Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach History

   The moderate climate of scenic Virginia Beach offers a variety of outdoor activities amid the ever-changing beauty of the four seasons. Among its attractions are a highly acclaimed public education system, state-of-the-art health-care facilities, the Virginia Marine Science Museum and a multipurpose sportsplex -- all near the city's 38 miles of shoreline and 17 miles of beaches.
   The history of Virginia Beach dates back nearly 400 years. English colonists founded Jamestown in 1607 after sailing into the Chesapeake Bay. Their first landing site was named Cape Henry, and all the land from the eastern section of Lower Norfolk County on was named Princess Anne County. Seafarers enjoyed water access from the North Carolina border, north along the Atlantic coast to Cape Henry, and then west along the banks of the Chesapeake Bay to the Little Creek Inlet. The infamous pirate Blackbeard plundered these waterways until his death in 1718.
   Stretching from the Chesapeake Bay to the North Carolina border, Virginia Beach is a water lover's paradise. With the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, the city is a perfect home for people who enjoy sunshine, sand and plenty of aquatic activity.

Activities

   The beach is clean and regularly groomed. Bordering the sand is a wide concrete boardwalk with separate bike lanes. This combination attracts pedestrians, bikers and rollerbladers alike. The oceanfront street, Atlantic Avenue, has been given an overhaul of signs, sidewalks, storefronts and landscaping -- and improvements to Pacific Avenue will soon follow.
   The community is home to 200 parks that cover more than 4,000 acres. Each park offers a variety of amenities, ranging from playgrounds and picnic shelters to ballfields and other sports facilities. Throughout the city, there are also opportunities for swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, biking and equestrian activities. The Virginia Beach Sportsplex, which was the first U.S. stadium built primarily for soccer, features minor league matches each summer.
   Not far from Virginia Beach's bustling oceanfront lie two ecological treasures: Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. Nestled between the cottage community of Sandbridge and the Outer Banks in North Carolina, these ocean-to-freshwater bay habitats contain one of the few remaining undeveloped areas along the Atlantic coast, with 10 miles of undisturbed coastline and a maritime forest sanctuary.
   The Virginia Marine Science Museum offers aquariums, animal exhibits and a 3-D IMAX theater. Other popular destinations include the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, the Adam Thoroughgood House, and the Francis Land House Historic Site and Gardens. Another interesting attraction is historic Fort Story, located at the southern tip of the North End, where visitors can tour the ancient Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Virginia Beach Fast Facts

   Location: Virginia Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean, about 18 miles from Norfolk
*Total area: 497.33 square miles (248.29 square miles land area; 249.03 square miles water area)
*Population: 425,257
*Housing units: 162,277
   Average annual rainfall: 45.97 inches
   Average temperatures: 79ºF in summer, 41ºF in winter
*Information provided by 2000 Census

Education

The Virginia Beach City Public Schools District is the second largest school system in the state. Currently, there are 55 elementary schools, 15 middle schools and 11 high schools in the district. USA Today recently ranked Virginia Beach Public Schools among the Top 10 districts in terms of parent satisfaction. The district's dropout rate is a low 3.45 percent, and 82.5 percent of high school graduates have post-secondary education plans.
Nearby institutions of higher learning include Norfolk State University, Regent University and Tidewater Community College.

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