

The City of Hampton, established in 1610, has its roots as America's first continuously occupied English-speaking settlement. With a population of about 140,000, the city's location has the advantage of being midway between two Hampton Roads tourism meccas -- Williamsburg and Virginia Beach.Hampton is well known as the home of NASA Langley Research Center, the Hampton Coliseum concert venue and Hampton University.
Regionally, the city provides shoppers with the Peninsula's largest; major entertainment events such as Hampton Bay Days and the Hampton Jazz Festival; and sports draws including NASCAR races at Langley Speedway and the Hampton Cup Regatta sailing competition. Hampton has continued to focus on projects to revitalize its downtown area, where the Virginia Air and Space Center, with more than 100 historic, aeronautic and space exhibits and a giant IMAX movie screen, draws about one-quarter million people each year.