Chesapeake

Chesapeake is the second-largest city by land area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the 17th-largest in the United States. The city was organized in 1963 by voter referendums approving the political consolidation of the city of South Norfolk with the remnants of the former Norfolk County, which dated to 1691. In 2011, Chesapeake was named the 21st best city in the U.S. by Bloomberg Businessweek. Chesapeake hosted the first trial of alleged Beltway sniper Lee Boyd Malvo for shootings in 2002. On November 22, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in a Walmart off Chesapeake Battlefield Boulevard in which seven were killed, including the gunman who committed suicide, and four others were injured. Along Chesapeake's segment of the Intracoastal Waterway, where the Great Bridge locks marks the transition between the Southern Branch Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal, lies the site of the Battle of Great Bridge, which resulted in the removal of Lord Dunmore and all vestiges of English Government from the Colony and Dominion of Virginia. The Chesapeake region was among the first areas settled in the state's colonial era, when settlement started from the coast. In 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 1990s and accelerating in the 1990s. and early 2000s, the city saw significant growth, attracting numerous and significant industries and businesses of its own.

History

Chesapeake is the primary city name, but also South Norfolk are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Chesapeake. Chesapeake was created when the former independent city of South Norfolk consolidated with Norfolk County. The consolidation was approved and the new name selected by the voters of each community by referendum, and authorized by the Virginia General Assembly. 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. Chesapeake made national headlines in 2003 when, under a court-ordered change of venue, the community hosted the first trial of alleged Beltway sniper Lee Boyd Malvo for shootings in 2002. On November 22, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in a Walmart off of Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake. Seven people were killed, including the gunman who committed suicide, and four others were injured. The area was among the first areas settled in the state's colonial era, when settlement started from the coast. Along Chesapeake's segment of the Intracoastal Waterway, where the Great Bridge locks marks the transition between the Southern Branch Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal, lies the site of the Battle of Great Bridge. Fought on December 9, 1775, in the early days of the American Revolutionary War, the battle resulted in the removal of Lord Dunmore and all vestiges of English Government from the Colony and Dominion of Virginia. The city's explosive growth quickly led to strains on the municipal infrastructure, ranging from intrusion of saltwater into the city's water supply to congested roads and schools.

Geography

Chesapeake is located at 36°462N 76°1714W (36.767398, -76.287405). The city has a total area of 351 square miles (910 km²), of which 341 square miles. (880 km²) is land. The northeastern part of the Great Dismal Swamp is located in Chesapeake. The city consists of six boroughs: South Norfolk, Pleasant Grove, Western Branch, Deep Creek, and Washington. Within the city limits in the southwestern section is a large portion of the great swamp. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chesapeake has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Chesapeake is one of the larger cities in Virginia and the nation in terms of land area. This poses challenges to city leaders in supporting infrastructure to serve this area. In addition, the city has many historically and geographically distinct communities. City leaders are faced with conflicts between development of residential, commercial and industrial areas and preservation of virgin forest and wetlands. One of the boroughs, South. Norfolk, used to be its own independent city and consolidated the surrounding portions of Norfolk County(extinct) into the City of Chesapeake, which is now called South Norfolk. The other boroughs are Pleasant Grove, Western Branch and Washington, which are now known as Pleasant Grove and Western. Branch.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 222,209 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 62.6% White, 29.8% Black or African American, 2.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. According to 2012 estimates 59.7% of the population is non-Hispanic white. The median income for a household in theCity was $50,743, and the median income. for a family was $56,302. The per capita income for the City was $20,949. About 6.1%. of families and 7.3% of. the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7. of those under age 18 and 9.0%. 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. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. The U.S. Census treats Hispanics/Latinos as a separate ethnic category and excludes them from the Racial categories. The 2020 census treats them as anethnic category. The city's population is expected to be more than 222,000 by the end of the year. It is expected that the city will have a population of more than 300,000.

Economy

Chesapeake is home to two Navy bases: Northwest Annex and NALF Fentress. The top employers in the city are the Navy bases and Chesapeake's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Chesapeake has a strong economy and a strong military. The city has a high percentage of African-American and Hispanic residents. It has a low percentage of white residents and a high Hispanic population. The majority of residents live in the Hickory area of the city, which is the city's southernmost area. It also has a large percentage of whites and African-Americans, which makes it more ethnically diverse than other cities in the area. The percentage of Hispanics is higher than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. It is also higher than in the 1990s and 2000s, when the city had a high proportion of whites, Hispanics, and blacks. The highest percentage of blacks in Chesapeake is in the South, where the city is located. The lowest percentage is among whites in the West, where it is located in the North, and the lowest is among blacks in the East, where Chesapeake lies in the Southeast. The most common languages spoken are English, Spanish, French, and Italian. The largest percentage of residents are English-speakers, followed by African- and Hispanic-Americans. The number of whites is higher in the south than it has been in the past decade and a half, and it is highest in the 1980s and 1990s. The biggest employers are the military bases and the Navy.

Points of interest

Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal and Dismal Swamp Canal. Chesapeake Arboretum, Chesapeake Canal, and Chesapeake Swamp Canal are also points of interest. The Chesapeake River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. It runs through the city of Alexandria, Virginia, and into the state of Virginia. It was built in the 17th century and is one of the oldest rivers in the United States. The river was once a source of water for much of the state. It is now a source for fresh water, fish and other marine life. The waterway is also used to irrigate the city's ditches and marshes. It has been used as a tourist attraction since the early 20th century.

Infrastructure

Within the city limits, Chesapeake Regional Airport is a general aviation facility located just south of Great Bridge. 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. A new suburban passenger station near Bowers Hill would potentially be included to supplement a terminal in downtown Norfolk. It includes the Chesapeake Expressway toll road, which is the only locality in the Hampton Roads area with a separate bridge division. The city's Department of Public Works, Bridges and Structures division has 51 full-time workers. It is located on a potential line for high speed passenger rail service between Richmond and South Hampton Roads which is being studied by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. It also has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern Branches of the Elizabeth River as well. The area is served by U.S. Highways 13, 17, 58, and 460, and Interstate 464. It has local sources including the. Chesapeake Energy Center (a coal-fired and gas power plant), coal-fire plants in the city and Southampton County, and the Surry. Nuclear Power Plant. The region is also served by the U.N.’s World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Commission (EC). It is also known as the “Great Lakes region’’.

Education

The Chesapeake Public Library System includes seven branches and one lending kiosk. After getting a library card, resources can be checked out online or in person at any of the branches. Interlibrary Loan requests can be made in person or online if a resource you want is available at a different branch. Free online classes for children and adults, access to a wide variety of digital educational resources, career help events, and creative/artistic programming are available at the library. The library's mission is to support learners at every level to succeed in their education and career paths. The local school district is the Chesapeake City Public Schools. The school district provides public education in the form of both public and private schools.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Chesapeake, Chesapeake City, Virginia = 60. 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 59. 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 71. 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 Chesapeake = 4.5 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 1,647 individuals with a median age of 36.2 age the population grows by 10.88% in Chesapeake, Chesapeake City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 710 residents per square mile of area (270/km²). There are average 2.75 people per household in the 78,949 households with an average household income of $65,423 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.10% 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 30.86%. The number of physicians in Chesapeake per 100,000 population = 235.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Chesapeake = 47.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 7.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 102. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 211. 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 Chesapeake, Chesapeake City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 71.63%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 23 years with median home cost = $218,200 and home appreciation of -7.82%. 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 $11.24 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 $5,699 per student. There are 14.3 students for each teacher in the school, 723 students for each Librarian and 355 students for each Counselor. 6.51% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.18% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.98% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).