ZIP Code 23701

Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval Medical Center Portsmouth are historic and active U.S. Navy facilities located in Portsmouth. Portsmouth was founded by Colonel William Crawford, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. It was established as a town in 1752 and was named for Portsmouth, England. In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every three citizens. Portsmouth continued as the county seat of Norfolk County until 1963 when the new city of Chesapeake was formed in a political consolidation with the city of South Norfolk. Portsmouth's other county neighbor, the former Nansemond County, also consolidated with a smaller city, forming the newCity of Suffolk in 1974. The APM "MAERSK" marine terminal for container ships opened in 2007 in the West Norfolk section of the city. In the early 21st century, Portsmouth was undergoing moderate urban renewal in the downtown. The city is one of the older cities of Hampton Roads, in the early 20th century. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which includes Norfolk, Richmond, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Suffolk. The name of the shipyard was derived from its location in Norfolk County. The shipyard today is located entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth, Virginia. It itself is located in Kittery, Maine, across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

History

Portsmouth was established as a town in 1752 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and was named for Portsmouth, England. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1858. Portsmouth continued as the county seat of Norfolk County until 1963 when the new city of Chesapeake was formed in a political consolidation with the city of South Norfolk. Portsmouth was undergoing moderate urban renewal in the early 21st century. The APM "MAERSK" marine terminal for container ships opened in 2007 in the West Norfolk section of the city. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard today is located entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth, Virginia. The name of the shipyard was derived from its location in Norfolk County. The shipyard itself is actually located in Kittery, Maine, across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every three citizens in 1855. The city is home to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded in 1851 and is located in the heart of the historic downtown area. It is also the home of the National Museum of American History, which opened in 1854. The Virginia State Museum of Art opened in 1861 and is the state's oldest museum. The museum is located on the grounds of the former Virginia State House of Representatives, which dates back to the 17th century. It has a collection of more than 2,000 works of art, including the first American Civil War ship, the USS Merrimack.

Historic sites

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was built by slaves and free men and is the second-oldest building in Portsmouth. The city 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. The Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is a United States Navy medical center adjacent to the Olde Towne Historic District and Park View Historic District. It is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy medical system with the motto "First and Finest" The Seaboard Coastline Building is a historic train station and former headquarters of the Sealand Air Line railroad company. The Hill House is a four-story 1825 English basement home furnished entirely with original family belongings. The cemetery is noted for its funerary art and the civic, business, maritime, religious and military leaders who are buried there. It was established in 1832 and is located between Effingham Street and Fort Lane in Oldo Towne Portsmouth. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia, the city's oldest city-owned cemetery. The Cemetery is located on London Boulevard and the entrance is through the south gate to the cemetery, located on England Boulevard. The house remains in its original condition, with limited renovation through the years. It's evident from the furnishings that the Hill family were avid collectors and lived graciously over a period of 150 years. The church is located at 1 High Street in the Older Towne historic District.

Geography

Portsmouth has a mild humid subtropical climate. The mean annual temperature is 65 °F (18 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 3 inches. Snow falls rarely, averaging 3 inches (76 mm) per season. The city is also bisected by the West Branch of the Elizabeth River which flows from neighboring Suffolk. 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. The highest recorded temperature was 105.0 °F in 1980. The lowest recorded temperature in Portsmouth was -3.0°F on January 21, 1985. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 47 square miles (120 km²), of which 34 sq miles (88 km²) is land and 13sq miles (34km²) (28.0%) is water. The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. The average annual rainfall is 47 inches. No measurable snow fell in 1999, but it did fall in 1980 and 1985. The weather in Portsmouth is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with warm evenings, with low temperatures in the mid-teens and low 20s in the summer. It has a mean annual rainfall of 47 inches, with the average annual temperature of 65 °f (18°C) The city's climate is mild and seasonal, with high temperatures in summer and low lows in the winter.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 95,535 people, 38,170 households, and 25,497 families residing in the city. There were 41,605 housing units at an average density of 1,254.7 per square mile (484.4/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 53.3% African American, 41.6% White, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0,1% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 2.6%. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1%. The city's median income was $46,340, and the median income for a family was $53,769. About 13.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1 percent of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category.

Arts and culture

The Olde Towne Business and Historical District is located in the downtown area. Portsmouth City Park features the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Portsmouth City Railroad with an operating Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotive named Pokey Smokey II. The Railroad Museum of Virginia located at Harbor Center Way features vintage railroad artifacts, rolling stock, and an operating model train layout. 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, a program of the National Trust for Historical Preservation that identifies hotels that have maintained their historical integrity, architecture and ambiance. The historic hotel was named for Governor Robert Din widdie, who was the administrative head of the Colony of Virginia during the time Portsmouth was founded in 1752. It was largely through his efforts that Virginia survived the French and Indian War relatively well. The original Pokey smokey locomotive was built by Crown Metal Products 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. It now has a new home at the Norfolk Southern Railway in Norfolk, Virginia. It is the only locomotive in the U.S. to be able to run on both narrow gauge and standard gauge lines. The Norfolk Southern Railroad also has a narrow gauge locomotive that runs in the city.

