Demographics/Quick Facts
Population 214,725
66.87% White
28.53% African American
2% Hispanic
2% Asian
.6% Other
Median Age: 35 years
Median Household Income: $50,743
Land 340.7 sq mi

Chesapeake is centrally located within 20 minutes of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 15 minutes from downtown Norfolk, and 40 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Chesapeake is one of the larger cities in Virginia and the nation in terms of land, a fact that poses challenges to city leaders in supporting a large infrastructure. It is currently the third largest city in Virginia in terms of population. The presence of many historically and geographically distinct communities also poses challenges to city leaders, who are also faced with conflicts between development of suburban areas and preservation of virgin forest, wetlands, and whose city includes a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp.

The city was created in 1963, when the former independent city of South Norfolk was consolidated with Norfolk County and reincorporated (approval from the Virginia General Assembly) as the new City of Chesapeake. The new name was selected through a voter referendum. Although the city is relatively young, Norfolk County had been formed in 1691.

History
Chesapeake’s history goes far back into Virginia’s colonial roots. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Chesapeake. On the waterway, at Great Bridge where the locks transition from the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River to the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal lies the site of the Battle of Great Bridge. This American Revolutionary War battle was responsible for removing Lord Dunmore and any other vestige of English Government for the Colony of Virginia during the early days of the American Revolution on December 9, 1775.

The Dismal Swamp Canal runs through Chesapeake as well. The site of this canal was surveyed by George Washington, among others, and is known as “Washington’s Ditch.” It is the oldest continuously used man made canal in the United States today and has been in service for over 230 years. The canal begins in the Deep Creek section of the city branching off from the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. The canal runs through Chesapeake paralleling U.S. Highway 17 into North Carolina and connects to Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, much of Chesapeake was either suburban or rural, serving as a bedroom community of the adjacent cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach with residents commuting to these locations. Beginning in the late 1980s and accelerating in the 1990s, however, Chesapeake saw significant growth, attracting numerous and significant industries and businesses of its own. This explosive growth quickly led to strains on the municipal infrastructure, ranging from the city’s water problems to congested roads and schools.