-Manager form of government. The current mayor is Navy veteran and businessman Shannon Glover.[59] The City Hall Building, located at 801 Crawford Street, is the regular meeting place of the City Council of The City of Portsmouth, Virginia. The City Council is a legislative body served by six members, elected for four-year terms.[citation needed]

List of mayors of Portsmouth, Virginia

* John S. White, 1852–1853[60][61]
* Hezekiah Stoakes, 1854
* D. D. Fiske, 1855
* James G. Hodges, 1856–1857
* George W. Grice, 1858–1860
* John O. Lawrence, 1861
* John Nash, 1862[61]
* Daniel Collins, 1863–1865
* James C. White, 1866
* James E. Stoakes, 1868
* E. W. Whipple, 1869
* Philip G. Thomas, 1870–1871
* A. S. Watts, 1872–1874
* John O'Connor, 1876–1877
* John Thompson Baird, 1878–1894
* L.H. Davis, 1894–1896[61]
* John Thompson Baird, circa 1896–1902
* ?[62]
* Jack P. Barnes, circa 1973
* Richard Joseph Davis, 1974–1980
* Julian E. Johansen, circa 1980–1983
* James W. Holley III, 1984–1987
* Gloria Webb, 1987–1996
* James W. Holley III, 1996–2010
* Kenneth I. Wright, 2010–2017
* John Rowe, 2017–present[30]

### Law enforcement

[edit]

The Portsmouth Police Department has about 255 sworn law enforcement officers and 380 total employees.[63]

In May 2019, Police Chief Tonya Chapman resigned from her position.[64] She was replaced by Angela Greene who serves as interim chief.[65]

Ten Portsmouth policemen have died in the line of duty, the first in 1871. Four of these died from gunshot wounds.[66]

## Crime

[edit]

Crime in the city is much higher than elsewhere in Virginia or the United States generally.[67]

| 2003  | 2004  | 2005  | 2006  | 2007  | 2008  | 2009  | 2010  | 2011  | 2012  | 2013  | 2014  | 2015  | 2016

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Portsmouth Homicides, Number  | 18  | 8  | 22  | 18  | 17  | 15  | 17  | 14  | 12  | 11  | 12  | 9  | 27  | 14
Portsmouth Homicides, Rate  | 17.8  | 8  | 21.8  | 17.8  | 16.8  | 14.7  | 16.8  | 14.1  | 12.4  | 11.4  | 13.4  | 9.3  | 28.2  | 14.6
US Homicides, Rate  | 5.7  | 5.5  | 5.6  | 5.8  | 5.7  | 5.4  | 5.0  | 4.8  | 4.7  | 4.7  | 4.5  | 4.5  | N/A  | N/A

## Education

[edit]

### Primary and secondary schools

[edit]

Portsmouth Public Schools operates public schools. There are three public high schools in Portsmouth, Virginia, located at three corners of the city. In the northwest section of the city, off Cedar Lane, is Churchland High School. In the downtown section of the city, between London Blvd and High Street, is I.C. Norcom High School. In the southwest section of Portsmouth, on Elmhurst Lane, is Manor High School.

### Higher education

[edit]

There are a number of institutions of higher education in and in close proximity to Portsmouth. The city is home to the Tri-Cities Higher Education Center of Old Dominion University (ODU), a public research university founded in 1930 whose main campus is located in Norfolk, Virginia.[68] Portsmouth is also home to the Fred W. Beazley Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College, a two-year higher education institution founded in 1968 in South Hampton Roads with additional campuses located in Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.[69] Angelos Bible College was established in 1984.

## Media

[edit]

Portsmouth's daily newspaper is the Virginian-Pilot with The Currents being the Portsmouth edition of the Sunday paper. Other papers include the New Journal and Guide, and Inside Business.[70] Hampton Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Portsmouth and the Hampton Roads area.[71] The Hampton Roads Times serves as an online magazine for all the Hampton Roads cities and counties. Portsmouth is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads area.[72]

Portsmouth is also served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads designated market area (DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.).[73] The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (CBS), WAVY 10 (NBC), WVEC-TV 13 (ABC), WGNT 27 (Independent), WTVZ 33 (MyNetworkTV), WVBT 43 (Fox, with The CW on DT2), and WPXV 49 (ION Television). The Public Broadcasting Service stations are WHRO-TV 15, Hampton/Norfolk and WUND-TV 2, Edenton, NC. Two additional stations also receivable in Portsmouth include independent station WSKY-TV, which broadcasts on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS-LD broadcasting paid programming on channel 7 from Carrollton. Portsmouth is served by Cox Cable and Verizon FIOS. DirecTV and Dish Network are also popular as an alternative to cable television in Portsmouth.

