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Real Estate & Homes in Chesapeake - Virginia - Chesapeake, Virginia homes and communities
Chesapeake
Chesapeake History
Chesapeake was named “The Most Livable Large City in the South” by Money magazine. One visit to this dynamic locale will show how it earned the honor.
The city was incorporated just four decades ago, but the area's history stretches back to 1607, when English ships established the first permanent settlement at Jamestown (located at the western edge of modern-day Hampton Roads). Chesapeake’s Dismal Swamp Canal was first envisioned by George Washington in 1763 and is now on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The Hampton Roads area saw a great deal of action during the Civil War, and the port's Battle of the Ironclads changed naval warfare forever. Chesapeake’s strategic site on the bay made it a vital part in the forging of American history, and that ideal location makes it just as important and accessible today.
Activities
Chesapeake has an extensive parks and recreation network. City Park, which encompasses 75 acres of trees and open space, is site of an annual horseshoe tournament and the city's first Dog Park. Another popular recreational area is the Great Bridge Lock Park, which hosts an annual re-enactment of the Battle of Great Bridge, the first Revolutionary War battle fought on Virginia soil.
Besides its parks and campgrounds, Chesapeake has areas for boating, fishing, hiking and horseback riding. The city has many play areas for children (such as City Park's Fun Forest), and walkers and bikers will enjoy year-round access to the city's network of trails. For those who prefer the water, Chesapeake also has many aquatic trails accessible by canoe or kayak, and Virginia Beach is just a few miles away.
Chesapeake is also located near major attractions, including Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Nags Head, N.C.
Chesapeake Fast Facts
Location: Chesapeake is located south of Portsmouth, about 20 miles from Hampton
*Total area: 350.90 square miles (340.72 square miles land area; 10.18 square miles water area)
*Population: 199,184
*Housing units: 72,672
Average annual rainfall: 40.21 inches
Average temperatures: 80ºF in summer, 41ºF in winter
*Information provided by 2000 Census
Economy
Chesapeake is one of the state's top manufacturing cities, and the city's pro-business government is reflected in its enterprise zones, foreign trade zones and favorable tax structure. The retail hub of the Hampton Roads area, Chesapeake also was ranked one of America's top five cities for starting a small business.
Chesapeake covers 229,640 acres. The city has 12 major industrial and commercial areas; more than 180 manufacturers, including oil and chemical companies; and hundreds of farms. This dynamic mix of service, industry and agriculture is the backbone of Chesapeake's economy.
Chesapeake also has one of the nation's highest concentrations of scientists and engineers. More than 60 foreign-based companies from 15 different countries have offices in Chesapeake, which truly embraces the concept of the “global village.” These combined factors make Chesapeake and the entire Hampton Roads area one of the hottest high-tech sectors in the nation.
Education
Chesapeake takes great pride in its educational system. The city is home to an excellent school system as well as several community and four-year colleges, a medical school, and two law schools. Chesapeake has a student-teacher ratio of 19.1 to 1, and more teachers with master's degrees work here than anywhere else in the state.
The Chesapeake school system also has a unique policy where it “guarantees” that its public high school graduates are suitable for employers. If a company hires a graduate who is unable to perform his or her duties due to a deficiency in reading, writing or math skills, the school system will retrain the worker at no cost to the employer.
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