Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the 40th largest city in the US, with a total population of 440,098.{{mn|Census|1}}

Geography and climate

Virginia Beach is located at {{coor dms|36|50|4|N|76|5|13|W|region:GR}} (36.834498, -76.087179){{GR|1}}.

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,288.1 km² (497.3 mi²). 643.1 km² (248.3 mi²) of it is land and 645.0 km² (249.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 50.07% water. The average elevation is 12 feet (4 meters) above sea level.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi² - Sea level

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The city is located at the southeastern corner of the tidewater region of Virginia (also known as Hampton Roads), bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 34th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,576,370. The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Surry, and York, as well as the North Carolina county of Currituck. While Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA, it actually currently functions more as a suburb. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism.

Related Topics:
Tidewater - Virginia - Hampton Roads - Atlantic Ocean - Metropolitan Statistical Area - Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA - 34th largest - Norfolk - Chesapeake - Hampton - Newport News - Poquoson - Portsmouth - Suffolk - Williamsburg - Gloucester - Isle of Wight - James City - Mathews - Surry - York - North Carolina - Currituck

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Cityscape

The modern city of Virginia Beach was created in 1963, by the consolidation of the 253 square mile (655 km²) Princess Anne County with the 2 square mile (5 km²) City of Virginia Beach. The city was divided into seven boroughs: Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach. On July 1, 1998, five of the seven boroughs of Virginia Beach were replaced by voting districts for election purposes. Blackwater and Pungo were incorporated into the Princess Anne district and two new districts, Rose Hall and Centerville emerged in the western part of the city. Most of the city's residential and business development is in the northern half of the city, while most of the land area in the southern half is still taken up by agriculture. New developments are beginning to creep southward, however, as suburbanization grows.

Related Topics:
1963 - Princess Anne County - July 1 - 1998 - Agriculture

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The city's roads are not arranged in any particular pattern, primarily due to the presence of many water inlets. I-64, a portion of the Hampton Roads Beltway, forms a loop around the city of Norfolk, and is located just outside the western border of the city. I-64 forms a junction with I-264 (formerly the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway), which runs from west to east across the city to the oceanfront. Other major roads include Virginia Beach Boulevard (US-58), Shore Drive (US 60), which connects to Atlantic Avenue at the oceanfront, Princess Anne Rd. (VA 165), Indian River Road (VA 603), and Lynnhaven Parkway. Streets in the oceanfront hotel and entertainment district are arranged in a fairly regular, gridlike pattern, with Atlantic Avenue parallel to the shoreline, then Pacific Avenue, and Arctic Avenue going further inland.

Related Topics:
I-64 - Hampton Roads Beltway - Norfolk - I-264 (formerly the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway) - US-58 - US 60 - VA 165

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Virginia Beach has many distinctive communities and neighborhoods within its boundaries, including Alanton, Bayside, Blackwater, Croatan Beach, Doyletown, Great Neck, Greenwich, Kempsville, London Bridge, Lynnhaven, Munden, Oceana, Ocean Park, Pembroke, Princess Anne, Pungo, Salem, Sandbridge, Thalia, Thoroughgood, and the original Virginia Beach resort strip.

Related Topics:
Alanton - Bayside - Blackwater - Croatan Beach - Doyletown - Great Neck - Greenwich - Kempsville - London Bridge - Lynnhaven - Munden - Oceana - Ocean Park - Pembroke - Princess Anne - Pungo - Salem - Sandbridge - Thalia - Thoroughgood - The original Virginia Beach resort strip

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Climate

The weather in Virginia Beach is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 60 °F (15 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 7.4 inches and an average annual rainfall of 45 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 103°F (39°C) in August 1957, and the lowest recorded temperature was -11°F (-24°C) in January 1985.{{mn|NOAA|2}},{{mn|MaxMinTemps|3}}

Related Topics:
Summers - °F - °C - Snow - 1999 - Spring - 1957 - 1985

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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.

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