Virginia Beach, independent city in extreme southeastern Virginia, near the southern terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Located on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is near the border with North Carolina and ranks as the largest city in Virginia. With its 61 km (38 mi) of shoreline and many fine hotels, it is one of the most popular resorts on the East Coast. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through the city. Virginia Beach also contains many manufacturing industries; products include fabricated metal, boats, building materials, electrical and electronic equipment, and processed food. Virginia Beach's inland areas have good farmland, and people raise hogs, vegetables, and strawberries. The local economy benefits from the presence of several military installations, including Oceana Naval Air Station, Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, and Fort Story, a United States Army base.
Among the educational institutions in Virginia Beach are Regent University (1977), two junior colleges, and a university graduate center. Points of interest include Cape Henry, the site of the first landing in 1607 of the settlers who formed the Jamestown colony; several 17th-century structures, such as the Adam Thoroughgood House, the Lynnhaven House, and the Francis Land House; the Life-Saving Museum of Virginia, which includes exhibits on Virginia coast shipwrecks; and the Virginia Marine Science Museum.
