Moving Companies Chesapeake, VA

Chesapeake, Virginia

Located close to the midpoint of the United States’ Atlantic coast, Chesapeake, Virginia is a major city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Chesapeake is Virginia’s third-largest city, with a population of 220,560. Despite this, much of the land within the city limits is rural and suburban with as much protected farmland, swamp, forests and wetlands as urban development. This most affluent of the seven cities in Hampton Roads was rated 85th in Money magazine’s 2008 best places to live, a major draw for anyone moving to Chesapeake.

Economy:
Chesapeake has a strong economy whose growth has been at the top of U.S. cities since 2003. The city is a major location for corporate headquarters, with more than 30 companies basing their national, continental and international business out of Chesapeake. Among these companies are Dollar Tree Stores, Harris Publishing, Nistem Corporation and Yupo Corporation of America. The biggest employers in Chesapeake are the Chesapeake General Hospital, QVC Chesapeake Inc., HSBC-North America, LTD Management Company LLC, Cox Communications, EDS, Reliance Staffing Services, Lifetouch National School Studios Inc., Anteon Corporation and Dollar Tree Stores. Chesapeake moving companies are busily shuffling in new residents seeking these exciting employment opportunities.

History:
The first European settlers in the Chesapeake area arrived in 1620, not long after the founding of the earliest colony at Jamestown. The area was known as Norfolk County from 1691 and grew as a small settlement with ready access to waterways. Chesapeake was the location of the Battle of Great Bridge in December, 1775. The American victory in this battle led to the expulsion of the British government from Virginia. In the 1790s, the Great Dismal Swamp Canal was constructed, making Chesapeake a major commercial center for southern Virginia. Confederate troops used the canal as a major supply route until its capture by the Union Army in 1862. After the war, the city continued to flourish as a transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural region. The City of Chesapeake came into being in 1963 with the consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with Norfolk County. While Chesapeake was initially a mostly rural and suburban area, economic growth in the late 1980s and early 1990s created a population and commercial boom for the city.

Tourism:
While many of the region’s major cultural attractions (including the Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company and Virginia Symphony Orchestra) are in nearby Norfolk, Chesapeake has many attractions of its own. Due to its surrounding rural areas, the city is a jumping-off point for bird watching, golfing, kayaking, biking and hiking. Many also visit Chesapeake for its proximity to historical and recreational sites like Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and Busch Gardens. The closest commercial airport to Chesapeake is the Norfolk International Airport, about 15 minutes away and offering 200 daily arrivals and departures on six airlines. Transportation in Chesapeake and around the Hampton Roads area is available from Hampton Roads Transit buses.

Colleges/Universities:
• Tidewater Community College-Chesapeake
• Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chesapeake
• Strayer University
• Sentara School-Health Professions

Interesting Facts:
• According to the FBI, Chesapeake ranks as one of the five safest cities with a population over 200,000.
• Chesapeake is the second-largest city in land area in the entire state of Virginia, thanks in part to its extensive swamplands along the North Carolina border.
• Several well-known sports figures come from Chesapeake, including Bubba Blackhawk Walters (the four-time world kickboxing champion), baseball player David Wright, football player DeAngelo Hall, NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd and basketball player Alonzo Mourning.

Helpful Links:
• City of Chesapeake
• Chesapeake Real Estate
• Chesapeake Tourist Information
• Chesapeake Moving Guide