
Chesapeake is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the third largest city in Virginia in terms of population. Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former Norfolk County, which dated to 1691.
Chesapeake is a diverse city with urban areas as well as many square miles of protected forests and wetlands, including a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp. Extending all the way from the rural border with North Carolina to the harbor area of Hampton Roads next 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.
In 2006, its population was estimated to be 220,560, the city spans roughly 350 sq. miles and has about 10 sq. miles of water. Chesapeake was named one of the safest cities of it's size in the country, which is why it is such a desirable place to live.


