Norfolk, nearly surrounded by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, is located near the southern border of Virginia, 18 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean and about 200 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. Immediately north is Chesapeake Bay and west is Hampton Roads, the natural channel through which the waters of the James River and its tributaries flow into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Norfolk is situated at the mouth of the James, Elizabeth, and Nansemond rivers. Within the city the land is low and level.
Norfolk is fortunate in that it is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes. It is also north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other tropical storms. The city usually has mild winters and sunny, warm autumns and springs. The long hot summers are often interrupted by cool periods as a result of the northeasterly winds off the Atlantic Ocean. Waves of extreme cold are rare, and often winters have no measurable snow. All in all, the National Weather Service has ranked Norfolk's climate as "one of the most desirable in the nation."
Area: 53.73 square miles of land; 42.58 square miles of water; 96.30 square miles total area (2000)
Elevation: 13 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 40° F; July, 79° F; annual average, 59.57° F;
Average Annual Precipitation: 43.89 inches total; 7.5 inches of snowfall