Sports

The Portsmouth Cavaliers were a basketball team based in Virginia. The team played in the American Professional Basketball League (APBL) The team folded after the 2011-12 season. The city of Portsmouth is home to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The tournament is held each year in April to raise money for local charities. The event is open to the public, with tickets available for $20 per person.

Government

Portsmouth is governed under the Council-Manager form of government. The current mayor is Navy veteran and businessman Shannon Glover. The City Council is a legislative body served by six members, elected for four-year terms. The Portsmouth Police Department has about 255 sworn law enforcement officers and 380 total employees. In May 2019, Police Chief Tonya Chapman resigned from her position. She was replaced by Angela Greene who serves as interim chief. Ten Portsmouth policemen have died in the line of duty, the first in 1871. Four of these died from gunshot wounds. The first Portsmouth policeman to die from a gunshot wound was killed in 1872. The city is located in the Shenandoah Valley and is located on the Virginia-Maryland border. It is located at 801 Crawford Street, which is the regular meeting place of the City Council of The City of Portsmouth, Virginia. It has a population of about 3,000. It was founded in 1841. The town is home to the Virginia Institute of Technology, which has a campus in the center of the city. The University of Portsmouth has a chapter of the Virginia College of Art and Design, which opened in the early 1900s. The university is located near the city's downtown area and is the home of the College of Arts and Sciences. It also has a museum, the Portsmouth Museum of Art, which dates back to the early 20th century. The museum is on the second floor of City Hall, which was built in the late 1800s.

Crime

Crime in the city is much higher than elsewhere in Virginia or the U.S. generally. The crime rate is also higher than in most of the rest of the United States. The city has a high rate of violent crime, especially drug-related crimes. It also has a higher rate of murder than most other cities in the country. It is also the most violent city in the state, with more than 1,000 murders per year. It has the highest homicide rate in the United State. The highest rate is in Richmond, Virginia, where there are more than 2,000 homicides a year. The lowest rate is found in Norfolk, Virginia with just over 1.5 per cent of the city's residents living in crime-ridden areas. The rate is the lowest in Richmond and the state as a whole, with the lowest rate in Virginia and the highest rate in New York City, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. The most violent crime is in Norfolk and the city’s suburbs, with over 1,100 murders a year, the highest in Washington, DC, and the second highest in New Jersey, New York, New England, and South Carolina, with about 1,200. The largest crime rates are found in the cities of Richmond and Norfolk. The state has the lowest crime rates in the nation, with less than 1% of the population living in violent crime. The nation's highest crime rate, however, is in New Hampshire, at about 1.7 per cent, and it is the second-highest in Virginia.

Education

There are three public high schools in Portsmouth, Virginia, located at three corners of the city. The city is home to the Tri-Cities Higher Education Center of Old Dominion University (ODU) Tidewater Community College was established in 1984. Angelos Bible College was founded in 1984 and is located in Portsmouth. Portsmouth Public Schools operates public schools in primary and secondary schools, as well as the city's three high schools. Portsmouth is also home to a number of institutions of higher education in and in close proximity to the city, including ODU, Tidewater College, and Tidewater Bible College. Portsmouth has one of the highest crime rates in the state, according to the Virginia Department of Health and Human Services (VDHHS). The city has a high rate of obesity, the highest of any city in Virginia, and the second highest in the U.S. behind Virginia Beach. Portsmouth also has the highest rate of childhood obesity in the United States, after Virginia Beach and Richmond. The highest rate is Virginia Beach, where the city has the second-highest rate of child obesity. The lowest rate is Norfolk, Virginia where the average child obesity rate is the lowest. Portsmouth's high school graduation rate is 9.7%. The city's high rate for high school seniors is 10.3%. Portsmouth has the lowest rate of high school graduations. The average high school graduate has a bachelor's degree from a private college or university. The high school average for Portsmouth is 8.2%.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Portsmouth, Portsmouth City, Virginia = 50. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 40. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Portsmouth = 4.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 97,915 individuals with a median age of 34.4 age the population grows by 0.01% in Portsmouth, Portsmouth City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,940.39 residents per square mile of area (1,135.29/km²). There are average 2.47 people per household in the 38,344 households with an average household income of $44,768 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.50% of the available work force and has dropped -1.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.46%. The number of physicians in Portsmouth per 100,000 population = 236.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Portsmouth = 46.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 101. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 217. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 31.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 35, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Portsmouth, Portsmouth City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 53.83%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 45 years with median home cost = $116,820 and home appreciation of -8.47%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.48 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,109 per student. There are 15.3 students for each teacher in the school, 336 students for each Librarian and 377 students for each Counselor. 6.10% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.34% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.92% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).