Tides & Towns
Virginia · VA

Virginia Beach

Virginia's biggest city, where the Jamestown colonists first came ashore.

Population
459,470 (2020 census)
First landing
Cape Henry, 1607
City since
1952
Tides
Two highs, two lows a day

Then

  1. 1607

    After a 144-day voyage, three ships under Captain Christopher Newport, carrying 105 men and boys, make their first landfall at Cape Henry. The colonists go on to settle Jamestown.

  2. 1691

    Princess Anne County is formed from Lower Norfolk County, stretching from Cape Henry to the North Carolina line.

  3. 1792

    The first Cape Henry Lighthouse is finished in November, the first federal construction project under the new Constitution.

  4. 1881

    A new 157-foot Cape Henry Lighthouse is completed about 350 feet from the old one, which still stands.

  5. 1883–1888

    Rail service reaches the oceanfront in 1883. The Virginia Beach Hotel opens there and reopens in 1888 as the Princess Anne Hotel.

  6. 1906

    Virginia Beach incorporates as a town. It becomes a city in 1952.

  7. 1963

    Voters approve merging the city with Princess Anne County, creating the much larger city of Virginia Beach.

Now

Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the largest by area, with miles of oceanfront and bay beaches.

Naval Air Station Oceana, a major U.S. Navy fighter jet base, is the city's largest employer. First Landing State Park, within the city, marks the 1607 landing.

Both Cape Henry lighthouses still stand side by side. The 1792 tower has been owned by Preservation Virginia since 1930.

On the water

From NOAA's predictions for Virginia Beach, VA over the next 365 days. Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).

Pattern
Two highs and two lows a day, close in size
Typical daily range
3.7 ft
Biggest swing
5.4 ft on Dec 25
Smallest swing
2.1 ft on Mar 31
Highest high
5.1 ft, Oct 1 at 9:06 AM
Lowest low
−1.0 ft, Jan 23 at 1:35 AM

15 tide stations around Virginia Beach

Show all 15 stations

Sources