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Portsmouth is an
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
in southeastern
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River from
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is the ninth-most populous city in Virginia and is part of the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
metropolitan area. Due to its strategic location, the city has long been associated with the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, particularly the
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
. The
Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility ...
is a historic and active Navy facility located in Portsmouth.


History


Colonial era

In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as a suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King
James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...
for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a
plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...
community. Portsmouth was founded by Colonel William Crawford, a member of the
Virginia House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...
. It was established as a town in 1752 by an act of the
Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...
and was named for
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, England.


American Revolution and early United States

In 1767, Andrew Sprowle, a
shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
, founded the Gosport Shipyard adjacent to Portsmouth. The Gosport Shipyard at Portsmouth was owned by the
Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
after the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
and was sold to the new United States federal government. In 1779, Portsmouth was sacked by British forces during the Revolutionary War. Following the Revolutionary War, George Washington invited
Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...
to visit the United States. Lafayette accepted, and was celebrated with parades and balls all around the country. In October 1824, Lafayette visited the town, stopping to have tea at Hill House. In 1836, the town of Portsmouth was incorporated. In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every three citizens. On June 6, 1855, the ''Benjamin Franklin'' vessel arrived in Hampton Roads for repairs. The ship had just sailed from the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
, where there had been an outbreak of yellow fever. The port health officer ordered the ship quarantined. After twelve days, a second inspection found no issues, so it was allowed to dock at the Gosport Shipyard in Portsmouth. Workers from the shipyard began to fall ill, and it was later discovered that the ship's captain had concealed sailors who were suffering from the disease. Some of the workers from the shipyard lived in Norfolk, and returned home by taking the ferry across the Elizabeth River, taking the yellow fever with them. The poor and immigrants were the first to fall ill. At the time, no one understood how the disease was transmitted, though it was later determined to have spread via mosquitoes and poor sanitation. This lack of understanding led to widespread panic, and about one-third of Portsmouth's 10,000 residents fled the region in the hopes of escaping the epidemic. New York banned all persons and vessels from the region, since both Norfolk and Portsmouth were infected. Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Petersburg, and Suffolk also banned persons from the region. Mathews County and the Eastern Shore remained open to those fleeing the illness. The Gosport Navy Yard remained open, but more than 1,000 shipyard workers left. By the end of August, only 3,000 residents remained in Portsmouth. The number of infected reached 5,000 in September, and by the second week of September, a combined 1,500 had died in Norfolk and Portsmouth. As fall arrived and the weather cooled, the outbreak began to wane, leaving a final tally of about 3,200 dead in the region. The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1857. During the 19th century, the church was part of the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
.
Freedom seekers In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called fre ...
from Virginia and other
slave states In the United States before 1865, a slave state was a state in which slavery and the internal or domestic slave trade were legal, while a free state was one in which they were prohibited. Between 1812 and 1850, it was considered by the slave s ...
used the church as a hiding place and refuge on their way to the abolitionist Northern United States. Individuals would hide in the basement, attic, and behind the organ until moving on to the next location. In 1858, Portsmouth became an
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
, but it remained the seat of Norfolk County.


American Civil War and postbellum

During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, in 1861, Virginia joined the
Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
. Fearing that the Confederacy would take control of the shipyard at Portsmouth, the shipyard commander ordered the burning of the shipyard. The Confederate forces did in fact take over the shipyard and did so without armed conflict through an elaborate ruse orchestrated by civilian
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
builder
William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was a Confederate States Army general, civil engineer, railroad executive, prominent Virginia Readjuster Party, Readjuster and ardent supporter of former slaves. He later represented Virginia in th ...
(soon to become a famous Confederate officer). The Union forces withdrew to
Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...
across Hampton Roads, which was the only land in the area which remained under Union control. In early 1862, the Confederate
ironclad warship An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship protected by steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The firs ...
CSS ''Virginia'' was rebuilt using the burned-out hulk of USS ''Merrimack''. ''Virginia'' engaged the Union ironclad USS ''Monitor'' in the famous
Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Merrimack'' or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. The battle was fought over two days, March 8 and 9, 1862, in Hampton ...
during the Union blockade of
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
. The Confederates burned the shipyard again when they left in May 1862. Following the recapture of Norfolk and Portsmouth by the Union forces, the name of the shipyard was changed to
Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility ...
. The name of the shipyard was derived from its location in Norfolk County. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard today is located entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard name has been retained to minimize any confusion with the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine, bordering Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The naval yard lies along the southern boundary of Maine on ...
, which itself is actually located in
Kittery, Maine Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States, and the oldest incorporated town in Maine. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of ...
, across the
Piscataqua River The Piscataqua River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Pskehtekwis'') is a tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlant ...
from
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...
. By 1870, the population of the city was 10,590. In 1894, the city annexed portions of Norfolk County North of the city.


20th century

In 1909, the city annexed additional areas west of the city that were previously part of Norfolk County. By 1910, due to the annexation and the city's growth, the population had increased to 33,190. The Key Road School, the first school for Black children in the area, was founded in 1921 by
Julius Rosenwald Julius Rosenwald (August 12, 1862 – January 6, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for establishing the Rosenwald Fund, which donated millions i ...
and
Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...
. The school was open to students from first through seventh grade. In 1926, the school moved to a new building, with funding coming from the Black community, the Rosenwald Fund, and Norfolk County. The school closed in 1965. After the school ceased operations, the I.C. Norcom School Boosters briefly used the building as its headquarters. In 1971, the Olympian Sports Club, which sponsors Black youth athletics, began using the building. In 2017, the city sought to condem and raze the former school building, but the African-American Historic Society of Portsmouth fought for the building to receive historic designation, and the building was preserved. It is marked with a Virginia Historical Highway Marker. During and after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the shipyard flourished, and suburban development surrounded both Norfolk and Portsmouth. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum was established in 1949. In 1948, Portsmouth annexed additional areas from the county, expanding the city boundary westward to the Western Branch area. In 1960, Portsmouth annexed an additional ten square miles of Norfolk County, increasing the population by 36,000 residents. The total population in 1960 was 114,773. Portsmouth continued as the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Norfolk County until 1963 when the new city of Chesapeake was formed in a political consolidation with the city of South Norfolk. In 1968, Portsmouth again annexed parts of Norfolk County, including ten square miles of land, 14 square miles of water area, and 11,000 residents. The newly annexed parts were all within the northern third of the Western Branch Borough. Portsmouth's other county neighbor, the former
Nansemond County Nansemond is an extinct jurisdiction that was located south of the James River in Virginia Colony and in the Commonwealth of Virginia (after statehood) in the United States, from 1646 until 1974. It was known as Nansemond County until 1972. Fro ...
, also consolidated with a smaller city, forming the new city of Suffolk in 1974. During the 1998 Hurricane Bonnie, the Naval Shipyard provided safe haven for vessels of the Atlantic Fleet that were unable to get underway.


21st century

By 2000, the population of Portsmouth was 100,565. As one of the older cities of
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
, in the early 21st century, Portsmouth was undergoing moderate
urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...
in the downtown. The APM "MAERSK" marine terminal for container ships opened in 2007 in the West Norfolk section. By 2010, the population had decreased to 95,535. By 2020, the population had increased slightly for the first time in decades, with 97,915 residents.


