Newport News

Newport News (pop. 144,903), city in southeastern Virginia, on the north shore of the James River estuary. It is one of the ports of the natural harbor called Hampton Roads. A noted shipbuilding center since the 1880s, it also produces electrical machinery, automotive parts, paints, and other products. The city is renowned for its seafood. Landmarks include the Mariners Museum and the War Memorial Museum of Virginia. Settled in 1621, the city was named for Capt. Christopher Newport, who brought supplies and colonists for the Jamestown colony. The Civil War battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack (1862) was fought off the coast of Newport News.

See also: Virginia.