Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. It is on the southern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of Hampton Roads. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 180,150.
The name of Newport News has ever been a puzzle to those curious about the origin of place names. Until this day nobody really knows how the City got its name. Several versions are recorded. One popular explanation holds that when the first Jamestown colonists left to return to England after the Starving Time of 1610, they encountered Captain Christopher Newport's ship in the James River off Mulberry Island, and learned that reinforcements of men and supplies had arrived, and that the colonists need not abandon Jamestown. Thus the City was named for Newport's good news. That the name was formerly written as Newport's News is verified by numerous early documents and maps, and by local tradition. The change to Newport News apparently was brought about by usage, for by 1851 the Post Office Department sanctioned New Port News as the name of the first post office, and in 1866 it approved the name as Newport News.
The city is also famous as the birthplace of legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, author William Styron, and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Newport News Shipbuilding and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are located here.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 308.3 km² (119.1 mi²). 176.9 km² (68.3 mi²) of it is land and 131.5 km² (50.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 42.64% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 180,150 people, 69,686 households, and 46,341 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,018.5/km² (2,637.9/mi²). There are 74,117 housing units at an average density of 419.0/km² (1,085.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 53.50% White, 39.07% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 2.77% from two or more races. 4.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 69,686 households out of which 35.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% are married couples living together, 17.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% are non-families. 27.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.04.
The age distribution is: 27.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,597, and the median income for a family is $42,520. Males have a median income of $31,275 versus $22,310 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,843. 13.8% of the population and 11.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.6% are under the age of 18 and 9.8% are 65 or older.
Newport News is served by two airports. The primary airport for the Hampton Roads area is Norfolk International Airport, on the opposite side of Hampton Roads in Norfolk. The region's secondary airport, Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, is located within the city of Newport News.
External Links
City of Newport News
Referenced By
1947 | 6 March | 6th March | Acela Regional | Arthur L. Bristol | CSS Patrick Henry | Chesapeake, Virginia | Colonial National Historical Park | Commonwealth of Virginia | Ella Fitzgerald | Hampton, Virginia | Hampton Roads | Hampton Roads, Virginia | Hazel R. O'Leary | Huntington | Hurricane Isabel | Independent city | Interstate 64 | Lexington class battle cruiser | List of Airports:P | List of U.S. cities | List of United States newspapers | List of Virginia counties | List of airports: P | List of cities in the United States | List of newspapers in the United States | List of tunnels | March 6 | March 6th | Michael Vick | NS Savannah | Newport | Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News Shipbuilding Company | Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company | Nimitz class | Nimitz class aircraft carrier | Norfolk, Virginia | NortheastDirect | Northeast Corridor | Pennsylvania class battleship | Pentaquark | Poquoson, Virginia | Regional | Tidewater region of Virginia | USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) | USS America (CV-66) | USS America (CVA-66) | USS Amsterdam (CL-101) | USS Arkansas (CGN-41) | USS Arkansas (DLGN-41) | USS Atik | USS Atik (AK-101) | USS Baton Rouge (SSN-689) | USS Biloxi | USS Biloxi (CL-80) | USS Boise (CL-47) | USS Boxer (CV-21) | USS Boxer (CVA-21) | USS Boxer (CVS-21) | USS Boxer (LPH-4) | USS Buffalo (1892) | USS Charleston (C-22) | USS Charleston (CA-19) | USS Charlotte (CA-12) | USS Chattanooga | USS Chattanooga (CL-118) | USS Constellation (CC-2) | USS Coral Sea (CV-43) | USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) | USS Coral Sea (CVB-43) | USS Cumberland (1842) | USS Delaware (BB-28) | USS Dixie (1893) | USS Dwight D. Eisenhower | USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) | USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) | USS Enterprise (CVN-65) | USS Forrestal | USS Forrestal (CV-59) | USS Forrestal (CVA-59) | USS Franklin (AVT-8) | USS Franklin (CV-13) | USS Franklin (CVA-13) | USS Franklin (CVS-13) | USS Frederick (ACR-8) | USS Frederick (CA-8) | USS G-1 (SS-19 1/2) | USS G-1 (SS-19½) | USS G-1 (SS-20) | USS Galena (1862) | USS Harvard (1888) | USS Hornet (CV-8) | USS Houston (CA-30) | USS Houston (SSN-713) | USS Huntington (CA-5) | USS Illinois (BB-7) | USS Indiana (BB-58) | USS Intrepid (CV-11) ...
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