Timeline


18th century

* 1752 – Portsmouth founded by politician William Crawford; named after
Portsmouth, England Portsmouth ( ) is a port city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in England not located primarily on the ...
. * 1767 – Gosport Shipyard, later renamed the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, founded by Andrew Sprowle. * 1779 – Portsmouth sacked by British forces during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
.


19th century

*1800s ** 1805 – Dismal Swamp Canal opens. *1810s ** 1812 –
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
begins ** 1813 – Craney Island Fort is completed ** 1815 – War of 1812 ends. *1820s ** 1821 – Fire. ** 1822 –
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
-Portsmouth steam ferry begins operating. ** 1824 – October 25: Lafayette visits Portsmouth. (Timeline) ** 1827 – Norfolk Naval Hospital opens. It would later be renamed Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. *1830s ** 1830 – Trinity Episcopal Church is established. ** 1832 – Cedar Grove Cemetery is established. ** 1834 – Drydock Number One, Norfolk Naval Shipyard is put into service. ** 1836 – Town of Portsmouth incorporated. ** 1837 – Portsmouth & Roanoke Railroad begins operating. *1840s ** 1840 –
Population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
: 6,477. ** 1846 –
Norfolk County Courthouse The Norfolk County Courthouse, also known as the William D. Delahunt Courthouse, is a National Historic Landmark at 650 High Street in Dedham, Massachusetts. It currently houses the Norfolk County Superior Court. It is significant as a well- ...
built. *1850s ** 1850 –
Population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
: 8,626. ** 1855 – Yellow fever outbreak begins in Portsmouth and later spreads to Norfolk. ** 1857 – Emanuel
African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...
is built. ** 1858 – City of Portsmouth incorporated as an
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
(separated from Norfolk County). *1860s ** 1861 ***
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
begins. Virginia joins the
Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
. *** Battle of Sewell's Point. ** 1862 ***
CSS Virginia CSS ''Virginia'' was the first steam-powered ironclad warship built by the Confederate States Navy during the first year of the American Civil War; she was constructed as a casemate ironclad using the razéed (cut down) original lower hull an ...
is commissioned. ***
Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Merrimack'' or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. The battle was fought over two days, March 8 and 9, 1862, in Hampton ...
** 1865 – Zion Baptist Church founded. ** 1867 – Virginia Baptist State Convention organized during a meeting in Portsmouth. *1870s ** 1870 – Population: 10,590. *1890s ** 1890 – Became a stop on the Atlantic and Danville Railway. ** 1894 – Annexation of portions of Norfolk County north of the city.John D. Eyre, “City-County Territorial Competition: The Portsmouth, Virginia Case”, Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 9, No. 2, An Issue Devoted to Political Geography (November 1969), pp. 26–38 ** 1895 – The
Portsmouth Truckers The Portsmouth Truckers were an American professional baseball team in Minor League Baseball. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, and primarily competing in the Virginia League, the team existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1928. The team played in the Pied ...
begin competing as a Minor League Baseball team. ** 1896 – Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad begins. ** 1897 – King's Daughters' Hospital Home for the Sick opens, which would later become known as Portsmouth General Hospital. ** 1898 – Pythian Castle is built for the Atlantic Lodge, Knights of Pythias.


20th century

*1900s ** 1900 – Lyceum Theatre in business. ** 1905 St. Paul's Catholic Church is dedicated. ** 1909 – Annexation of portions of Norfolk County West of the city. *1910s ** 1910 – Population: 33,190. ** 1914 ***
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
begins. *** Portsmouth Public Library opens. ** 1918 *** Cradock and Truxtun are developed by the United States Housing Corporation to meet the housing needs for the influx of workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard during World War I. Truxtun is the first wartime government housing project constructed exclusively for African-American residents. *** World War I ends. ** 1919 – Expansion via the annexation of parts of Norfolk County that included the port zone (Pinner's Point) along the Elizbeth River to the north and residential areas to the West. *1920s ** 1921 – The Key Road School, the first school for Black children in the area, is founded by
Julius Rosenwald Julius Rosenwald (August 12, 1862 – January 6, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for establishing the Rosenwald Fund, which donated millions i ...
and
Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...
. ** 1922 – Chevra Thilim Synagogue built. *1930s ** 1939 *** Lyric Theatre in business. *** World War II begins. *1940s ** 1945 *** Portsmouth Public Community Library founded with Bertha Edwards as the founding librarian. *** Glensheallah Hospital opens. It would later become Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center. *** Commodore Theatre opens on High Street. *** World War II ends. ** 1947 – The Circle is built. ** 1948 – The fourth annexation since becoming an independent city, pushing the city boundary westward to Western Branch. ** 1949 – Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum established. *1950s ** 1950 – Population: 80,039. ** 1952 – Norfolk–Portsmouth Bridge–Tunnel, later known as the Downtown Tunnel, opens. ** 1953 *** The first
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, (PIT), is the only postseason camp restricted to college basketball seniors. The Portsmouth Invitational is the first of two NBA pre-Draft (sports), draft camps, the other being the Orlando pre-Draft (sport ...
. *** Temple Sinai is established in December. ** 1955 – Portsmouth Historical Association founded. ** 1957 –
WAVY-TV WAVY-TV (channel 10) is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Virginia Beach–licensed dual Fox affiliate/ CW o ...
begins broadcasting. *1960s ** 1960 *** Portsmouth annexes additional portions of Norfolk County, including ten square miles and 36,000 residents. *** Population: 114,773. ** 1961 – Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides begin playing. ** 1962 – Midtown Tunnel begins operating. ** 1963 – Public Library's "Local History Room" established. ** 1964 – United States lightship ''Portsmouth'' is donated to the city to become part of the Naval Shipyard Museum. ** 1965 – The Key Road School closes. ** 1966 –
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, administrators, journalists and other contributors to athletics. Many of the more than 350 inductees since 1972 were born in Virginia or enjoyed success in college, professional, amateur or ...
established. ** 1968 – Further annexation of Norfolk County including ten square miles of land, 14 square miles of water area, and 11,000 residents, all within the northern one-third of Western Branch Borough. West Norfolk is part of the annexation. *1970s ** 1970 – Portsmouth Public Schools is established by the Virginia General Assembly. ** 1972 – Manor High School opens. ** 1974 – Richard Joseph Davis becomes mayor. *1980s ** 1980 – The Tidewater Children's Museum is established by volunteers from the Portsmouth Service League in the basement of the Portsmouth Library's main branch. ** 1981 *** ''Portsmouth Times''
newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
begins publication. *** After serving as mayor for six years, Richard Joseph Davis is elected
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held ...
, becoming the first Catholic elected to a statewide office in Virginia history. ** 1984 *** James W. Holley III becomes the first African-American mayor. *** Louise Lucas becomes the first African-American woman to serve on the Portsmouth City Council. *** Angelos Bible College opens. *** The Tidewater Children's Museum moves to the old Norfolk County Courthouse building. ** 1986 – Kenneth R. Melvin, from Portsmouth, is elected to represent the 80th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. *1990s ** 1991 – Louise Lucas is elected to the Virginia General Assembly as a State Senator. ** 1993 – Bobby Scott becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
for Virginia's 3rd congressional district. ** 1994 – The Tidewater Children's Museum is renamed the Children's Museum of Virginia. The museum moves into a building on High Street. ** 1998 *** Museum of Military History established. *** Hampton Roads Regional Jail opens. ** 1999 – Portsmouth General Hospital closes after more than 100 years of operation.


