Welcome to Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S. Navy facility that is actually located in Portsmouth rather than Norfolk; the original name "Gosport" was changed to "Norfolk" to reflect its location in what is now the former Norfolk County, Virginia. The shipyard upgrades, remodels, and repairs ships of the US Navy and is one of the few facilities in the world with the capability to dry dock an aircraft carrier.

Directly opposite Norfolk, the city of Portsmouth also has miles of waterfront land on the Elizabeth River as part of the harbor of Hampton Roads. There is a ferry boat that takes riders back and forth across the water between Downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth. The Olde Towne Historic District features one of the largest collections of historically significant homes between Alexandria, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina. The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was built by slaves and free men and is the second-oldest building in Portsmouth and the city's oldest black church.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 95,535 people, 38,170 households, and 25,497 families residing in the city. The population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. The median income for a household in the city was $46,340, and the median income for a family was $53,769. 

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