## Infrastructure

[edit]

### Transportation

[edit]

Seaboard Terminal, which served passenger trains until 1968

From the earliest development, Portsmouth has been oriented to the water. In the 1830s, it was the first community in Hampton Roads to receive a new land transportation innovation, railroad service. The Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad, a predecessor 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.[citation needed] The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad operated passenger trains #36 and #5 to and from its North Portsmouth Station to Rocky Mount, North Carolina until 1954. In earlier years ACL ran trains including the Tar Heel all the way south to Wilmington, North Carolina.[74][75]

From Seaboard Terminal the Seaboard Air Line and then the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad operated #17 and #18 to and from Raleigh, North Carolina, where the train joined with those companies' Silver Comet. The SAL also operated a local all-coach train (#3-11 southbound/#6-10 northbound) to Atlanta from the terminal.[76][77] The 17/18 trains ended in 1968.[78]

Portsmouth is primarily served by the Norfolk International Airport (IATA: ORF, ICAO: KORF, FAA LID: ORF), now the region's major commercial airport. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits of neighboring Norfolk and Virginia Beach.[79] Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty-five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities.[80] Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (IATA: PHF, ICAO: KPHF, FAA LID: PHF) also provides commercial air service for the Hampton Roads area.[81] The Chesapeake Regional Airport provides general aviation services and is located five miles (8.0 km) outside the city limits.[82]

In the 21st century, the city has access to lines of CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and three short line railroads. Amtrak provides service to points along the Northeast Corridor from Newport News station across the Hampton Roads, and from Norfolk station across the Elizabeth River.

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 Berkley Bridge combination.[citation needed]

Transportation within the city, as well as the other cities of Hampton Roads, is served by a regional bus service, Hampton Roads Transit.[83]

## Notable people

[edit]

See also: List of people from Hampton Roads, Virginia

* V. C. Andrews (1923–1986), bestselling novelist [84]
* Cleo Anthony (1981–), American actor [citation needed]
* James P. Berkeley (1907–1985), USMC general and expert in Military communications
* Marty Brennaman (1942–), long-time Cincinnati Reds radio broadcaster
* Ruth Brown (1928–2006), R&B singer and actress[85]
* Bebe Buell (1953–), Playboy Playmate, fashion model, singer, mother of Liv Tyler[citation needed]
* John T. Casteen III (1943–), President of the University of Virginia, born in Portsmouth[86]
* Deborah Coleman (1956–2018), blues musician[87]
* Fanny Murdaugh Downing (1831–1894), author and poet
* Jamin Elliott (1979–), former NFL wide receiver with the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons[88]
* Missy Elliott (1971–), recording artist, award-winning producer, singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and clothing line designer[89]
* Perry Ellis (1940–1986), fashion designer, founded a sportswear house in the mid-1970s[90]
* Dorian Finney-Smith (1993–), Professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks[citation needed]
* Mordechai Gifter (1915–2001), among the foremost American religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century[91]
* Melvin Gregg (1988–), American actor and model[92]
* Chandler Harper, (1914–2004), winner of the 1950 PGA golf championship[93]
* Ken Hatfield, classical guitarist
* James W. Holley III (1926–2012), politician, first African-American mayor of any city in the Hampton Roads region (Portsmouth)[94]
* W. Nathaniel "Nat" Howell (1939–2020), State Dept. Foreign Service officer, former Ambassador to Kuwait; Professor emeritus, the University of Virginia[95]
* Chad Hugo (1974–), American record producer and songwriter
* Ben Jones (1941–), actor "Cooter" on The Dukes of Hazzard; U.S. Congressman, moved to Portsmouth as a child[96]
* Jillian Kesner-Graver (1949–2007), actress[97]
* Jack T. Kirby (1938–2009), historian of the southern United States, awarded the Bancroft Prize for his 2006 book Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South[98]
* Erik S. Kristensen (1972–2005), US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander and highest decorated SEAL to be killed in Operation Red Wings
* Rita Lavelle (1947–), assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
* Nathan McCall (1955–), African-American author who grew up in the Cavalier Manor section of Portsmouth, Virginia[99]
* Pete Mikolajewski (1943–), football player[100]
* James Murphy (1967–), metal guitarist, member of the bands Death, Testament, Obituary and Disincarnate[citation needed]
* Wendell Cushing Neville (1870–1930), 14th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps
* Tommy Newsom (1929–2007), assistant bandleader for the Johnny Carson Band[101]
* Patton Oswalt (1969–), writer, stand-up comedian, and actor[102]
* John L. Porter (1813–1893), President of the first City Council, a naval constructor for United States Navy and the Confederate States Navy.
* Dave Robertson (1889–1970), MLB outfielder 1912–22, played in World Series for New York Giants; born in Portsmouth
* William Russ (1950–), actor
* Dave Smith (1942–), poet, novelist
* Wanda Sykes (1964–), writer, stand-up comedian, and actress[103]
* Ted Thomas Sr. (1935–2020), Pentecostal African-American preacher, pastor of New Community Temple Church of God in Christ[citation needed]
* Clif Tinker (1956–), San Antonio, Texas-based commercial artist[104]
* Mike Watt (1957–), bassist, singer and songwriter[105]
* Nicole Wray (1979–), R&B singer and songwriter[citation needed]
* Ken Bowersox (1956–), astronaut[106]
* Adrienne Warren (1987–), Broadway singer and actress

