Hampton Roads
Our "first from the sea, first to the stars" city is the oldest continuous English-speaking settlement in North America. That's just one of many momentous turning points in Hampton's and our nation's history.
A city of 138,000 residents, Hampton is part of the metro area known as Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads, with a population of 1.3 million, is the 27th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the U.S. The region called Hampton Roads encompasses the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg; as well as the counties of Accomoack, Currituck, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews and York.
The name Southampton was bestowed upon the area in the early 1600s by Lord Delaware, royal governor to the colony of Virginia. It was selected in honor of the third Lord of Southampton, a stalwart supporter of Virginia colonization and a sponsor of many expeditions to the New World.
The word roadstead, a nautical term for a place where ships could ride safely at anchor, described the important waterways that surrounded the developing colonial cities.
Originally called the Earl of Southampton’s Roadstead, the name of the area was gradually shortened to Hampton Roads.
The name Southampton was bestowed upon the area in the early 1600s by Lord Delaware, royal governor to the colony of Virginia. It was selected in honor of the third Lord of Southampton, a stalwart supporter of Virginia colonization and a sponsor of many expeditions to the New World.
The word roadstead, a nautical term for a place where ships could ride safely at anchor, described the important waterways that surrounded the developing colonial cities.
Originally called the Earl of Southampton’s Roadstead, the name of the area was gradually shortened to Hampton Roads.
