Profile for Portsmouth, Virginia, VA

Portsmouth is on the Elizabeth River, which flows into Hampton Roads at the confluence of the James River and Chesapeake Bay.

A local shipyard built the Chesapeake and rebuilt the Merrimack.

Yellow fever, brought by a ship returning from the tropics, decimated the city in 1855; one-fourth of the population died.

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 901. The number of murders and homicides was 18. The violent crime rate was 8.9 per 1,000 people.

Well-known residents have included:
· Clarence (Ace) Parker, football player
· Ruth Brown, R&B singer
· Missy Elliot, musician

Local festivals include:

• Gosport Arts Festival - May 12-13, 2007
• Umoja Festival - Aug. 3-5, 2007

Portsmouth attractions: Elizabeth River Ferry, Norfolk Botanical Garden

Historic sites and museums: Lightship Museum, Museum of Military History, Naval Shipyard Museum, Children's Museum of Virginia

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was below the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 93

Listed places near Portsmouth

Airports (1)

Archives (1)

Cemeteries (25)

Colleges (7)

Communities (2)

Hotels (57)

Libraries (20)

Museums (9)

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• Portsmouth population
• Ancestry of people in Portsmouth
• Housing in Portsmouth
• Income in Portsmouth
• Marital status of adults in Portsmouth
• Place of birth of people in Portsmouth
• Residence in 1995, of people in Portsmouth
• School enrollment & education levels in Portsmouth
• Transportation & commute times in Portsmouth
• Portsmouth City data
• Fastest-growing counties in Virginia
• State data - Virginia
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Portsmouth demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Portsmouth City economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Norfolk-Virginia Beach area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 23702 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Portsmouth city government

7% of Portsmouth residents report German ancestry, and 7% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Portsmouth ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Portsmouth
• Libraries in or near Portsmouth

Post a query on a message board:

• Portsmouth City Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - VA data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

• Portsmouth area attractions
• Portsmouth museums
• Portsmouth historic sites
• Portsmouth area parks
• Wineries near Portsmouth

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Portsmouth area cemeteries
• Cemetery record compendium
• Virginia cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Portsmouth
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more

• Portsmouth business guide
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Virginia
• Local ordinances in Virginia (Partial selection)

• Crime in Portsmouth City
• Arrests in Portsmouth City

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Virginia
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Portsmouth was $16,507, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Portsmouth City economic census
• Portsmouth City economic summary
• Portsmouth City employment growth
• Portsmouth City unemployment rate
• Virginia economic data

14% of Portsmouth residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Portsmouth
• Colleges in Virginia
• Learning Disabilities Association in Virginia
• Schools in or near Portsmouth
• School districts in or near Portsmouth
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of Virginia high schools

• Movies playing in or near Portsmouth
• YouTube videos about Portsmouth

• Air pollution in Portsmouth City
• Diesel soot in Portsmouth City
• Land contamination in Portsmouth City
• Nature Conservancy projects in Virginia
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Portsmouth City
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Virginia

Portsmouth festival dates:

• Gosport Arts Festival - May 12-13, 2007
• Umoja Festival - Aug. 3-5, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Portsmouth festival web sites:

• Umoja Festival

• ePodunk festival listings
• Virginia county fairs
• Virginia festivals (Virginia tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Portsmouth

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Portsmouth
• Geocaches in Virginia

• Portsmouth items now on sale

• Portsmouth local government Web site
• Portsmouth City government
• Virginia state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
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• Nonprofit resources
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• Travel

• Portsmouth medical services & health statistics

• Local historical societies in Virginia
• State historical society

Historic districts in Portsmouth include Craddock Historic District, Olde Town Historic District, Park View Historic District, Port Norfolk Historic District, Portsmouth Historic District, Truxtun Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Portsmouth
• Historic sites in Virginia
• Museums in or near Portsmouth
• Museums in Virginia
• Virginia state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Portsmouth City genealogy forum

Median rent in Portsmouth, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $432.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $899.

• Research Portsmouth Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Portsmouth
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• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Help wanted ads - newspapers
• Job services in Virginia
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Portsmouth include Churchland Branch, Cradock Branch, Manor Branch, Portsmouth Public Library ... View libraries

• Virginia library

• Get directions from Portsmouth
• Get directions to Portsmouth
• Census map of Portsmouth area
• Historic maps of VA cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Virginia
• Topographic map of Portsmouth

TV stations in Portsmouth include WAVY, WGNT.

• Daily newspapers in or near Portsmouth
• AM radio stations in or near Portsmouth
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Portsmouth
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Portsmouth
• TV stations in or near Portsmouth
• Media ownership in the Portsmouth area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Virginia

• Military bases in Virginia
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Portsmouth
• Search obituaries in Virginia
• Recent death notices - selected VA newspapers

• Chambers of commerce in Virginia
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Virginia
• Lions clubs in Virginia
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Portsmouth
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Portsmouth

• Parks near Portsmouth
• National forests in Virginia
• Ski areas near Portsmouth
• Ski areas in Virginia
• State parks in Virginia

• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Portsmouth

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Portsmouth
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Virginia communities
• Photo collection - Virginia communities
• Photos of Virginia places
• Post cards of Virginia communities

Portsmouth City supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Portsmouth political report.

• Virginia Democratic party
• Virginia Republican party
• Virginia elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
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• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Portsmouth
• Total membership by faith, in Portsmouth City

• Chowhound message boards for VA

The average commute time for Portsmouth workers is 24 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 19 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Portsmouth between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 1.9 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Bus schedules

• Portsmouth travel guide
• Airports near Portsmouth
• Hotels near Portsmouth
• Virginia tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• Virginia coastal water temperatures
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Virginia
• Wildlife refuges in Virginia

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