The city of Newport News, Virginia supports a population of over 180,000 inhabitants in the southwestern section of the Virginia Peninsula. The city is one of Virginia's largest cities. It is included in the Virginia Beach - Newport News - Norfolk metropolitan area.
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is the city's airport. Norfolk International Airport is close by within Norfolk.
Ever since 1621, when the city of Newport News was settled, it was only a small rural community referred to as "Newportes Newes." The names origin is not known. The region was the site of the Peninsula Campaign in 1861 during the Civil War. During the 1890s, the city of Newport News became a railroad town when the Chesapeake and Ohio's (C&O) eastern terminus located here. The city of Newport News was incorporated during the year 1896, and in the year 1958, the nearby city of Warwick was consolidated along with the city of Newport News.
Businesses in the city of Newport News include aerospace, military and shipbuilding. Military bases are located in the area, supplied by many defensive industry suppliers in the city. Numerous local residents are working at these businesses, and in the shipyard and within different harbor-related vocations. Newport News Shipbuilding is owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries. Coal piers are supplied by CSX Transportation, a Fortune 500 railroad company, the modern successor to C&O. The James River Bridge and Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel are part of the Hampton Roads Beltway.
The maritime industry plays a key part in Newport News. Heavy-lift cranes and container cranes can be seen operating at the busy Newport News Marine Terminal, at the end of the CSX railroad tracks. The Marine Terminal has 0.57 km2 of warehouses.
Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding is the city's biggest employer, employing over 15,000 people. The 2nd biggest employer is Fort Eustis, that employs more than 10,000. The 3rd biggest employer is Newport News School System, with approximately 5000 workers.
The Peninsula's Fine Arts Center is part of the city's strong cultural sector. This center features a diverse art collection and hosts regular exhibitions. The Hands On For Kids gallery, is a popular gallery for kids to enjoy an interactive and fun space for art-making. Kids even like seeing the African mandrill, Siberian tiger and black leopard at the Peninsula S.P.C.A. Exotic Sanctuary. The Petting Zoo has chickens, a peacock, goats and deer. The U.S. Army Transportation Museum has dioramas and models of historic transportation machines, as well as a full-size collection. The outdoors can be enjoyed in any of the city's 30 public parks.