What Locals Know About Hampton
Think you really know Hampton? It's a city with America's oldest continuous English settlement that could make Jamestown jealous, blue crabs galore that you'll have to crack yourself, and waterfront views that are criminally underrated for sunrise photos. Let's run through the facts, stats, and crabby secrets that showcase what makes Hampton's Colonial charm surprisingly unsnobby.
Laura, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Laura arrived in Virginia in 1988 with a teaching job, a love of sunshine, and zero idea she’d still be here decades later—now basically an honorary ambassador for the state. She’s tracked down over 800 of Virginia’s iconic LOVE signs, a feat that probably deserves its own license plate. When she’s not at the beach or debating which El Azteca location does the best Nacho Fajitas, she’s editing Snappy Scout’s Virginia guides, helping readers discover the local quirks and hidden gems she’s been living (and loving) for years.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Hampton Hampton?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Hampton
Crabtown, The H, America's First English Settlement (stretching it)
Local Reality Check
Not a beach town. You're sandwiched between Norfolk and Newport News.
You're most likely moving from
Another military base or deeper into Virginia Beach
Strangely large concentration of
NASA engineers and shipyard workers who moonlight as crab shack regulars
Music scene
Jazz legacy strong, live venues modest, Hampton Coliseum pulls bigger acts
You'll have to see it to believe it
The Virginia Air & Space Center's Apollo 12 command module
Unique Geography
Wedged on a peninsula where the James River kisses the Chesapeake
Hampton is home to
Langley Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, and the north end of the Hampton Roads Birdge Tunnel
Well known for its
Hampton University, blue crabs, and being America's oldest continuous English settlement
Fun history fact
Blackbeard's severed head was displayed on a pike at Hampton's harbor in 1718
Celebrity sightings
Masego, Trey Songz, Allen Iverson, and Queen Esther Marrow
Noteworthy Census stat
Median age is 35, younger than you'd guess for a military town
Most interesting sub-culture within Hampton
Military transplants who become fiercely protective locals within two years
Population
7th largest city in VA, top 200 nationwide
Hampton is roughly the same geographic size as
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A Local Event Worth Experiencing Once
Mid-June means the Blackbeard Pirate Festival along the Hampton waterfront. The three-day event includes pirate reenactors, historical vendors, maritime history lessons, live bands, children's activities, and fireworks.
— Laura Gray
Virginia Local Expert
Ready to See If Hampton Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Hampton guide for the bigger picture.