City (pop., 2000: 180,150) and port of entry, southeastern Virginia, U.S., at the mouth of the James River .
The site was settled in 1621 by 50 colonists from Ireland. It was incorporated as a city in 1896 and was an important embarkation point in both World Wars. With Norfolk and Portsmouth , it constitutes the Port of Hampton Roads . It is the site of one of the largest shipyards in the world, producing luxury liners, aircraft carriers, and nuclear-powered submarines.