Pungo | |
|---|---|
 Pungo Pizza in Pungo | |
  Pungo Location within the state of Virginia  Pungo Pungo (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 36°43′25″N 76°1′4″W / 36.72361°N 76.01778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| Independent city | Virginia Beach |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 23457 |
| Area code | 757 |
Pungo is a rural community located in the southern part of the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia and was one of the seven original boroughs when the City of Virginia Beach was created in 1963. The area derives its name from a local Indian tribe, the Machipungo, a branch of the Chesapeake tribe.[1] It was named for a local Indian chief, Machiopungo. Because the community is located in an independent city, there is no individual census for the neighborhood, which was originally part of Princess Anne County until 1963, when the entire county became part of Virginia Beach.[2] Like much of southern Virginia Beach, the area is surrounded by farmland.
Pungo is known for its Pungo Strawberry Festival, which is held there every spring, and the Military Aviation Museum, which has a large collection of vintage warbirds. Also well known is the story of Grace Sherwood, known as the "Witch of Pungo". Nearby is Nimmo United Methodist Church, which was built in 1791 and expanded in the early 1990s; it is the oldest church with the original foundation in the area. Bishop Francis Asbury preached there.[3]