## Sister cities

[edit]

* Portsmouth, United Kingdom
* Dunedin, New Zealand
* Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico
* Eldoret, Kenya
* Goree Island, Senegal

## See also

[edit]

* Virginia portal

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
2. ^ Official records for Norfolk kept January 1874 to December 1945 at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown, and at Norfolk Int'l since January 1946. For more information, see Threadex.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "City of Portsmouth – Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA". Olde Town Portsmouth, VA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. ^ "Portsmouth city, Portsmouth city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
6. ^ a b Report of the Philadelphia Relief Committee. Philadelphia: Inquirer Printing Office. 1856. pp. 1–5. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
7. ^ a b "City of Portsmouth, Virginia – History". Archived from the original on June 4, 2007.
8. ^ Baker, Barnabas W.; Burgess, Dean. "William Craford (d. by April 15, 1762)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
9. ^ a b c "Maps and Formation Information: Portsmouth". County and City Records. Richmond: Library of Virginia. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
10. ^ Ernie Gross (1990). This Day in American History. Neal-Schuman. ISBN 978-1-55570-046-1.
11. ^ Federal Writers' Project 1941.
12. ^ a b c d e Hellmann 2006.
13. ^ a b "Portsmouth History". City of Portsmouth. Retrieved March 18, 2017. (Timeline)
14. ^ a b Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
15. ^ Forrest 1856.
16. ^ Pollock 1886.
17. ^ Stewart 1902.
18. ^ "Encyclopedia Virginia". Charlottesville: Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
19. ^ Burns, Adam. "American Rails". Retrieved June 18, 2020.
20. ^ a b c d e f John D. Eyre, “City-County Territorial Competition: The Portsmouth, Virginia Case”, Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 9, No. 2, An Issue Devoted to Political Geography (November 1969), pp. 26–38
21. ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Portsmouth, VA". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
22. ^ "Portsmouth, Virginia". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Jackson, Mississippi: Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
23. ^ McCall, Nathan J. (April 27, 1979). "Black libraries had rough beginning". Spartan Echo. p. 14. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
24. ^ a b c American Association for State and Local History (2002). "Virginia: Portsmouth". Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada (15th ed.). Rowman Altamira. p. 830\. ISBN 0759100020.
25. ^ "Local History". Portsmouth Public Library. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
26. ^ "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
27. ^ "Virginia". Official Congressional Directory. 1991/1992- : S. Pub. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1993. hdl:2027/uc1.l0072691827 - via HathiTrust.
28. ^ "Virginia". Official Congressional Directory. 1991/1992- : S. Pub. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 2002. hdl:2027/msu.31293021143627.
29. ^ "Portsmouth city, Virginia". QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
30. ^ a b "City Council". City of Portsmouth. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
31. ^ "Our History". Portsmouth Virginia Department of Economic Development. August 30, 2008. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
32. ^ Hoyer, Meghan (July 5, 2010). "What's in a name? | The Pass House in Portsmouth". Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
33. ^ "Walking Tour: An Exciting Stroll Through History". Welcome to Olde Towne. Olde Towne Business Association. n.d. "During the Civil War, the basement of the house was used as an office for the provost-marshal. It was here that the Union occupation issued passes to cross the ferry to Norfolk. Citizens had to swear allegiance to the Union to be permitted to leave the city. This house is an excellent example of an English basement house."
34. ^ "Med.navy.mil". Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. US Navy. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
35. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
36. ^ a b "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
37. ^ Information from NOAA.
38. ^ "Quick Data View Norfolk." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1971–2000.
39. ^ "Station: NORFOLK INTL AP, VA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
40. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for NORFOLK/INTL, VA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
41. ^ "Norfolk, Virginia, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
42. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
43. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
44. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
45. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
46. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
47. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Carson city, California". United States Census Bureau.
48. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Portsmouth city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
49. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Portsmouth city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
50. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
51. ^ Census.gov
52. ^ "Topic Galleries". dailypress.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
53. ^ Robert Dinwiddie – Ohio History Central – A product of the Ohio Historical Society
54. ^ "Steam Locomotive Information". www.steamlocomotive.info.
55. ^ "PilotOnline.com – Portsmouth's Pokey Smokey is sold to N.C. railroad contractor". Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
56. ^ "Ederville - Train and Tractor Show in Carthage, NC". edervillenc.com.
57. ^ "Railroad Museum of Virginia". www.railroadmuseumofvirginia.com. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
58. ^ David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
59. ^ Mobley, Regina (November 4, 2020). "Projected new Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover: 'We have to heal our city'". WAVY-TV. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
60. ^ "Mayors of Portsmouth". Sketch Book of Portsmouth, Va: Its People and Its Trade. Portsmouth: Edward Pollock. 1886.
61. ^ a b c William H. Stewart (1902). "Mayors of Portsmouth". History of Norfolk County, Virginia and Representative Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company.
62. ^ City of Portsmouth, Virginia, Mayor's Annual Message: Together with Municipal Reports circa 1916–
63. ^ "Portsmouth Police Department". Official Home Page. Portsmouth Police Department. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
64. ^ "Former Portsmouth police chief says she was forced out for ..." Washington Post. May 25, 2019. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
65. ^ Daugherty, Scott (April 23, 2019). "Interim Portsmouth police chief reverses city's stand on paying officer who shot a burglar". Virginia Pilot. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
66. ^ "Portsmouth Police Department". Officer Down Memorial Page. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
67. ^ "Crime in the United States". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
68. ^ "About ODU – Old Dominion University". ODU. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
69. ^ "About Tidewater Community College". TCC. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
70. ^ "Hampton Roads News Links". abyznewslinks.com. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
71. ^ "Hampton Roads Magazine". Hampton Roads Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
72. ^ "Hampton Roads Radio Links". ontheradio.net. Archived from the original on August 5, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
73. ^ Holmes, Gary. "Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006–2007 Season Archived 2009-07-05 at the Wayback Machine." Nielsen Media Research. September 23, 2006. Retrieved on September 28, 2007.
74. ^ "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Table 10". Official Guide of the Railways. 86 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1953.
75. ^ "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Table 10 freight only". Official Guide of the Railways. 87 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1954.
76. ^ "Seaboard Air Line Railroad, Tables 1, 27". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (8). National Railway Publication Company. August 1949.
77. ^ Seaboard Coast Line timetable, December 15, 1967, Tables 6, 20
78. ^ Official Guide of the Railways, June 1968, Seaboard Coast Line section, freight only.
79. ^ "Norfolk International Airport Mission and History". Norfolk International Airport. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
80. ^ "Norfolk International Airport Statistics" (PDF). Norfolk International Airport. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
81. ^ "Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport". Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
82. ^ "Chesapeake Regional Airport". Retrieved January 12, 2008.
83. ^ Hampton Roads Transit
84. ^ Campbell, Edward D. C. Jr. (July 8, 2013). "V. C. Andrews (1923–1986)". Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Encyclopedia Virginia.
85. ^ Gulla, Bob (2008). Icons of R&B and Soul, p. 72. Greenwood Publishing Group.
