Chesapeake is a diverse city with urban areas as well as many square miles of protected forests and wetlands, including a substantial portion of the Great Dismal Swamp. Extending all the way from the rural border with North Carolina to the harbor area of Hampton Roads adjacent to the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Chesapeake is located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and has miles of waterfront industrial, commercial and residential property.
It is currently the third largest city in Virginia in terms of population. In 2006, its population was estimated to be 220,560, a 10.7% increase since its 2000 census count [3]. Its median household income in 2007 was $63,016, the highest in South Hampton Roads [4].
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile (225.7/km²). There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3/sq mi (82.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.87% White, 28.53% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 2.05% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 69,900 households out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.17.
The age distribution was: 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,743, and the median income for a family was $56,302. Males had a median income of $39,204 versus $26,391 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,949. About 6.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
The growth of Chesapeake and its predecessors has been fueled by its location and transportation considerations. These continue to be major factors.
Funding for additional and replacement highways, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure is one of the major issues facing Chesapeake and much of the Hampton Roads region in the 21st century, as infrastructure originally built with toll revenues has aged without a source of funding to repair them or build replacements.
Tolls in Chesapeake are currently limited to the Jordan Bridge and the Chesapeake Expressway, but new ones may be imposed on some existing facilities to help generate revenue for transportation projects in the region.
Chesapeake is served by the nearby Norfolk International Airport in the City of Norfolk with commercial airline passenger service.
Within the city limits, Chesapeake Regional Airport is a general aviation facility located near Bowers Hill and the Hampton Roads Beltway. South of there, NALF Fentress is facility of the U.S. Navy and is an auxiliary landing field which is part of the large facility at NAS Oceana in neighboring Virginia Beach.
The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Chesapeake. Chesapeake also has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern branches of the Elizabeth River.
Five railroads currently pass through portions of Chesapeake, and handle some intermodal traffic at port facilities on Hampton Roads and navigable portions of several of its tributary rivers. The two major Class 1 railroads are CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern, joined by three short line railroads.
Chesapeake is located on a potential line for high speed passenger rail service between Richmond and South Hampton Roads which is being studied by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. A new suburban passenger station near Bowers Hill would potentially be included to supplement a terminal in downtown Norfolk.
Chesapeake is served by U.S. Highways 13, 17, 58, and 460. Interstate 64, part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, crosses through the city, Interstate 464 is a spur which connects it with downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth at the Berkley Bridge, and Interstate 664, which completes the Interstate loop from the Western Branch section of Chesapeake through the City of Newport News and into the City of Hampton.
State Route 168 is also a major highway in the area. It includes the Chesapeake Expressway toll road.
Chesapeake is the only locality in the Hampton Roads area with a separate bridge division. The city's Department of Public Works, Bridges and Structures division has 51 full-time workers. The city maintains 90 bridges and overpasses. Included are five movable span (draw) bridges which open an estimated 30,000 times a year for water vessels.
Major highway bridges in Chesapeake include Steel Bridge, the Gilmerton Bridge, the Jordan Bridge, and the High Rise Bridge, all drawbridges crossing the Southern branch of the Elizabeth River.
The Jordan Bridge was built in 1928 and operates with major weight restrictions. Replacing the bridge is not being considered. Cost estimates linger in the $200 million range, too much for a bridge that carries about 7,500 vehicles daily and far fewer on weekends. Motorists pay a 75-cent toll that is used to pay for repairs. In 2008, the Jordan Bridge was closed for repair. It may reopen late 2009 or early 2010.
Although ten years newer, replacing the Gilmerton Bridge (built in 1938) on Military Highway is a more urgent need. A four-laned structure on a primary highway with much heavier traffic volume than the Jordan Bridge, the Gilmerton Bridge has suffered rust, cracked concrete and other problems. Much like the Jordan Bridge, the end of its useful life is also near. Replacing the Gilmerton Bridge has been a goal for Chesapeake for many years. In October, 2007, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reported that the city had accumulated $142 million in state and federal funding, enough to start building the replacement bridge some time in 2009.
See also Transportation section of article Hampton Roads.
Water and sewer services are provided by the City's Department of Utilities. Chesapeake receives its electricity from Dominion Virginia Power which has local sources including the Chesapeake Energy Center (a gas power plant), coal-fired plants in the City and Southampton County, and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant. Norfolk headquartered Virginia Natural Gas, a subsidiary of AGL Resources, distributes natural gas to the City from storage plants in James City County and in the City.
The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. Chesapeake receives the majority of its water from the Northwest River in the southeastern part of the city. To deal with intermittent high salt content, Chesapeake implemented an advanced reverse osmosis system at its Northwest River water treatment plant in the late 1990s. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, additional freshwater for the South Hampton Roads area is pumped from Lake Gaston, about 80 miles (130 km) west, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border along with the Blackwater and Nottaway rivers. The pipeline is 76 miles (122 km) long and 60 inches (1,500 mm) in diameter. Much of its follows the former right-of-way of an abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway. It is capable of pumping 60 million gallons of water per day(60MGD). The cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach are partners in the project.
The City provides wastewater services for residents and transports wastewater to the regional Hampton Roads Sanitation District treatment plants.