Hampton, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: From the Sea to the Stars | |
 Location in the State of Virginia | |
  Hampton Location in Virginia  Hampton Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 37°02′06″N 76°21′36″W / 37.034946°N 76.360126°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | None (Independent city) |
| Settled | 1610[1] |
| Incorporated (town) | 1705[1] |
| Incorporated (city) | 1849[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council–manager |
| • Mayor | Donnie Tuck (D)[2] |
| • Vice mayor | Jimmy Gray (D)[2] |
| Area | |
| • Independent city | 136.27 sq mi (352.95 km2) |
| • Land | 51.46 sq mi (133.28 km2) |
| • Water | 84.81 sq mi (219.67 km2) 62.3% |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Independent city | 137,148 |
| • Rank | 200th in the United States 7th in Virginia |
| • Density | 2,665.14/sq mi (1,029.02/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,799,674 |
| Time zone | UTC–5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 23661, 23663-23669 |
| Area code(s) | 757, 948 |
| FIPS code | 51-35000[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1495650[5] |
| Public transportation | Hampton Roads Transit |
| Website | http://www.hampton.gov |
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Hampton (/ˈhæmptən/) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 137,148 as of the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in Virginia.[7] Hampton is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, the 37th-largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,799,674 in 2020.[8] This area, known as "America's First Region", also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads.
Hampton traces its history to the city's Old Point Comfort, the home of Fort Monroe for almost 400 years, which was named by the 1607 voyagers, led by Captain Christopher Newport, who first established Jamestown as an English colonial settlement. Since consolidation in 1952, Hampton has included the former Elizabeth City County and the incorporated town of Phoebus, consolidated by a mutual agreement.
After the end of the American Civil War, historic Hampton University was established opposite from the town on the Hampton River, providing an education for many newly freed former slaves and for area Native Americans. In the 20th century, the area became the location of Langley Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Virginia Air and Space Center. Hampton features many miles of waterfront and beaches.
The city features a wide array of business and industrial enterprises, retail and residential areas, historical sites, and other points of interest, such as a NASCAR short track, the oldest Anglican parish in the Americas (1610), and a moated, six-sided, historical bastion fort.
- ^ a b c "Hampton History and Facts". City of Hampton, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
- ^ a b "Mayor Donnie Tuck | Hampton, VA - Official Website". hampton.gov.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Lossing, Benson (1868). The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812. Harper & Brothers, Publishers. p. 683.
- ^ "Hampton city, Hampton city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Census profile: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area". Census Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2020.