86. ^ "49th TCC Commencement". Tidewater Community College. October 27, 2009.
87. ^ "Deborah Francine Coleman (1956–2018)". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia. April 18, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
88. ^ "Jamin Elliott, WR at NFL.com". National Football League.
89. ^ "Missy Elliott Biography". The Biography.com website. A&E Television Networks. December 2, 2020.
90. ^ "Perry Ellis Biography". The Biography.com website. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
91. ^ Gerber, Alan Jay (January 19, 2012). "The Kosher Bookworm From Portsmouth Virginia to Telz The Legacy of Rabbi Mordechai Gifter". The Jewish Star.
92. ^ Poulter, Amy (February 28, 2020). "He took his first acting class at ODU. On Friday, his first major movie, starring Ben Affleck, hits theaters". pilotonline.com.
93. ^ Litsky, Frank (November 12, 2004). "Chandler Harper, Winner of 7 Professional Golf Tournaments, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
94. ^ Forster, Dave; Harki, Gary (October 6, 2012). "Former Portsmouth Mayor James Holley dies at 85". The Virginian-Pilot.
95. ^ Baker, Peter (February 4, 1991). "Va. City Lays Claim to War's 1st Hero". The Washington Post.
96. ^ "Ben Jones: A Conversation". Georgia Public Broadcasting.
97. ^ "Finishing Welles' film became her mission". Los Angeles Times. December 21, 2007.
98. ^ Hevesi, Dennis. "Jack T. Kirby, Southern Historian, Dies at 70", The New York Times, August 13, 2009. Accessed August 14, 2009.
99. ^ Washington, Nicholas L. (April 15, 2014). "Nathan McCall: 20 Years After 'Makes Me Wanna Holler'". Ebony.
100. ^ "Pete Mikolajewski". Profootballarchives.com. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
101. ^ Bernstein, Adam (May 1, 2007). "Jazz Saxophonist Tommy Newsom; Played on 'Tonight Show'". The Washington Post.
102. ^ "Patton Oswalt Biography". biography.com. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
103. ^ Kiehl, Stephen (February 5, 2006). "A wonderful year for Wanda Sykes". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
104. ^ Krier, Michele (October 26, 2010). "Portfolio: Clif Tinker Expressionist Paints the Town Red, Blue, and Green". On the Town (published 2010). pp. 74–77.
105. ^ Sutherland, Sam (March 24, 2007). "Mike Watt on What's Watt". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
106. ^ "Men on station say they've wept". The Star Press. Associated Press. February 12, 2003. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* William S. Forrest (1853). Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Norfolk and Vicinity, Including Portsmouth. Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston.
* Richard Edwards, ed. (1855), "Portsmouth", Statistical Gazetteer of the State of Virginia, Richmond`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* William S. Forrest (1856). Great Pestilence in Virginia...Yellow Fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth in 1855. New York: Derby & Jackson.
* Sketch Book of Portsmouth, Va: Its People and Its Trade. Portsmouth: Edward Pollock. 1886.
* George E. Waring, Jr.; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office (1887), "Virginia: Portsmouth", Report on the Social Statistics of Cities: Southern and the Western States, Washington DC: Government Printing Office, pp. 75–78
* Robert W. Lamb, ed. (1888). Our Twin Cities of the Nineteenth Century (Norfolk and Portsmouth). Barcroft.
* "Portsmouth", Rand, McNally & Co.'s Handy Guide to the Southeastern States, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1899 - via Internet Archive
* William H. Stewart (1902). History of Norfolk County, Virginia and Representative Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company.
* Illustrated Standard Guide to Norfolk and Portsmouth, Norfolk, Va.: Standard Lithographing and Publishing Co., 1907, OL 24365413M
* Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Portsmouth (Virginia)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 133.
* City of Portsmouth, Virginia, Mayor's Annual Message: Together with Municipal Reports circa 1916–
* Federal Writers' Project (1941), "Portsmouth", Virginia: a Guide to the Old Dominion, American Guide Series, Oxford University Press, pp. 252+, ISBN 9780403021956 - via Google Books
* Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Portsmouth, VA", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, OL 4120668M
* Cassandra Newby-Alexander; et al. (2003). Portsmouth, Virginia. Black America. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia.
* Paul T. Hellmann (2006). "Virginia: Portsmouth". Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Taylor & Francis. pp. 1159–1160. ISBN 1-135-94859-3.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portsmouth, Virginia.

Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Portsmouth, Virginia.

* City of Portsmouth municipal website
* Portsmouth city directories, 19th–20th c. (via Norfolk Public Library)
* "City of Portsmouth". County and City Records. Richmond: Library of Virginia.
* Items related to Portsmouth, Virginia, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Portsmouth, Virginia

|  | Chesapeake Bay |

|
|

|  |
City of Suffolk |

Portsmouth, Virginia

| City of Norfolk
|  |
City of Chesapeake | City of Chesapeake | City of Chesapeake

* v
* t
* e

Hampton Roads

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Area

Cities|

* Chesapeake
* Franklin
* Hampton
* Newport News
* Norfolk
* Portsmouth
* Poquoson
* Suffolk
* Virginia Beach
* Williamsburg

Counties|

* Currituck
* Gates
* Gloucester
* Isle of Wight
* James City
* Mathews
* Southampton
* Surry
* York

Towns|

* Claremont
* Dendron
* Smithfield
* Surry
* Windsor

Sub-regions|

* South Hampton Roads
* Virginia Peninsula
* Western Tidewater

Topics|

* Transportation
* People
* History
* Battle of Hampton Roads
* Filipino Americans

See Also|

* Northeast megalopolis

Note: Cities are independent, not being part of any county

* v
* t
* e

Commonwealth of Virginia

Richmond (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Administrative divisions
* Climate
* Colony
* Congressional districts
* Delegations
* Senators
* Representatives
* Environment
* Furniture
* Government
* Historic houses
* Historic Landmarks
* History
* First Families
* Slavery
* Homelessness
* Housing
* Law
* Gun laws in Virginia
* LGBT rights
* Music
* People
* Rights
* Rivers
* Scouting
* Slogan
* Sports teams
* State Fair
* State parks
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions
* Transportation
* Tribes

Culture|

* Abortion
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Colleges and universities
* Media
* Newspapers
* Radio
* TV
* Politics

Regions|

* Allegheny Mountains
* Atlantic Coastal Plain
* Blue Ridge
* Chesapeake Bay
* Cumberland Mountains
* Delmarva Peninsula
* Eastern Shore
* Hampton Roads
* Middle Peninsula
* Northern Neck
* Northern Virginia
* Piedmont
* Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
* Shenandoah Valley
* South Hampton Roads
* Southside
* Southwest Virginia
* Tennessee Valley
* Tidewater
* Tri-Cities
* Virginia Peninsula
* Western Virginia

Metro areas|

* Blacksburg-Christiansburg
* Bluefield
* Bristol
* Charlottesville
* Danville
* Harrisonburg
* Lynchburg
* Martinsville
* Richmond
* Roanoke
* Staunton-Waynesboro
* Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News
* Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
* Winchester

Counties|

* Accomack
* Albemarle
* Alleghany
* Amelia
* Amherst
* Appomattox
* Arlington
* Augusta
* Bath
* Bedford
* Bland
* Botetourt
* Brunswick
* Buchanan
* Buckingham
* Campbell
* Caroline
* Carroll
* Charles City
* Charlotte
* Chesterfield
* Clarke
* Craig
* Culpeper
* Cumberland
* Dickenson
* Dinwiddie
* Essex
* Fairfax
* Fauquier
* Floyd
* Fluvanna
* Franklin
* Frederick
* Giles
* Gloucester
* Goochland
* Grayson
* Greene
* Greensville
* Halifax
* Hanover
* Henrico
* Henry
* Highland
* Isle of Wight
* James City
* King and Queen
* King George
* King William
* Lancaster
* Lee
* Loudoun
* Louisa
* Lunenburg
* Madison
* Mathews
* Mecklenburg
* Middlesex
* Montgomery
* Nelson
* New Kent
* Northampton
* Northumberland
* Nottoway
* Orange
* Page
* Patrick
* Pittsylvania
* Powhatan
* Prince Edward
* Prince George
* Prince William
* Pulaski
* Rappahannock
* Richmond
* Roanoke
* Rockbridge
* Rockingham
* Russell
* Scott
* Shenandoah
* Smyth
* Southampton
* Spotsylvania
* Stafford
* Surry
* Sussex
* Tazewell
* Warren
* Washington
* Westmoreland
* Wise
* Wythe
* York

