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Portsmouth, Virginia

Located in Independent City, Virginia, Portsmouth was founded in 1752. Norfolk Naval Shipyard is actually in Portsmouth, not Norfolk. The CSS Virginia (formerly Merrimac) was rebuilt here as the first Confederate ironclad.
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Founded 1752 | Population 97,000 | Peak 97,000 (2024) | County Independent City

Top 10 Most Important Events for Portsmouth, Virginia

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1752 Founded: Colonial port city across from Norfolk.
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1799 Norfolk Naval Shipyard: Oldest and largest U.S. naval shipyard (despite name, it's in Portsmouth).
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1861 Merrimac/Virginia: CSS Virginia (ironclad) built at shipyard.
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2010 Olde Towne Revival: Historic district revitalization.
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Latest News in Portsmouth

Jan 1, 1970
Dad And Son Charged With 216 Counts Of Incest, Pay The Price
A father and son in West Virginia has been charged with over 216 counts of incest, sexual assault and sexual abuse that involved t…
Jan 1, 1970
Pennsylvania Mom Speaks Out After Sons Confederate Flag Shit Gets Him Sent
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — In a small Pennsylvania town back in early February 2016, a mother’s frustration boiled over when her te…
Jan 1, 1970
Virginia First State Functionally End Veteran Homelessness
Richmond, Virginia – On January 27, 2016, Virginia made history as the first state in the nation to functionally end veteran hom…
Jan 1, 1970
Former Dem Sen Webb I Wont Vote Hillary Clinton Video
Washington, D.C. – In a surprising turn during the 2016 presidential buildup, former Democratic Senator Jim Webb announced o…

Complete Historical Timeline

1752 Culture
Founded
1799 Government
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
1861 Disaster
Merrimac/Virginia
2010 Business
Olde Towne Revival

Did You Know?

1
Norfolk Naval Shipyard is actually in Portsmouth, not Norfolk.
2
The CSS Virginia (formerly Merrimac) was rebuilt here as the first Confederate ironclad.
3
Oldest continuously operating naval shipyard in the United States.
4
Portsmouth is located in Independent City, Virginia.
5
Portsmouth was founded in 1752.

Famous People from Portsmouth, Virginia

ME
Missy Elliott
Actor, Singer · Born Jul 1, 1971 · Age 54
PO
Patton Oswalt
Screenwriter, Actor · Born Jan 27, 1969 · Age 57
LM
LaShawn Merritt
Sprinter, Athletics Competitor · Born Jun 27, 1986 · Age 39
WS
Wanda Sykes
Screenwriter, Writer · Born Mar 7, 1964 · Age 61
RP
Radia Perlman
Computer Scientist, Mathematician · Born Dec 18, 1951 · Age 74

Other Cities in Virginia

View all Virginia cities →
VB
Virginia Beach
Pop. 452,375
C
Chesapeake
Pop. 257,632
N
Norfolk
Pop. 238,005
R
Richmond
Pop. 226,610
NN
Newport News
Pop. 181,558
A
Alexandria
Pop. 159,081
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