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Introduction Virginia Beach is a combination of an elegant rich past and energy of a developing city. Virginia Beach is part of a seven-city metropolitan area called Hampton Roads located on the ocean in the mid-Atlantic region in the southeastern corner of Virginia. To the east of Virginia Beach lies the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay on the north. 30 miles of shoreline with 28 miles of public beach, state-of-the-art medical facilities, and the ever-changing beauty of its four moderate seasons draws tourists to this wonderful place of Virginia Beach. The city is home of "The Golden Mile," a rapidly growing cluster of new high-technology firms. The economy of Virginia Beach rests mainly on national and international firms, tourist and convention industry, real estate, construction, retail and wholesale trade, and distribution.
The world’s largest harbor was named after an English nobleman Henry Wriothesley, the third Earl of Southampton who financed early expeditions to Virginia. Eventually it was shortened to Hampton Roads. Today, a bridge-tunnel spans the great harbor linking the peninsula cities of Hampton, Newport News, and Williamsburg, the town of Poquoson, and the counties of Gloucester, James City, and York with the Southside cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Franklin, and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton.
The area experiences moderate seasons without climactic extremes. Summers are hot and winters are cold. The area receives an average snowfall of 8.9 inches annually.
Area: 248 square miles (2000)
Elevation: sea level to 12 feet above sea level
Latitude: 36.83 N
Longitude: 76.09 W
Average Temperatures: January, 40.1° F; July, 79.1° F; annual average, 59.6° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 45.74 inches
Population: 438,415 as on 2005
Attractions * First Landing Cross
* Cape Henry Lighthouse at Fort Story
* Old Coast Guard Station
* Tidewater Veterans Memorial
* Adam Thoroughgood House
* Lynnhaven House
* Francis Land House and Historic Site
* Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
* Association for Research and Enlightenment Library and Conference Center
* Virginia Air & Space Center
* Hampton Roads History Center
* Mariner's Museum
* Busch Gardens Williamsburg
* Williamsburg Pottery Factory
Festivals * Neptune Festival
* Virginia Flower & Garden Show
* Associated Specialty Dog Show
* American Music Festival
* Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
* Annual Boardwalk Art Show and Latin Fest
* International Azalea Festival
* Atlantic Coast Kite Festival
* Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden
* Patriotic Festival