Seven Cities of Hampton Roads
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Seven Cities of Hampton Roads are 7 independent cities located in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States. Each is located along a portion of the circumferential route of the 56-mile long Hampton Roads Beltway of the Interstate Highway System, which crosses the massive harbor of Hampton Roads at two locations on bridge-tunnel structures.
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[edit] Listing the Seven Cities
Alphabetically listed, the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads are:
[edit] Other cities in the Hampton Roads region
The Hampton Roads region also includes three other much smaller cities, but these are not located along the beltway. Alphabetically listed, they are:
- Franklin (which actually does not lie within the area defined by the U.S. government as the Hampton Roads metropolitan area)
- Poquoson
- Williamsburg
[edit] History
As the current communities in the Hampton Roads region were formed and grew from the Colonial period to statehood and modern times, the political structure of many areas in Virginia changed. Huge corporations known as citties [sic] became shires, and these became counties. Within counties, towns and cities sprung up. However, in 1871, Virginia came up with a new entity: the independent city. Not only were independent cities not located within counties (as incorporated towns in Virginia still are), but they were immune from annexation by adjacent localities, an action much-feared by those in many communities.
In the mid 20th century, a wave of consolidations of local governments led to almost the entire southeastern portion of Virginia progressively becoming a web of adjoining independent cities. Many incorporated (formally constituted) localities, including counties, cities, and towns, some over 250 years old, became legally extinct between 1952 and 1975. Of the 10 current independent cities of the Hampton Roads region, fully 8 of them adjoin others. Only the cities of Franklin and Williamsburg are surrounded by traditional counties.
However, this transition left the region with some oddities, such as the entire Virginia portion of the Great Dismal Swamp being located entirely within cities (Chesapeake and Suffolk). It is hard to imagine a less populated portion of a traditional city, save perhaps Central Park in New York City.
For a partial listing of defunct political subdivisions in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with approximate formation and dissolution dates, see the Wikipedia article Lost counties, cities and towns of Virginia.
[edit] Trivia
- The oldest community in the Hampton Roads region (and perhaps the entire United States) to be chartered as a "city" is still one of the smaller. Williamsburg, earlier known as Middle Plantation, received a Royal Charter as a city from the King of England in 1722, when the region was still part of the Virginia Colony before the American Revolutionary War and creation of the United States.
- Despite their political structure as "independent cities", many of those in the Hampton Roads region have large portions which are clearly not those traditionally considered urban in nature. The best example is the Virginia portion of the Great Dismal Swamp, which lies entirely within the city limits of Chesapeake and Suffolk. Virginia Beach and Poquoson also have large unpopulated (by people) natural wildlife areas within their city limits.
