The Port of Portsmouth is an independent city in southeastern Virginia. Lying across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk, it is part of the natural harbor that makes up the Port of Virginia, known as Hampton Roads. With a population of just over 100,000, Portsmouth is home to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard that played an important role in the American Civil War. Today, the navy yard builds and repairs U.S. naval vessels.

The land under Port of Portsmouth was granted in 1676 to British Colonel William Crawford who established the town and named it after Portsmouth, England. During the American Revolution, both British and American troops occupied the town. In 1767, Scotsman Andrew Sprowle built a shipyard there that later became the Norfolk Navy Yard owned by the U.S. government.

Virginia joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, and when Union troops evacuated the yard, they burned it. The South found much equipment and scrap left that they used to build the Confederate ironclad Virginia. The Virginia fought the Union’s USS Monitor in the Battle of Hampton Roads when the Union blockaded Hampton Roads. Forced from the port in 1862, the Confederates burned the shipyard when they left in 1862.

After the Civil War, the navy yard returned to the Union to build and repair naval vessels. It later produced the navy’s first commissioned battleship, the USS Texas and the first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley.

The Port of Portsmouth is one of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads. Surrounded by water on one side and Norfolk, Suffolk, and Chesapeake inland, it has little room to expand. Much of the city is controlled by the U.S. Navy. During the early 1900s, the Port of Portsmouth experienced limited downtown renewal, but more than half of the city’s area is on land that does not produce tax revenues.

The Port of Portsmouth hosts manufacturing of railroad equipment, fertilizers, chemicals, and plastic. Tidewater Community College and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum are located there.

The Portsmouth Marine Terminal is Virginia’s second biggest terminal for container ship berths. It handles containers, roll-on/roll-off, and breakbulk cargo. The terminal occupies 219 acres of land and contains over 20 thousand feet of direct rail access and rail track. It offers over 94 thousand square feet for dry storage and almost 47 acres for stacked container storage (almost 34,000 TEUs).

The Port of Portsmouth offers many attractions for visitors, offering one of the United States’ most historic areas. Near Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and historic Williamsburg, Portsmouth is a convenient location for tourists. You can learn more about the many interesting and fun things to do in the Port of Portsmouth by checking out the Portsmouth Visitors Guide which is updated regularly with current attractions and events.

A favorite destination for history buffs, the Olde Towne Historic District is a pedestrian-friendly area where you can stroll leisurely between hotels, marinas, restaurants, shops, and galleries.