Suffolk ( ) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of 2020, the population was 94,324. It is the 10th-most populous city in Virginia, the largest city in Virginia by boundary land area as well as the 16th-largest in the country. Suffolk is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. This also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, and smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads. With miles of waterfront property on the Nansemond and James rivers, present-day Suffolk was formed in 1974 after consolidating with Nansemond County and the towns of Holland and Whaleyville.
History
Prior to colonization, the region was inhabited by the indigenous Nansemond people. The settlement of Suffolk was established in 1742 by Virginian colonists as a port town on the Nansemond River. It was originally named Constant's Warehouse (for John Constant, one of the first founders of the settlement) before being renamed after Royal Governor of Virginia Sir William Gooch's home county of the same name in England. During the colonial era, Virginian colonists in the region cultivated tobacco with enslaved labor as a cash crop, before transitioning to mixed farming. Suffolk was designated as the county seat of Nansemond County in 1750.
Early in its history, Suffolk became a land transportation gateway to the areas east of it in South Hampton Roads. Before the American Civil War, both the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad and the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad were built through Suffolk, early predecessors of 21st-century Class 1 railroads operated by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern, respectively. Other railroads and later major highways followed after the war.
Suffolk became an incorporated town in 1808. Suffolk became a stop on the Atlantic and Danville Railway in 1890. In 1910, it incorporated as a city and separated from Nansemond County. However, it remained the seat of Nansemond County until 1972, when its former county became the independent city of Nansemond. In 1974, the independent cities of Suffolk and Nansemond merged under Suffolk's name and charter.
Peanuts grown in the surrounding areas became a major agricultural industry for Suffolk. Notably, Planters' Peanuts was established in Suffolk beginning in 1912. Suffolk was the 'birthplace' of Mr. Peanut, the mascot of Planters' Peanuts. For many years, the call-letters of local AM radio station WLPM stood for World's Largest Peanut Market. (WLPM's license was cancelled in 1996) In 1918, Suffolk did its part in the war effort when it became the home of the Nansemond Ordinance Depot. Formally named Pin Point under the Confederacy during the Civil War, the United States Government purchased the land and used it as a weapons depot until the site's closure in 1960.McGuinness, Thomas. "The Nansemond Ordinance Depot, Suffolk's Dirty Secret." ArcGIS StoryMaps, October 13, 2021. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/01f5948163b44c0aa601419ec14229e6.
Geography Suffolk is located at (36.741347, −76.609881).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (6.9%) is water. It is the largest city in Virginia by land area and second largest by total area. Part of the Great Dismal Swamp is located in Suffolk.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Suffolk city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)24,61828,36733,94043,03443,83751.70%54.40%53.30%50.88%46.47%Black or African American alone (NH)22,46823,14127,52435,77139,19447.18%44.38%43.22%42.29%41.55%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)571071852322550.12%0.21%0.29%0.27%0.27%Asian alone (NH)1091864871,3241,6720.23%0.36%0.76%1.57%1.77%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census155068xx0.02%0.06%0.07%Other race alone (NH)2021641095430.04%0.04%0.10%0.13%0.58%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census6531,6504,503xx1.03%1.95%4.77%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3493198092,4154,2520.73%0.61%1.27%2.86%4.51%Total47,62152,14163,67784,58594,324 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Suffolk had a population of 94,324. The median age was 39.2 years, with 23.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 15.6% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males age 18 and over.
72.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 27.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 35,555 households in Suffolk, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.7% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 38,364 housing units, of which 7.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 44,723 47.4% Black or African American 39,701 42.1% American Indian and Alaska Native 343 0.4% Asian 1,708 1.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 74 0.1% Some other race 1,645 1.7% Two or more races 6,130 6.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 4,252 4.5%
2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, there were 84,585 people, 23,283 households, and 17,718 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 24,704 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 50.1% White, 42.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.9% of the population.
There were 23,283 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.09.
The age distribution was 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,115, and the median income for a family was $47,342. Males had a median income of $35,852 versus $23,777 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,836. About 10.8% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2005, the city's median income jumped to $60,484. A number of government-related, contractor high-tech jobs had developed with new businesses in the city's northern corridor, bringing in wealthier residents. Suffolk ranked a close second in median income to its neighbor Chesapeake in South Hampton Roads.
Education
Suffolk Public Schools, the local public school system, operates 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, and one alternative school. Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is a private college preparatory school located on Pruden Blvd.
Paul D. Camp Community College has a campus in Suffolk.
Transportation
Suffolk's early growth depended on its waterfront location, with access to the waterways for power and transportation. Subsequent transportation infrastructure upgraded its connections with other markets. These continue to be major factors in the 21st century.
Bike trails The Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge includes dozens of miles of trails accessible via White Marsh Road at Washington Ditch and other entry sites. Additional bike trails can be found at Lone Star Lakes City Park off Godwin Blvd. This city park provides over of rock trails. There are many rural roads with light traffic available for road riding. Adjacent to Suffolk is Isle of Wight County, where a county facility called Nike Park includes a bike trail approximately 2 miles in a loop.
Waterways Suffolk was initially a port at the head of navigation of the Nansemond River. The Nansemond flows into the James River near its mouth and the ice-free harbor of Hampton Roads.
Railroads The two railroads completed through Suffolk before the American Civil War were later joined by four more. These were eventually consolidated during the modern merger era of North American railroads which began around 1960. Suffolk was served by several passenger lines, concluding with Amtrak's Mountaineer, which ended in 1977. At least two former passenger stations are still standing, the Seaboard Coast Line station, now the Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, and the Norfolk and Western Railway station at 100 Hollady Street. The N&W station was used by Amtrak (as "Holiday Street") until 1977 when the Mountaineer was replaced by a bus connection to the Hilltopper. Currently, Amtrak's Northeast Regional between Norfolk and Petersburg passes by the N&W station without stopping.
Today, Suffolk is served by three freight railroads. It is located on a potential branch line for the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor between Petersburg, Virginia and South Hampton Roads, being studied by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Highways Suffolk is served by U.S. Highways 13, 17, 58, 258 and 460. Interstate 664, part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, crosses through the northeastern edge of the city. State Route 10 is also a major highway in the area.
In 2006, Suffolk assumed control of its road system from the Virginia Department of Transportation, which is customary among Virginia's independent cities. Since the Byrd Road Act of 1932 created Virginia's Secondary Roads System, the state maintains the roads in most counties and towns. An exception was made by the General Assembly when the former Nansemond County became an independent city and consolidated Suffolk in the 1970s. The state maintained the primary and secondary routes in Suffolk until July 1, 2006.
Bridges, bridge-tunnel The Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel connects Suffolk to the independent city of Newport News on the Virginia Peninsula from South Hampton Roads. It is part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, a circumferential interstate highway that links the seven largest cities of Hampton Roads. Completed in 1992, it provided a third major vehicle crossing of the Hampton Roads harbor area and cost $400 million to build.
The city and VDOT have had disputes over ownership and responsibility for the Kings Highway Bridge (circa 1928) across the Nansemond River on State Route 125. VDOT closed it in 2005 for safety reasons.Aaron Applegate, VDOT, city of Suffolk battle over closed Kings Highway Bridge , The Virginian-Pilot, May 1, 2006John Warren, Flooding blamed on clogged ditches, The Virginian-Pilot, July 11, 2006