Virginia - Hampton Roads

The term Hampton Roads has come to include Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. It takes its name from the central harbor that has shaped the region's history and culture. The largest natural harbor in the world, Hampton Roads has played a prominent role in American history ever since Captain John Smith and 100 other settlers arrived near here in 1607.

The harbor was the site of the famous Civil War battle between the Union Monitor and the Confederate Virginia, commonly known as the Merrrimac.

Today the region is an important U.S. Naval center of operations.