21st century

*2000s ** 2000 – Population: 100,565 ** 2001 – Randy Forbes becomes U.S. representative for
Virginia's 4th congressional district Virginia's fourth congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, United States congressional district in the state of Virginia, taking in most of the area between Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and the North Carolina ...
. ** 2005 – The newly renovated Governor Dinwiddie Hotel reopens after being closed for more than ten years. *2010s ** 2010 – Population: 95,535. ** 2011 – Kirill Denyakin is shot and killed by police officer Stephen Rankin. Rankin is not indicted on charges. ** 2013 – The Circle is demolished. It was officially removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. ** 2015 – William Chapman is the second person shot and killed by police officer Stephen Rankin. Rankin is ultimately convicted of manslaughter. ** 2017 – John L. Rowe Jr. becomes mayor. The Sports Hall of Fame closes the Portsmouth location. ** 2019 – Don Scott is elected from Portsmouth to represent the 80th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. *2020s ** 2020 *** Population: 97,915. *** Louise Lucas becomes the first woman and first African-American President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia. *** The Confederate Monument is vandalized during
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
protests. ** 2021 – Shannon Glover becomes mayor. ** 2023 ***
Rivers Casino Portsmouth Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a casino located in the Hampton Roads city of Portsmouth, Virginia, adjacent to the Tidewater Community College - Portsmouth Campus. Owned by Rush Street Gaming, it opened on January 23, 2023, becoming Virginia's first ...
, the first permanent Casino in Virginia History, opens in Portsmouth on Victory Blvd. *** Don Scott is unanimously nominated by his caucus to become the first black Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. ** 2024 – Hampton Roads Regional Jail permanently closes.


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, Portsmouth has a total area of , of which is land and (28.0%) is water. The city is in the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
region of Virginia, and is bisected by the West Branch of the Elizabeth River which flows from neighboring
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. The region is known for its
roadstead A roadstead or road is a sheltered body of water where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching.United States Army technical manual, TM 5-360. Port Construction and Rehabilitation'. Washington: United States. Gove ...
and low-lying
coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...
s. The Hampton Roads region is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Several creeks run through the city, including Scott Creek, Owens Creek, Paradise Creek, and Baines Creek, which are tributaries of the Elizabeth River. The city borders
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
to the east, across the Elizabeth River. The river also runs along part of the city's southern border with Chesapeake. Portsmouth shares a border with
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
to the west. To the north, the city is bordered by water, where the James, Nansemond, and
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
rivers come together. North of that part of the roadstead are the cities of
Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...
and Hampton, which are connected to
South Hampton Roads South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia's Tidewater region in the United States with a total population of 1,177,742 as of 2020. It is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA ( M ...
by the
Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel The Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel (MMMBT) is the Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 664 (I-664) in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States. It is a four-lane bridge–tunnel composed of bridges, trestle ...
, which connects Newport News and Suffolk. The city is northeast of the
Great Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp is a large swamp in the Coastal Plain Region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the eastern United States, between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It is located in parts of t ...
, with the Dismal Swamp Canal nearly reaching Portsmouth. Porstmouth is also located west of
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...
, north of the
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
border, southwest of
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, and southwest of
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...


Neighborhoods

Portsmouth has six
historic districts A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from ce ...
: Cradock,
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
, Olde Towne, Park View, Port Norfolk, and Truxtun. The historic districts were created to promote and preserve the cultural, education, and economic interests of the ciy. There is a historic rehabilitation tax credit available to citizens who work towards preserving and restoring homes in the neighborhoods. Cradock Historic District is a residential area that encompasses 759 buildings and 1 structure. Development of the neighborhood began in 1918, with plans for a community of Colonial Revival and Bungalow style single family residences. It was developed by the United States Housing Corporation as a result of the rapid influx of workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The district was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
and the
Virginia Landmarks Register The Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) is a list of historic properties in the Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atla ...
in 1974. The Downtown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The area is bounded by Interstate 264, Middle Street, Primrose Street, and Queen Street. In contrast to the residential Olde Towne District, Downtown is a
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
. an
''Accompanying photo''
an
''Accompanying map''
It is sometimes referred to as the High Street Corridor Historic District. The Olde Towne Historic District is adjacent to the Downtown District, and features one of the largest collections of historically significant homes between
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...
and
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
. The Emanuel
African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...
was built by slaves and free men in 1857 and is the second-oldest building in Portsmouth and the city's oldest black church. The church was required by law to have a white minister, and did not have its first African-American pastor until Reverend James A. Handy took the position in 1864. In 1871, the congregation affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church and became known as the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was part of the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
, used by
freedom seekers In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called fre ...
to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States. In 2022, the church was officially recognized as part of the Civil War Trails Program and the National Park Service's Network to Freedom trail. Olde Towne contains a number of other historic buildings, as well, including the Pass House, which was built in 1841 by Judge James Murdaugh and occupied by Union troops from 1862 to 1865. Federal forces required Portsmouth residents to obtain a written pass to travel across the Elizabeth River and beyond. These passes were issued from the
English basement An English basement is an apartment (flat in UK English) on the lowest floor of a building, generally a townhouse or brownstone, which is partially below and partially above ground level and which has its own entrance, separate from those of the re ...
and thus the name "Pass House" was derived. Park View Historic District includes 295 buildings in a primarily residential section of northeast Portsmouth. The district was developed in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Architecture in the neighborhood includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare style single family residences. Park View was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. an
''Accompanying photo''
an
''Accompanying map''
/ref> Port Norfolk Historic District was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The historic neighbhorhood encompasses 621 buildings and 1 site and was developed between 1890 and 1910. Like Cradock and Park View, Port Norfolk is primarily a residential neighborhood. Architecture in the area includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow, American Craftsman, and American Foursquare style single family residences. an

an
''Accompanying map''
/ref> Truxtun Historic District encompasses 241 buildings. The district was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1980 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The neighborhood is primarily residential and was developed between 1918 and 1920 as a planned community of Colonial Revival style single family residences. Alongside Cradock, Truxtun was developed by the United States Housing Corporation as a result of the rapid influx of workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard during World War I; however, Truxtun was the first wartime government housing project constructed exclusively for African-American residents. an

an
''Accompanying map''
In 1921 the Federal Government sold the neighborhood.


