Portsmouth Homes Guide

Portsmouth Real Estate

History and Progress Side-by-Side on the Waterfront in Portsmouth, Virginia

Tree Beside Lake

From antique and specialty shops to shade-drenched streets, Portsmouth, Virginia, is one of the Chesapeake Bay area’s most charming cities. It’s a history lover’s dream come true with its Olde Towne Historic District chronicling three hundred years of American life. Benedict Arnold was held captive in one of the homes here and others were used by both sides during the conflict of the Civil War. Portsmouth’s location on the Elizabeth River has made it an important waterfront city for many years and is still one of the country’s oldest working harbors. Of course there are many Chesapeake Bay cruises from which you can view the city from the waterfront.

Portsmouth is located in the middle of the Hampton Roads area and its central location provides easy access to the naval yards of Norfolk, the beaches of Virginia Beach and the historic living museum, Colonial Williamsburg. The term "Hampton Roads" is a centuries-old reference that originated when the region was a struggling British outpost where the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth Rivers pour into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Hampton Roads honors one of the founders of the Virginia Company and a great supporter of the colonization of Virginia, Henry Wriothesley, the third Earl of Southampton. Signifying the safety of a port, "roads" in nautical terminology means "a place less sheltered than a harbor where ships may ride at anchor."

The Hampton Roads area has grown from just over one million residents and the nation's 34th largest market in 1983 to the country's 27th largest metro area with more than 1.5 million people. Unlike many of the metropolitan areas across the country, Hampton Roads' population nucleus is not confined to one central city, but is spread among several growing cities of significant size including Portsmouth. Therefore, Hampton Roads has come to refer not only to the harbor and its contiguous communities, but to the entire metropolitan area.

The area’s strong naval and harbor economy will soon be captured in an historic “Path of History” linking two of the country’s oldest Navy facilities, the Naval Medical Center and the Naval Shipyard. Scheduled for completion in the year 2007, the one-acre park will feature brick walkways and two 75,000-pound propellers from previous naval supply ships as well as other items showcasing the Navy’s history in America. The park will also be the home of another three-acre park at the gate of the Naval Medical Center complete with artifacts and military accoutrements from every American military conflict.

The Hampton Roads area including Portsmouth is proud of its heritage but is also looking forward and is committed to assisting businesses and facilitating e-commerce by breaking molds, re-engineering business practices, and recognizing that change can also be a tremendous opportunity. Work is ongoing with existing business and community organizations, including local Chambers of Commerce and specific industry groups to propel Portsmouth and the Hampton Roads area into a thriving future.

Portsmouth’s central location in the Hampton Roads area makes it easily accessible via Interstates 264, 404 and 64 as well as many other major highways. Ground transportation is available through Greyhound Bus Lines, James River Bus Lines, Norfolk Airport Express and the Elizabeth River Ferry. The average commute time for Portsmouth residents is 24 minutes compared with 26 minutes nationwide. Air travel is accommodated through the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and the Norfolk International Airport.

So, be sure to drop anchor in this historic and charming city and explore the birthplace of colonial America and the center of new technology and innovation.