Hampton, Virginia

Hampton, Virginia
Independent city
Hampton Downtown Historic District
Flag Seal
Motto:  From the Sea to the Stars
Location in the State of Virginia
Hampton Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Hampton Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 37°02′06″N 76°21′36″W / 37.034946°N 76.360126°W / 37.034946; -76.360126
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	None (Independent city)
Settled	1610[1]
Incorporated (town)	1705[1]
Incorporated (city)	1849[1]
Government
• Type	Mayor–council–manager
• Mayor	Donnie Tuck (D)[2]
• Vice mayor	Jimmy Gray (D)[2]
Area [3]
• Independent city	136.27 sq mi (352.95 km2)
• Land	51.46 sq mi (133.28 km2)
• Water	84.81 sq mi (219.67 km2)  62.3%
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Independent city	137,148
• Rank	200th in the United States 7th in Virginia
• Density	2,665.14/sq mi (1,029.02/km2)
• Metro	1,799,674
Time zone	UTC–5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC–4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	23661, 23663-23669
Area code(s)	757, 948
FIPS code	51-35000[4]
GNIS feature ID	1495650[5]
Public transportation	Hampton Roads Transit
Website	http://www.hampton.gov

Hampton (/ˈhæmptən/) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 137,148.^[7] It is the 7th-most populous city in Virginia and 204th-most populous city in the nation. Hampton is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, the 37th-largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,799,674 in 2020.^[8] This area, known as "America's First Region", also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads.

Hampton traces its history to the city's Old Point Comfort, the home of Fort Monroe for almost 400 years, which was named by the 1607 voyagers, led by Captain Christopher Newport, who first established Jamestown as an English colonial settlement. Since consolidation in 1952, Hampton has included the former Elizabeth City County and the incorporated town of Phoebus, consolidated by a mutual agreement.

After the end of the American Civil War, historic Hampton University was established opposite from the town on the Hampton River, providing an education for many newly freed former slaves and for area Native Americans. In the 20th century, the area became the location of Langley Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Virginia Air and Space Center. Hampton features many miles of waterfront and beaches.

The city features a wide array of business and industrial enterprises, retail and residential areas, historical sites, and other points of interest, such as a NASCAR short track, the oldest Anglican parish in the Americas (1610), and a moated, six-sided, historical bastion fort.