List of neighborhoods

* Academy Park * Alexander Corner * Armistead Forest * Cavalier Manor * Churchland * Cradock Historic District *
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
* Midtown * Olde Towne Historic District * Park Manor * Park View Historic District * Pinner Point * Port Norfolk Historic District * Prentiss Park * Shea Terrace * Swimming Point * Truxtun Historic District * West Norfolk * West Park Homes * West Park Manor * Westhaven * Westhaven Park * Westmoreland * Westwood * Williams Court * Windy Pines * Woodbine


Climate

Portsmouth experiences a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
. Summers are hot and humid with warm evenings. The mean annual temperature is , with an average annual snowfall of 3 inches and an average annual rainfall of 47 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 105.0 °F in 1980. The lowest recorded temperature was −3.0 °F on January 21, 1985. 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.Information fro
NOAA
Snow falls rarely, averaging per season.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 97,915 people living in the city. The census reported the city as 52.7% Black or African American (51,586 people), 35.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
(34,912), 4.9% two or more races (4,781), 1.3% Asian (1,244), 0.4% Native American or Alaska Native (355), and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (134). Approximately 4.5% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race (4,413). It was the first census since 1960 in which the population of Portsmouth increased. The gender makeup was 52% female. There were 8,612 veterans living in the city, making up approximately 8.7% of the population. There were 39,678 households, with an average of 2.38 people per household. The census reported that 23.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 15.2% of the population was over the age of 65, and the median age was estimated to be 35.5 years old. The median household income was $58,972, and the per capita income was $32,915, with 17.6% of the population living in poverty. While 89.2% of the people over the age of 25 were high school graduates, only 23.2% of those people had a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
or higher.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 95,535 people, 38,170 households, and 25,497 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 41,605 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 53.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 41.6%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population. There were 38,170 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% have a female household with no husband present and 33.2% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $46,340, and the median income for a family was $53,769. Males had a median income of $39,871 versus $33,140 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $23,108. About 13.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.


Crime

Crime in the city is much higher than elsewhere in Virginia or the United States generally. Along with
Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...
and
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, Portsmouth typically reports higher numbers of homcides than other cities in the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area. In 2021, Portsmouth reported 35 homicides, its highest number in years. In 2022, Portsmouth police investigated 42 homicides, a record number for the city. The police chief at the time stated that the department estimated only twenty percent of gunshots in the city were reported to the police. The homicide numbers dropped slightly in 2023 and 2024, but as of 2025, Portsmouth ranked highest among the seven Hampton Roads cities for the most homicides.


Arts and culture


Tourism

Portsmouth has a long history as a
port town A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...
and city. The Olde Towne Business and Historic District is located adjacent to the Downtown Portsmouth Historic District, where a combination of preservation and redevelopment has been underway. The Hawthorn Hotel & Suites at The Governor Dinwiddie Hotel was renovated and reopened in 2005 after being closed for more than 10 years. It has been recognized by
Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program identifies hotels in the United States that have maintained authenticity, sense of place, and a ...
, a program of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 ...
that identifies hotels that have maintained their historical integrity, architecture and ambiance and provides resources for their preservation. The historic hotel was named for
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Robert Dinwiddie Robert Dinwiddie (1692 – 27 July 1770) was a Scottish colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1751 to 1758. Since the governors of Virginia remained in Great Britain, he served as the ''de facto'' head o ...
, who was the administrative head of the
Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...
during the time Portsmouth was founded in 1752. It was largely through his efforts that Virginia survived the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
relatively well. Other points of interest include the Portsmouth City Park, featuring the
narrow-gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curv ...
Portsmouth City Railroad with an operating
Chance Rides Chance Rides is an American roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. Originally founded in 1961, the current company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufa ...
C.P. Huntington locomotive named ''Pokey Smokey II''. The original ''Pokey Smokey'' locomotive was built by
Crown Metal Products Crown Metal Products was a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock based in Wyano, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Ken Williams in 1946 and initially sold pot cleaners and then electric fence wires and other products. In 1959, the compan ...
and ran at the park for many years before being sold at auction. It now runs on the Mideast Railroad in Ederville in
Carthage, North Carolina Carthage is the county seat of Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 2,205 in 2010 United States census, 2010. Carthage is named after Carthage, the ancient c ...
. The
Railroad Museum of Virginia Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
located at Harbor Center Way features vintage railroad artifacts, rolling stock, and an operating model train layout. The Children's Museum of Virginia is located in Portsmouth at 221 High Street. It is the largest children's museum in the state. The museum is busiest in the summer, receiving up to 1,000 visitors per day. Completed in 2023, the
Rivers Casino Portsmouth Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a casino located in the Hampton Roads city of Portsmouth, Virginia, adjacent to the Tidewater Community College - Portsmouth Campus. Owned by Rush Street Gaming, it opened on January 23, 2023, becoming Virginia's first ...
boasts a casino floor with slots, table games, poker tables, and a sportsbook. It is the second casino in Virginia and the first casino in Virginia with a permanent facility.


Historic sites


Seaboard Coastline Building

Located at 1 High Street in the Olde Towne Historic District, the Seaboard Coastline Building is a historic train station and former headquarters of the Seaboard Air Line railroad company.


Hill House

Hill House is a four-story 1825 English basement home furnished entirely with original family belongings. The Hill family were avid collectors and lived graciously over a period of 150 years. The house remains in its original condition, with limited renovation through the years.


Cedar Grove Cemetery

Established in 1832, Cedar Grove Cemetery is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Portsmouth. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia, the cemetery is noted for its
funerary art Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the death, dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, a ...
and the civic, business, maritime, religious and military leaders who are buried there. Historical markers placed throughout the cemetery allow for self-guided tours. The cemetery is located between Effingham Street and Fort Lane in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Entrance is through the south gate to the cemetery, located on London Boulevard.


Sports

In 1895, Portsmouth became home to the
Portsmouth Truckers The Portsmouth Truckers were an American professional baseball team in Minor League Baseball. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, and primarily competing in the Virginia League, the team existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1928. The team played in the Pied ...
, a
minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
professional baseball team. The team played in the Virginia State League. In 1896, the team was renamed the Portsmouth Browns and competed in the
Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928, folding in June. The most fa ...
. In 1900, the team competed in the Virginia League as the Portsmouth Boers. They again competed as the Browns in 1901 in the Virginia-North Carolina League. From 1906 to 1909, the team played once again as the Portsmouth Truckers. In 1911, they competed in the Tidewater League. From 1912 to 1935, the team played in the Virginia League. They were the Portsmouth Pirates in 1912 and 1913, but returned to the mascot Truckers in 1914. In 1920, under managers Jim Barton and Jim Viox, the team won the first of multiple league championships. They won their next title the next season, also under Viox's guidance. They won their third and final league championship in 1927, under the leadership of
Zinn Beck Zinn Bertram Beck (September 30, 1885 – March 19, 1981) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A third baseman, shortstop and first baseman, Beck played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankee ...
. In 1935, they were affiliated with the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and began competing in the
Piedmont League The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States. Cities represented The following cities hosted teams th ...
. Because of the affiliation, they began competing as the Portsmouth Cubs in 1936. The team was affiliated with the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
from 1939 to 1940, but was again affiliated with the Cubs from 1941 to 1947.BR Minors page
/ref> From 1953 until 1955 the team was known as the Portsmouth Merrimacs. Portsmouth hosted the Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides from 1961 to 1968, who played in the Class A level
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...
from 1961 to 1962 and the Class A
Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
from 1963 to 1968. The franchise played its last season in Portsmouth when the
Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
of the Class AAA level
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
moved there in 1969. In 1970, the franchise relocated permanently to
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, becoming the
Tidewater Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesape ...
of the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
from 1969 to 1992. That team later evolved into today's Class AAA
Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...
. Each April since 1953, the city hosts the
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, (PIT), is the only postseason camp restricted to college basketball seniors. The Portsmouth Invitational is the first of two NBA pre-Draft (sports), draft camps, the other being the Orlando pre-Draft (sport ...
, where
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
seniors play in front of scouts from the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
and top European leagues. Many top basketball stars played in the PIT before successful pro careers, including
Jimmy Butler Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets", he is a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Te ...
,
Scottie Pippen Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with th ...
,
Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...
, and
John Stockton John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player. Regarded as one of the great point guards of all time, he spent his entire NBA career (1984–2003) with the Utah Jazz, and the team made the pla ...
. The Portsmouth Cavaliers were a basketball team founded in 2010 and played in the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
for the 2011–12 season. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Cavaliers played their home games at the
Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A, Inc. ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain and the largest chain specializing in Chicken burger, chicken sandwiches. Headquarter ...
Fieldhouse on the campus of Portsmouth Catholic Regional School. The club spent one season in the American Professional Basketball League (APBL) before folding.