Independent
cities|

* Alexandria
* Bristol
* Buena Vista
* Charlottesville
* Chesapeake
* Colonial Heights
* Covington
* Danville
* Emporia
* Fairfax
* Falls Church
* Franklin
* Fredericksburg
* Galax
* Hampton
* Harrisonburg
* Hopewell
* Lexington
* Lynchburg
* Manassas
* Manassas Park
* Martinsville
* Newport News
* Norfolk
* Norton
* Petersburg
* Poquoson
* Portsmouth
* Radford
* Richmond
* Roanoke
* Salem
* Staunton
* Suffolk
* Virginia Beach
* Waynesboro
* Williamsburg
* Winchester

Virginia portal

* v
* t
* e

Northeast megalopolis major urban regions

Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.

Mid-Atlantic|

| Core cities|

* Baltimore
* city
* Delaware Valley
* Philadelphia
* Camden
* Wilmington
* Hampton Roads
* Virginia Beach
* Norfolk
* Newport News
* New York
* city
* Newark
* Jersey City
* Paterson
* Elizabeth
* Richmond
* city
* Washington
* city
* Arlington
* Alexandria

|

Other areas|

* Atlantic City
* Hagerstown
* city
* Harrisburg
* city
* Lancaster
* Lehigh Valley
* Allentown–Bethlehem-Easton
* Northeastern Pennsylvania
* Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
* Poughkeepsie–Newburgh
* city 1
* city 2
* Reading
* Salisbury
* city
* Trenton
* York

Combined areas|

* Washington–Baltimore

New England|

| Core cities|

* Boston
* city
* Cambridge
* Hartford
* city
* Providence
* city

|

Other areas|

* Barnstable
* Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk
* city 1
* city 2
* city 3
* Danbury
* city
* Manchester
* Nashua
* New Bedford
* New Haven
* city
* Norwich–New London
* Portland
* city
* Springfield
* city
* Waterbury
* Worcester

Combined areas|

* Boston–Providence
* Bridgeport–Stamford–New Haven
* Hartford–Springfield

Other megaregions

* v
* t
* e

County seats and independent cities of Virginia

County seats of Virginia

* Abingdon
* Accomac
* Amelia
* Amherst
* Appomattox
* Arlington
* Bedford
* Berryville
* Bland
* Bowling Green
* Boydton
* Buckingham
* Charles City
* Charlotte Court House
* Charlottesville
* Chatham
* Chesterfield
* Christiansburg
* Clintwood
* Courtland
* Covington
* Culpeper
* Cumberland
* Dinwiddie
* Eastville
* Emporia
* Fairfax
* Farmville
* Fincastle
* Floyd
* Front Royal
* Gate City
* Gloucester
* Goochland
* Grundy
* Halifax
* Hanover
* Harrisonburg
* Heathsville
* Hillsville
* Independence
* Isle of Wight
* Jonesville
* King and Queen Court House
* King George
* King William
* Lancaster
* Laurel
* Lawrenceville
* Lebanon
* Leesburg
* Lexington
* Louisa
* Lovingston
* Lunenburg
* Luray
* Madison
* Manassas
* Marion
* Martinsville
* Mathews
* Monterey
* Montross
* New Castle
* New Kent
* Nottoway
* Orange
* Palmyra
* Pearisburg
* Powhatan
* Prince George
* Pulaski
* Rocky Mount
* Rustburg
* Salem
* Saluda
* Spotsylvania Courthouse
* Stafford
* Stanardsville
* Staunton
* Stuart
* Surry
* Sussex
* Tappahannock
* Tazewell
* Warm Springs
* Warrenton
* Warsaw
* Washington
* Williamsburg
* Winchester
* Wise
* Woodstock
* Wytheville
* Yorktown

Independent cities of Virginia

* Alexandria
* Bristol
* Buena Vista
* Charlottesville
* Chesapeake
* Colonial Heights
* Covington
* Danville
* Emporia
* Fairfax
* Falls Church
* Franklin
* Fredericksburg
* Galax
* Hampton
* Harrisonburg
* Hopewell
* Lexington
* Lynchburg
* Manassas
* Manassas Park
* Martinsville
* Newport News
* Norfolk
* Norton
* Petersburg
* Poquoson
* Portsmouth
* Radford
* Richmond
* Roanoke
* Salem
* Staunton
* Suffolk
* Virginia Beach
* Waynesboro
* Williamsburg
* Winchester

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* NARA

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change