Chesapeake VA Moving Companies

Chesapeake, Virginia

Close to the midpoint of the American Atlantic coast, the city of Chesapeake, Virginia maintains a rural character while simultaneously occupying the position of the third-largest city in Virginia. 220,560 people live within the city, part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (with a total population of over 1.6 million). Chesapeake ranked 85th on the 2008 Money magazine “Best Places to Live” listing, due in part to an affluent economy within a city that boasts forests, swampland, farms and wetlands inside its limits. When you are moving to Chesapeake, there are many advantages waiting.

Economy:
Chesapeake is one of the main economic centers for the Hampton Roads area. Many companies have offices and headquarters there, including Canon ITS, Dollar Tree Stores, the US Coast Guard Finance Center and Lafarge Calcium Aluminates. The presence of these and other companies has made Chesapeake one of the top 50 cities in the United States for economic growth since 2003. Chesapeake’s biggest employers 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. With such a rich concentration of jobs, Chesapeake moving companies are busy moving in new residents every day.

History:
The earliest European settlement in Chesapeake occurred in 1620, with the area designated as Norfolk County since 1691. Norfolk County gained prominence during the American Revolution, with the 1775 Battle of Great Bridge representing one of the earliest American victories. Following the battle, the British colonial government abandoned Virginia. The construction of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal in the 1790s turned the town into a major commercial center for the transportation of farm products. During the Civil War, military transportation dominated the canal and town, with Confederate troops using the water route until it was taken by the Union Army in 1862. Long a prosperous rural area, the City of Chesapeake did not form until 1963, when the City of South Norfolk combined with Norfolk County. Major urban growth in the area did not occur until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when businesses began to transform part of the city into an urban center.

Tourism:
There are many major attractions in and around Chesapeake. Within the city itself, visitors and residents can take advantage of outdoor activities like kayaking, bird watching, hiking, golfing and biking. Cultural attractions, such as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Virginia Stage Company and the Virginia Opera, can be found in nearby Norfolk (about a 15-minute drive from Chesapeake). Tourists from around the nation visit historical landmarks in the region, such as Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. To reach Chesapeake, the closest commercial airport is the Norfolk International Airport, which has 200 flights per day on six airlines. Bus transportation in and around Chesapeake is available through Hampton Roads Transit.

Colleges/Universities:

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

Interesting Facts:

• The Great Dismal Swamp Canal, which was originally surveyed by George Washington (among others), has been in use for more than 230 years. It is, as a result, the oldest man-made canal in continuous use in the United States.
• The FBI ranks Chesapeake as one of the five safest cities in the United States with a population of over 200,000.
• Although the third-largest city in terms of population, Chesapeake is the second-largest city in Virginia for land area. This is due to large rural areas and swampland contained within the city limits.

Helpful Links:

• City of Chesapeake