Government

Portsmouth is one of the most consistently Democratic of all Virginia's cities and counties. It has only voted for a Republican twice since 1900 (in 1928 and 1972), both of which were national landslides. It has voted for the Democratic candidate by over 60% since 1996, and in 2012
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
reached 70% of the vote for the first time since 1948. Portsmouth is governed under the Council-Manager form of government. The current mayor is Navy veteran and businessman Shannon Glover. In 2024, Glover was re-elected for a second four-year term. The City Council is a legislative body served by six members, elected for four-year terms. * John S. White, 1852–1853 * Hezekiah Stoakes, 1854 * D. D. Fiske, 1855 * James G. Hodges, 1856–1857 * George W. Grice, 1858–1860 * John O. Lawrence, 1861 * John Nash, 1862 * Daniel Collins, 1863–1865 * James C. White, 1866 * James E. Stoakes, 1868 * E. W. Whipple, 1869 * Philip G. Thomas, 1870–1871 * A. S. Watts, 1872–1874 * John O'Connor, 1876–1877 * John Thompson Baird, 1878–1894 * L.H. Davis, 1894–1896 * John Thompson Baird, circa 1896–1902 * ? * Jack P. Barnes, circa 1973 * Richard Joseph Davis, 1974–1980 * Julian E. Johansen, circa 1980–1983 * James W. Holley III, 1984–1987 * Gloria Webb, 1987–1996 * James W. Holley III, 1996–2010 * Kenneth I. Wright, 2010–2017 * John Rowe, 2017–2021 * Shannon Glover 2021–present


Education


Primary and secondary schools

In 1846, the Virginia General Assembly passed an act that established a "free education for all classes." In 1848, Portsmouth began organizing a public education system for primary school and elected a board for that purpose. A small tuition was required, but poorer students were paid for by funds from the sale of the Glebe lands. During the 1969-1970 session of the General Assembly, Portsmouth Public Schools was established. The district is made up of twenty-four schools. There are three public high schools in Portsmouth, located at three corners of the city. In the northwest section of the city, off Cedar Lane, is Churchland High School. In the downtown section of the city, between London Blvd and High Street, is I.C. Norcom High School. In the southwest section of Portsmouth, on Elmhurst Lane, is Manor High School. There are also three middle schools, thirteen elementary schools, three preschools, an alternative education center, and an adult education center. There are approximately 13,000 students enrolled in Portsmouth Public Schools, and the district employs approximately 2,100 people. The district has struggled with staff retention and teacher vacancies. In 2023, the superintendent of Portsmouth Public Schools announced the development of a Career and Technical Education Center. In July 2024, the city began construction on the center, named the Portsmouth Advanced Career Education (PACE) Center.


Higher education

Portsmouth is home to the Tri-Cities Higher Education Center of
Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...
(ODU), a public research university founded in 1930 whose main campus is located in Norfolk, Virginia. Portsmouth is also home to the Fred W. Beazley Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College, a two-year higher education institution founded in 1968 in South Hampton Roads with additional campuses located in Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Angelos Bible College was established in 1984, under the name Angelos Bible Institute. In August 2000, the school received approval from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia to begin offering degrees, and the first class graduated in 2001.


Media

Portsmouth's daily newspaper is the ''
Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Hampton Roads, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virgi ...
'' with The Currents being the Portsmouth edition of the Sunday paper. Other papers include the '' New Journal and Guide'', and '' Inside Business''. ''Hampton Roads Magazine'' serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Portsmouth and the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area. The ''Hampton Roads Times'' is an online magazine for all the Hampton Roads cities and counties. Portsmouth is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area. The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
), WAVY 10 (
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
),
WVEC-TV WVEC (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Hampton, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of ABC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Woodis Avenue in Norfolk; its transmitte ...
13 (
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
),
WGNT WGNT (channel 27) is an independent television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk-licensed CBS affiliate WTKR (ch ...
27 (
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
),
WTVZ WTVZ-TV (channel 33) is a television station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on Clearfield Avenue in ...
33 (
MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...
), WVBT 43 (
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
, with
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
on DT2), and WPXV 49 (
ION Television Ion Television (referred to on-air as simply Ion) is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August ...
). The
Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the ...
stations are
WHRO-TV WHRO-TV (channel 15) is a PBS member television station licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association (HRETA), a consortium of 21 Hampton Roads and ...
15, Hampton/Norfolk and WUND-TV 2, Edenton, NC. Two additional stations also receivable in Portsmouth include independent station WSKY-TV, which broadcasts on channel 4 from the
Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...
of North Carolina and WGBS-LD broadcasting paid programming on channel 7 from Carrollton. Portsmouth is served by Cox Cable and Verizon FIOS.
DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...
and
Dish Network DISH Network L.L.C., often referred to as DISH, an abbreviation for Digital Sky Highway, is an American provider of satellite television and IPTV services and wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The company was originally establ ...
are also popular as an alternative to
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
in Portsmouth. The Hampton Roads
designated market area A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
(DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.).Holmes, Gary.
Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006–2007 Season
." ''
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
.'' September 23, 2006. Retrieved on September 28, 2007.


