Established in 1610, Hampton began its life as a small waterfront community and is now recognized as the oldest continuous English-speaking settlement in America. It is located on the southeastern tip of the Virginia Peninsula and is in the center of the Tidewater Region of Virginia thus its name Hampton Roads. Its exciting history includes stories of Blackbeard the Pirate, the Emancipation Proclamation and man’s first space flight.
Hampton is the birthplace of America’s space program, and the Virginia Air & Space Center of Hampton features dozens of hands-on air and space exhibits, a premiere interactive aviation gallery that spans 100 years of flight, more than 30 historic aircraft, unique space flight artifacts and more! Your imagination will soar as you launch a rocket, pilot a space shuttle, become an air traffic controller, fly an airplane, and climb aboard a WWII bomber! You will also receive the opportunity to come face to face with the Apollo 12 Command Module that went to the moon, a Mars meteorite, a DC-9 passenger jet, a replica 1903 Wright Flyer and more!
Hampton’s central area of Mercury Boulevard, known as “Coliseum Central,” is a crossroads of retail and service businesses, hotel/motel and conference facilities Construction is almost complete on the 129 million Power Plant of Hampton Roads, a lifestyle retail and entertainment complex featuring both unique and nationally known tenants such as Bass Pro Shop. The Hampton Coliseum has a concert seating capacity of over 25,000 and hosts the annual Hampton Jazz Festival as performances by other major entertainers, sporting events and product shows.
A little beyond the Coliseum, a lovely vignette opens. To the west is the Hampton River, specked with boats with handkerchief-sized sails. Townhouses line its bank. Behind them, rising nine stories is City Hall. Close by are the Radisson Hotel and Harbor Centre, an office tower banded blue and red. In the scene’s middle ground is a low-slung gleaming white bridge, gently curving as an eyelash, crossing the blue river. Altogether, this is a glimpse of what downtown Hampton is like.
Population (year 2000): 146,437, Est. population in July 2002: 145,921 (-0.4% change)
Elevation: 10 feet
Land area: 55 square miles
Zip codes: 23661, 23663, 23664, 23665, 23666, 23669.
Median Family Income (2004 est) $46,110
Nearest city with pop. 200,000+: Norfolk, VA (12.4 miles, pop. 234,403).
Nearest city with pop. 1,000,000+: Philadelphia, PA (221.3 miles, pop. 1,517,550).
Nearest cities: Poquoson, VA (6.9 miles), Newport News, VA (8.9 miles), Norfolk, VA (12.4 miles), Portsmouth, VA (14.1 miles), Yorktown, VA (17.2 miles), Smithfield, VA (18.2 miles), Gloucester Point, VA (18.8 miles), Chesapeake, VA (19.2 miles).
Major Industries:
Langley AirForce Base, Hampton, Hampton University, Howmet, Humana Healthcare, Measurement Specialties, NASA Langley Research Center, Sentara, West Corporation, Thomas Nelson Community College, Nextel, Raytheon, Tel Tech. Sentara Careplex, and Verizon.
Hospitals/medical centers in Hampton:
• COLUMBIA PENINSULA BEHAVIORIAL CENTER (2244 EXECUTIVE DRIVE)
• SENTARA HAMPTON GENL HOSP (3120 VICTORIA BLVD)
Other hospitals/medical centers near Hampton:
• RIVERSIDE REHAB INSTITUTE (about 6 miles; NEWPORT NEWS, VA)
• NEWPORT NEWS GENERAL HOSPITAL (about 6 miles; NEWPORT NEWS, VA)
• RIVERSIDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER (about 7 miles; NEWPORT NEWS, VA)
Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Hampton:
• LANGLEY AFB (about 3 miles; HAMPTON, VA; ID: LFI)
• NORFOLK NS (about 9 miles; NORFOLK, VA; ID: NGU)
• NEWPORT NEWS/WILLIAMSBURG INTERNATIONAL (about 11 miles; NEWPORT NEWS, VA; ID: PHF)
Other public-use airports nearest to Hampton:
• NORFOLK INTL (about 16 miles; NORFOLK, VA; ID: ORF)
• HAMPTON ROADS EXECUTIVE (about 20 miles; NORFOLK, VA; ID: PVG)
• CHESAPEAKE REGIONAL (about 27 miles; NORFOLK, VA; ID: CPK)
