Sure, we all know that Virginia Beach has a terrific boardwalk, a great beach, an awesome aquarium, wonderful sports fishing opportunities, restaurants that serve delicious food, and more! But do you know the real Virginia Beach?
Read below for some fun facts you probably never knew about Neptune City.
1. Virginia Beach is actually closer to cities in North Carolina than it is to other Virginia cities.
Located in Virginia’s southeast corner, Virginia Beach is very close to the Virginia-North Carolina state line.
2. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk was originially built in 1888.
VA Beach visitors have been strolling along the same strip of land near the Oceanfront for over 120 years. The Boardwalk here is affectionately referred to as one of the favorite boardwalks in the whole country. In fact, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk was named the 5th Best Boardwalk in the USA!
3. Virginia Beach is home to 3.5 military bases (that’s right- three and a half).
They are NAS Oceana, NAB Little Creek, FTC Dam Neck and the U.S. Army’s Fort Story. The “half” base is NAB Little Creek, which is largely in Virginia Beach, but has its formal address in Norfolk, Virginia.
4. JEB Little Creek is the largest employer in Virginia Beach.
JEB (Joint Expenditionary Base) in Little Creek is the base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy’s Atlantic Fleet.
5. Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia, with a population of about 425,000.
It’s no surprise considering how many jobs are available here with our military.
6. The city also is very large geographically.
It’s almost 500 square miles in size (497.3), making it much larger than Washington, DC (68.3 square miles with a population of almost 600,000 people) and even bigger than Manhattan, which is just 33.77 square miles.
7. The King Neptune statue that stands at the intersection of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and 31st Street was cast in bronze in China.
It stands 34 feet high and weighs 12.5 tons.
8. The Guinness Book of Records lists Virginia Beach as having the longest pleasure beach on the planet.
The 35 miles of sandy shores are made up of three beaches which include the Chesapeake Bay Beach, Sandbridge Beach, and Virginia Beach.
9. A landfill known as Mount Trashmore is one of the largest landfills in the country.
Virginia Beach performs its 4th of July fireworks from this landfill.
10. The city’s average temperature is 60 degrees F.
11. Virginia Beach is home to the Edgar Cayce’s Headquarters.
Edgar Cayce is famously known as the Greatest Psychic of All Time. The reason why his headquarters is located here is because he predicted that Virginia Beach is the safest place to be when the continents change shape.
Click here to learn more about the Edgar Cayce Society.
12. Virginia Beach is home to even more celebrities.
Singer, Pharrell Williams was raised in VB. Olympic gymnast, Gabrielle Douglas calls this city home. Rapper, Missy Elliot was born and raised in VB’s sister city, but you can bet she visits often!
Find even more Celebrities in Virginia Beach here.
13. The Christian Broadcasting Network is taped in Virginia Beach by Pat Robertson.
You may know this show even if you don’t watch it. It is always on the local station. The show that is taped by the CBN is called the 700 Club.