Infrastructure


Transportation

From the earliest development, Portsmouth has been oriented to the water. In the 1830s, it was the first community in Hampton Roads to receive a new land transportation innovation, railroad service. The Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad, a predecessor of the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...
, extended to the rapids of the
Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the ...
on its fall line near
Weldon, North Carolina Weldon is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,655 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area. History In 1752, Daniel Weldon purchased 1,273 ac ...
. It was to be 20 more years before its bigger neighbor, the city of Norfolk, also received a rail line, in 1858, when the
Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad The Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad was built between Norfolk and Petersburg, Virginia and was completed by 1858. The line was of track gauge. It played a role on the American Civil War (1861–1865), and became part of the Atlantic, Mississip ...
was completed. The
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...
operated passenger trains #36 and #5 to and from its North Portsmouth Station to Rocky Mount, North Carolina until 1954. In earlier years ACL ran trains including the ''Tar Heel'' all the way south to Wilmington, North Carolina. From Seaboard Terminal the Seaboard Air Line and then the
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Eventually, the railroad was merged with its affiliate lin ...
operated #17 and #18 to and from
Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, where the train joined with those companies' '' Silver Comet.'' The SAL also operated a local all-coach train (#3-11 southbound/#6-10 northbound) to Atlanta from the terminal. The 17/18 trains ended in 1968. Portsmouth is primarily served by the
Norfolk International Airport Norfolk International Airport is northeast of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk, within the boundaries of the independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is owned and operated by the Norfolk Airport Au ...
, now the region's major commercial airport. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits of neighboring
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
and
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...
. Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty-five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport also provides commercial air service for the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area. The Chesapeake Regional Airport provides general aviation services and is located outside the city limits. In the 21st century, the city has access to lines of
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
,
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
and three
short line railroad A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the United States and Canada. In the former, railroads are ...
s.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
provides service to points along the
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...
from Newport News station across the Hampton Roads, and from Norfolk station across the Elizabeth River. Portsmouth is served by Interstate 264 and Interstate 664, which is part of the
Hampton Roads Beltway The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region o ...
.
U.S. Route 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the East Coast of the United States, At ...
and
U.S. Route 58 U.S. Route 58 (US 58) is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee, to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran on ...
pass through. The Elizabeth River is crossed via the Midtown Tunnel, the
Downtown Tunnel The Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 (Virginia), Interstate 264 (I-264) and U.S. Route 460 Alternate (Chesapeake–Norfolk, Virginia), U.S. Route 460 Alternate (US 460 Alt.) crosses the Southern Branch Elizabeth River, Southern B ...
and Berkley Bridge combination.
Hampton Roads Transit Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) is the regional public transit provider for Virginia's Hampton Roads metropolitan area, including the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, and the town o ...
is the regional bus service.


Law enforcement


Police Department

In 2019, the Portsmouth Police Department had about 255 sworn
law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, ...
s and 380 total employees. In May 2019, Police Chief Tonya Chapman resigned from her position, claiming she was forced to resign and had experienced systemic racism during her tenure. She was replaced by Angela Greene who served as interim chief. In June 2020, a
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
protest took place in Portsmouth and resulted in the vandalism of the local Confederate monument. In August 2020, nineteen people, including state senator Louise Lucas, Chief Public Defender Brenda Spry, two additional
public defenders A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Belgium, Hungary and Si ...
, Portsmouth School Board member LaKeesha Atkinson, and three
NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
representatives were charged with felony vandalism of the monument. The charges were announced on August 17, 2020, by Police Chief Angela Greene, one day prior to a special legislative session pushing for policing reform. In order to obtain the charges, the police department circumvented the
commonwealth's attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
, taking the charges directly to the
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...
. Judge Claire G. Cardwell dismissed the charges in November 2020. Cardwell found the charges concerning and believed the police did not take out the charges out of concern for public safety. Police Chief Angela Greene was fired shortly before the dismissal of the charges. Ten of the individuals who were charged sued the city for violating their rights, claiming that they were improperly defamed. In October 2021 the city settled the lawsuit, writing them checks for $15,000 each. In September 2021, Renado Prince was promoted from Assistant Police Chief to Police Chief. At the end of 2021, Portsmouth reported 35 homcides, its highest number in years, up from 34 in 2020 and 16 in 2019. At the time, the police department had approximately 80 unfilled officer positions. In July 2022, former-Police Chief Tonya Chapman started a position as City Manager. Chapman fired Prince after he sent a text message criticizing her, only one week after she started as city manager. Prince was replaced with Stephen Jenkins. Chapman was later fired by the Portsmouth City Council in January 2023, and Prince was re-hired in June 2023 as an Assistant Police Chief. Ten Portsmouth policemen have died in the line of duty, the first in 1871. Four of these died from gunshot wounds.


Sheriff's Office

The sheriff's office oversees the management of the Portsmouth City Jail and the Portsmouth Judicial Center. In 2021, the Porstmouth Sheriff's Office also began overseeing the
school resource officer The United States Department of Justice defines school resource officers (SRO) as "sworn law enforcement officers responsible for the safety and crime prevention in schools". They are employed by a local police or sheriff's department and work cl ...
program for the city, providing officers to public schools. As of April 2023, the deputies at the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office were the lowest paid in Hampton Roads. In September 2019, Judge Johnny E. Morrison approved the condemnation of the buildings at the Portsmouth Civic Center Complex, but allowed the Portsmouth City Jail located at the complex to continue operating. Sheriff Michael Moore sued the city for condemning the buildings without warning, arguing that it was the city's job to maintain the jail and stated the city had not maintained the building. At the time, the jail housed 250 inmates and employed 80 individuals. In January 2020, Morrison ruled that the city could not close the jail, stating that the jail must be "repaired and maintained." At the time, a privately owned facility, Hampton Roads Regional Jail HRRJ, was also operating in the city. The city's attorneys argued that the sheriff's office should send inmates to the regional jail, since the city already paid for spots at the jail. The sheriff's attorney argued that the Portsmouth City Jail was in relatively good condition and just needed a few repairs. Sheriff Moore stated that he refused to send inmates to Hampton Roads Regional Jail due to civil rights violations, medical problems, and inmate deaths that were investigated by the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...
in 2018. In March 2020, the Portsmouth City Council voted 4–3 in favor of closing the jail due to its poor conditions. Following the vote, Morrison ruled once again that the jail could not be closed, despite the decision of the city council. The jail remained open. In April 2023, a woman sued the sheriff's office, claiming that, while at the Portsmouth City Jail, she was forced to pull down her pants in order to prove that she was menstruating and receive menstrual products. On May 26, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a fire broke out in the basement of the Portsmouth City Jail. The fire started in a tool room in the basement and moved up an elevator shaft, spreading to the eighth floor. Sheriff Moore stated that the building was old and its internal workings were "starting to deteriorate pretty quickly." The jail moved inmates from the top floor to the bottom floor and began evacuating. More than 150 inmates were evacuated and transported to the facility that previously operated as the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The city had purchased the property after its closure on April 1, 2024. No injuries were reported from the incident, but inmates and deputies were evaluated by medical teams. Portsmouth does not have a juvenile detention facility. For more than thirty years, Portsmouth youth charged with crimes were held in the neighboring city of Chesapeake, at Chesapeake Juvenile Services. In the spring of 2023, Chesapeake Juvenile Services terminated its agreement with the Porstmouth Sheriff's Office. Since then, Portsmouth youth have been housed in Williamsburg, Northern Virginia, and
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. Bristol is a 15-hour round trip drive.


