If you're thinking of moving to Newport News, Virginia, you're probably making the right decision. What keeps the Newport News moving companies so busy? The city is known having affordable housing even in upscale neighborhoods, along with an abundance of pleasant waterfront parks, golf courses and public amusements. The city also has an active campaign to persuade employers into relocating to Newport News, Virginia.
The ease of transportation, the well-educated and diverse workforce and the high quality of life (which lures more workers into moving to Newport News) have drawn many companies to relocate their operations there.
Economy:
Newport News's location at the confluence of the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean makes it an ideal center for shipping and shipbuilding. Its strong, stable economy has a balance of manufacturing, retail stores, defense, research, technology and office-based industries. (In fact, its Oyster Point business park is the central business district for the Virginia Peninsula.) The largest employer in Newport News is the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Company, which employs more than 15,000 workers. Competing for second place are Canon, Dan Daniels Distribution and Ferguson Enterprises. This does not include the "service" industry; the leading employer in services is the U.S. Army Transportation Center at Fort Eustis, followed by the Newport News school system.
History:
Newport News was settled soon after the first Virginian colony in Jamestown. The origins of its name are shrouded in mystery; the name "Newport Newes" first appeared in 1619 in the records of the Virginia Company. Many historians believe that the town was named after Captain Christopher Newport, whose ship Susan Constant brought the first Jamestown settlers. His voyages to the Newport settlement would have been good "newes" indeed, because he brought supplies and new settlers to the town.
Newport News has played a prominent role in many of America's wars, particularly the American Civil War. The famous "Battle of the Ironclads" took place offshore from the town, and it was also the center of the bloody Peninsula Campaign. During World War I (and afterwards), Newport News was an important shipyard. The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company built the U.S. super aircraft carriers Enterprise, Kennedy, Washington, Vinson, and Roosevelt.
Tourism:
One of the most interesting places to visit in Newport News is the Virginia Living Museum. This combination of aquarium and zoo depicts many Virginian habitats from the seacoast to the mountains, including a mountain cove and a cypress swamp. The exhibits include living animals such as bald eagles, sea turtles and red wolves. History buffs will also enjoy visiting Newport News, where many landmarks of the Civil War and antebellum years remain open to the public. Lee Hall, Endview Plantation, the Mariner's Museum, the Virginia War Museum and the USS Monitor Center all offer fascinating glimpses of what it might have been like to live through America's most troubled times.