Norfolk (locally /ˈnɔːrfək/ ^ⓘ NOR-fək) is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia and 100th-most populous city in the United States. The city holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (sometimes called "Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

Norfolk was established in 1682 as a colonial seaport. Strategically located at the confluence of the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay, it quickly developed into a major center for trade and shipbuilding. During the American Revolution and War of 1812, its port and naval facilities made it a critical military target. Norfolk's prominence grew in the 20th century with the expansion of the U.S. Navy, particularly through the establishment of Naval Station Norfolk in 1917, which remains the world's largest naval base.

Norfolk is an important contributor to the Port of Virginia and houses one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters. It is home to Maersk Line, Limited, which manages the world's largest fleet of US-flag vessels. The city has numerous cultural institutions including the Nauticus maritime museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, and Virginia Zoo. Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront areas, including beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. Its low-lying coastal infrastructure is vulnerable to sea level rise, with water levels expected to rise by more than 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) by the end of the 21st century.

In the late sixteenth century, the area that is now Norfolk was inhabited by the Chesepian people, who referred to the land as "K'che-sepi-ack." According to historical accounts from William Strachy, the Chesepian settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607.^{[citation needed]}

Norfolk's lands were some of the first to draw settlers from the Virginia Colony, although Norfolk would not be incorporated as a town until the 1700s. When the establishment of the House of Burgesses introduced representative government to the colony in 1619, governor Sir George Yeardley divided the developed portion of the colony into four incorporated jurisdictions, termed citties. The land on which Norfolk now sits fell under Elizabeth Cittie incorporation.^{[citation needed]}

In 1634 King Charles I reorganized the colony into a system of shires, and Elizabeth Cittie became Elizabeth City Shire. Elizabeth City Shire (now the city of Hampton) included all land that today comprises the cities of Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk. After persuading 105 people to settle in the colony, Adam Thoroughgood (who had immigrated to Virginia in 1622 from King's Lynn, Norfolk, England) was granted a large land holding, through the head rights system, along the Lynnhaven River in 1636.^{[citation needed]}

When the South Hampton Roads portion of the shire was separated, Thoroughgood suggested the name of his birthplace for the newly formed New Norfolk County. One year later, it was divided into two counties, Upper Norfolk and Lower Norfolk (the latter now incorporated into the City of Norfolk), chiefly on Thoroughgood's recommendation. This area of Virginia became known as the place of entrepreneurs, including men of the Virginia Company of London.

Norfolk developed in the late-seventeenth century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and 50 acres (200,000 m²) were acquired from local natives of the Powhatan Confederacy in exchange for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The House of Burgesses established the "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" in 1680. In 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County split to form Norfolk County (included in present-day cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (present-day Virginia Beach).^{[citation needed]}