Hampton Roads Regional Jail

The Hampton Roads Regional Jail began operating in Portsmouth in June 1998. It took three years and $66 million to construct the 385,000-foot facility. At the time it was constructed, it was Virginia's third-largest correctional facility and could house up to 1,300 inmates. It was built in response to overcrowding at other facilities in the area, and housed inmates from Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, and Chesapeake. The
United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...
also used the facility. The jail housed the highest mentally ill inmate population across the state of Virginia. The facility was managed by a 15-member board and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority, which was made up of the city manager, the sheriff, and one council member from each of the five cities that used the jail. In August 2015, JaMycheal Mitchell died while incarcerated at the jail. Mitchell was held at the jail due to allegations that he stole $5.05 worth of sweets from a
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
convenience store. Mitchell was mentally disabled, and lost over forty pounds over the course of his four months at the facility. A doctor had deemed Mitchell incompetent to stand trial in May 2015, and an order was entered requiring Mitchell to be sent to Eastern State Hospital to receive restoration services. For some reason, the hospital did not receive the order and Mitchell was not transported from the jail to the hospital. In May 2016, Mitchell's aunt alleged that jail staff had allowed Mitchell to starve to death while incarcerated. Other inmates stated that they had pleaded with the guards to help Mitchell, but were ignored. Mitchell's official cause of death was a heart condition and
cachexia Cachexia () is a syndrome that happens when people have certain illnesses, causing muscle loss that cannot be fully reversed with improved nutrition. It is most common in diseases like cancer, Heart failure, congestive heart failure, chronic o ...
. The allegations stated that Mitchell had been denied many meals and left him naked with no bedding in a dirty cell. In March 2017, the Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney received allegations regarding Mitchell's death and asked the
Virginia State Police The Virginia State Police, officially the Virginia Department of State Police, conceived in 1919 and established in 1932, is the state police force for the U.S. state of Virginia. The agency originated out of the Virginia Department of Motor Ve ...
to investigate. In 2016, the
U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...
began investigating the jail for possible civil rights violations. In 2018, the Department of Justice released a report detailing the jail's failures. The jail had ignored inmates' requests for medical treatment and sometimes left inmates in their cells for 22 hours or more. The Department of Justice found that the jail had violated the
Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...
and the
Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Eighth Amendment (Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution protects against imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments. This amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the ...
due to its use of
cruel and unusual punishment Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase in common law describing punishment that is considered unacceptable due to the suffering, pain, or humiliation it inflicts on the person subjected to the sanction. The precise definition varies by jurisdi ...
. The jail faced ongoing staffing challenges as the costs of operating increased, and in 2021 had more than 100 vacant positions. Between 2015 and 2024, more than twenty-five inmates died while incarcerated at the jail. Due to these violations, Hampton Roads Regional Jail was the only jail in the United States placed under Department of Justice oversight and a federal
consent decree A consent decree is an agreement or settlement that resolves a dispute between two parties without admission of guilt (in a criminal case) or liability (in a civil case). Most often it is such a type of settlement in the United States. The ...
during the first
Trump Administration Presidency of Donald Trump may refer to: * First presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration from 2017 to 2021 * Second presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration since 2025 See also * ...
. In 2020, under the consent decree, the jail agreed to implement changes to hire additional staff and reduce its use of solitary confinement; however, the sheriffs' offices in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Chesapeake stated that they would cut back the number of inmates that they housed at the regional jail. In March 2021, the
American Correctional Association The American Correctional Association (ACA; called the National Prison Association before 1954) is a private, non-profit, non-governmental trade association and accrediting body for the corrections industry, the oldest and largest such associati ...
revoked the jail's accreditation. In April 2021, a Virginia Jail Review Committee recommended the closure of Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The committee's preliminary findings determined that the jail failed to meet minimum standards for supervision of inmates and did not provided twenty-four hour emergency medical and mental health care as required. The committee also believed that the jail knowingly withheld information and gave inaccurate case summaries in the deaths of three inmates. By October 2023, the jail housed only 202 inmates, despite having room for up to 1,300. Portsmouth and Norfolk were rarely using the facility, with the Portsmouth sheriff stating that he refused to use the facility due to the civil rights violations. On April 1, 2024, Hampton Roads Regional Jail permanently closed after operating as a private jail in the city for twenty-five years. After its closure, the city purchased the property. The Portsmouth City Jail moved its operations to the location in May 2024, after a fire broke out and rendered the original jail building inoperable.


Healthcare


Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center

The primary hospital serving the citizens of Portsmouth is Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center. It is a non-profit hospital with 346 beds, managed by Bon Secours Health System. The hospital was dedicated on March 4, 1945, and is located on High Street. During World War II, thousands of new shipyard workers and their families moved to the area, and the city saw a need for a new hospital. When it opened, the hospital was named Glensheallah Hospital. It was funded by the Federal Government. After the war, the government sold the hospital to the Catholic Church's Diocese of Richmond for $85,000. The Dioscese of Richmond agreed to operate the hospital with the
Daughters of Wisdom The Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic religious institute of women founded by Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet in 1703 to serve those in need. History In 1703, when he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers, Louis de Mont ...
. After its sale, the Daughters of Wisdom considered naming the hospital "Glensheallah" or "Glenmary", but they eventually settled on the name "Maryview" to honor the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
and the Waterview area adjacent to the hospital. In 1984, the Diocese of Richmond transferred the hospital to the Sisters of Bon Secours Health Systems, Inc. in Marriottsville, Maryland, and the hospital became part of the Bon Secours Health Network.


Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

The Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NCMP) is a United States Navy medical center adjacent to the Olde Towne Historic District and Park View Historic District. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy medical system with the motto "First and Finest." At the time of its founding, the hospital was known as the Norfolk Naval Hospital. Later, the name was changed to Naval Hospital Portsmouth and eventually, Naval Medical Center Portsouth. Building 1 of the center was built in 1830. Building 3, which was originally named Building 215, was built in 1959. Building 3 operated as the main hospital until Charette Building opened on April 30, 1999. The Charette building is 1.02 million square feet and has 353 inpatient beds. Due to its proximity to many military bases, the medical center has more than 100,000 beneficiaries enrolled for care.


Portsmouth General Hospital

In 1886, The Daughters of the King, a women's organization, was formed at Trinity Episcopal Church located in what is now Olde Towne Portsmouth. In 1895, the organization began reaching out to women in other churches across Portsmouth, hoping to open a hospital. In 1897, an eight-room house at 49 Court Street opened as King's Daughters' Hospital Home for the Sick. In 1898, the small hospital changed its name to the King's Daughters Hospital. By 1903, the hospital had outgrown its location on Court Street, and the hospital moved to a house on Emmet Street. The location was razed in 1914, so that a larger 3-story hospital could be built. In 1904, the hospital established a School of Nursing, located a block away from the hospital. In 1955, a fire destroyed part of the hospital, and it required extensive repairs. The hospital was renamed Portsmouth General Hospital in 1956. The School of Nursing operated until 1984, when the board of Portsmouth General voted to close the school due to financial problems. The last class of twelve nurses graduated from the school in 1986. In 1988, Bon Secours attempted to purchase Portsmouth General, but it was instead sold to the nonprofit Tidewater Health Care. There were nine hospitals in South Hampton Roads at the time, and Portsmouth General could no longer sustain itself. In 1994, the hospital lost almost $200 on every patient admission. In May 1996, the sale of the hospital to Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center was announced, with Maryview stating that it intended to transfer services and then close the hospital. At the time of the sale, Portsmouth General Hospital employed 830 people, 350 of whom were expected to be laid of as the hospital closed. From 1996 to 1999, hospital services were gradually transferred to Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth and Bon Secours Harbour View Medical Center in nearby Suffolk.Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation
Historic Site
The hospital officially ceased operations in 1999, after serving the people of Portsmouth for over 100 years.


Notable people

* V. C. Andrews (1923–1986), bestselling novelist * Cleo Anthony (1981–), American actor * James P. Berkeley (1907–1985),
USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
general and expert in
Military communications Military communications or military signals involve all aspects of communications, or conveyance of information, by armed forces. Examples from '' Jane's Military Communications'' include text, audio, facsimile, tactical ground-based communica ...
*
Ken Bowersox Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox (born November 14, 1956) is a United States Navy officer and former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five Space Shuttle launches and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. When he launched on STS-73 ...
(1956–), astronaut * Marty Brennaman (1942–), long-time
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
radio broadcaster * Karen Briggs (b. 1963), violinist *
Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...
(1928–2006), R&B singer and actress *
Bebe Buell Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell ( ; born July 14, 1953) is an American singer and former model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with Eileen Ford, ...
(1953–), Playboy Playmate, fashion model, singer, mother of
Liv Tyler Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress. She began her career as a model before making her film debut in '' Silent Fall'' (1994). She went on to receive critical recognition and attention after her starring ...
* John T. Casteen III (1943–), President of the University of Virginia, born in Portsmouth * Mahlon Clark (1923–2007), musician * LaTasha Colander (b. 1976), track and field sprint star, 2000 Olympic gold medalist (4 × 400 m) * Deborah Coleman (1956–2018), blues musician * Fanny Murdaugh Downing (1831–1894), author and poet * Archie Elliott Jr., African-American retired judge and lawyer * Archie Elliott III (1968–1993), Black 24-year-old shot by police in District Heights, Maryland on June 18, 1993 * Jamin Elliott (1979–), former NFL wide receiver with the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons *
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
(1971–), recording artist, award-winning producer, singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and clothing line designer *
Perry Ellis Perry Edwin Ellis (March 3, 1940 – May 30, 1986) was an American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s. Ellis' influence on the fashion industry has been called "a huge turning point" because he in ...
(1940–1986), fashion designer, founded a sportswear house in the mid-1970s *
Dorian Finney-Smith Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith (born May 4, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball, Virgini ...
(1993–), Professional basketball player for the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
* Clifton C. Garvin (1921–2016), President and CEO of
Exxon Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the largest direct successor of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the modern company was form ...
*
Mordechai Gifter Mordechai Gifter (October 15, 1915 - January 18, 2001) was an American Haredi rabbi. He was the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland. He was a staunch opponent of Zionism. Gifter studied in yeshivas in Lithuania, and held seve ...
(1915–2001), among the foremost American religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century * Melvin Gregg (1988–), American actor and model * Chandler Harper, (1914–2004), winner of the 1950 PGA golf championship *
Ken Hatfield Kenneth Wahl Hatfield (born June 6, 1943) is an American former college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy (1979–1983), the University of Arkansas (1984–1989), Clemson Unive ...
, classical guitarist * James W. Holley III (1926–2012), politician, first African-American mayor of any city in the Hampton Roads region (Portsmouth) * W. Nathaniel "Nat" Howell (1939–2020), State Dept. Foreign Service officer, former Ambassador to
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
; professor emeritus, the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
*
Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American musician and record producer. Alongside childhood friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in 1992, with whom he has produced numerous hit records for variou ...
(1974–), American record producer and songwriter * Ben Jones (1941–), actor "Cooter" on ''
The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...
''; U.S. Congressman, moved to Portsmouth as a child * T. J. Jordan (b. 1986), basketball player * Jillian Kesner-Graver (1949–2007), actress * Jack T. Kirby (1938–2009), historian of the southern United States, awarded the
Bancroft Prize The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948, with a bequest from Frederic Bancroft, in his memory and that of his brother, d ...
for his 2006 book ''Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South'' * Erik S. Kristensen (1972–2005), US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander and highest decorated SEAL to be killed in
Operation Red Wings Operation Red Wings (often incorrectly referred to as ''Operation Redwing'' or ''Operation Red Wing''), informally referred to as the Battle of Abbas Ghar, was a joint military operation conducted by the United States in the Pech District ...
*
Rita Lavelle Rita Marie Lavelle (born September 8, 1947) is a United States and California State Republican political figure. In 1984, Lavelle was convicted on federal charges of perjury related to an investigation into misuse of the United States Environmen ...
(1947–), assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency * Louise Lucas (b. 1944), Virginia State Senator, and the first woman and first African-American to hold the position of President pro tempore of the Virginia Senate * Nathan McCall (1955–), African-American author who grew up in the Cavalier Manor section of Portsmouth, Virginia * Kenneth R. Melvin (1952–), former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, lawyer, and current jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia * LaShawn Merritt (b. 1986) – 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter * Pete Mikolajewski (1943–), football player * Johnny E. Morrison, jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia * George "Shadow" Morton (1941–2013) – record producer and songwriter * James Murphy (1967–),
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
guitarist, member of the bands
Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
,
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,
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and Disincarnate * Bismarck Myrick (b. 1940), U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a ...
, U.S. Ambassador to
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* Wendell Cushing Neville (1870–1930), 14th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps *
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(1929–2007), assistant bandleader for the Johnny Carson Band *
Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–2023) as adult ...
(1969–), writer, stand-up comedian, and actor * Ace Parker (1912–2013),
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quarterback; also played baseball with the
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* John L. Porter (1813–1893), President of the first City Council, a naval constructor for United States Navy and the Confederate States Navy. * Dave Robertson (1889–1970), MLB outfielder 1912–22, played in World Series for
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
; born in Portsmouth *
William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series ''Wiseguy (TV series), Wiseguy'', the soap operas ''A ...
(1950–), actor * Bill Schneider (b. 1944), political commentator for
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* Don Scott (b. 1965), lawyer, Democratic politician, Navy veteran, and the first Black Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates * Dave Smith (1942–), poet, novelist * Lon Solomon, Christian pastor and evangelist * Dorin Spivey, NBA World and NABA Lightweight Boxing Champion * William Spong Jr. (1920–1997), lawyer, Democratic politician, United States Senator for the state of Virginia. * Brenda Spry, jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia *
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* Clif Tinker (1956–), San Antonio, Texas-based commercial artist *
Adrienne Warren Adrienne Warren is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical '' Bring It On'', and in 2016 received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performance in '' Shuffle Alo ...
(1987–), Broadway singer and actress *
Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ca ...
(1957–), bassist, singer and songwriter *
Khadijah Whittington Khadijah Ameenah Whittington (born August 5, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the CSM Satu Mare of the Liga Națională. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School (where she was a teammate of T. J. Jordan), Whit ...
(1986–), professional basketball player for the CSM Satu Mare of the Liga Națională *
Nicole Wray Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1979, also known as Lady Wray, is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1998 debut single " Make It Hot" was certified gold. In the 2010s, she began pursuing a more traditional soul sound, first as part of the d ...
(1979–), R&B singer and songwriter


Sister city

*
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, United Kingdom


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * circa 1916– * * * *


External links


City of Portsmouth municipal website

Portsmouth city directories
19th–20th c. (via Norfolk Public Library) *
Items related to Portsmouth, Virginia
various dates (via
Digital Public Library of America The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two-and-a-half years of dev ...
) {{authority control Cities in Virginia 1752 establishments in the Colony of Virginia Populated places in Hampton Roads Black Belt (U.S. region) Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Virginia