Virginia Beach Boulevard
Encyclopedia
Virginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58
most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk
to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach
, passing through the newly-developed New Urbanist Town Center
development of the latter as it links the two independent cities
in the South Hampton Roads
subregion of the Hampton Roads
region in southeastern Virginia
.
The first hard-surfaced road from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Boulevard opened in July 1921. "the Boulevard" as it became widely known locally, was a major factor in the growth of the Oceanfront town and adjacent portions of the former Princess Anne County
(consolidated with Virginia Beach in 1963) as automobiles replaced streetcars and trains as a preferred mode of travel.
In the late 1950s, a former airfield near the intersection with Norfolk's semi-circumferential Military Highway
became the site of JANAF
, the largest shopping center in the eastern United States at time. When indoor shopping malls became the newest trend a few laters later, Military Circle Mall was built in another quadrant of this major intersection. As traffic continued to grow, Virginia Beach Boulevard was largely paralleled by the Virginia Beach Expressway, a toll road
which was completed in 1967. Originally designated Virginia State Route 44, after the toll revenue bond
s were retired, it became toll-free and was re-designated as part of Interstate 264
. However, "the Boulevard" continues to serve in many ways as Virginia Beach's equivalent of "Main Street" in the early 21st century.
frontage of Princess Anne County from Cape Henry
south to North Carolina was isolated, subject to severe weather, and largely uninhabited. When the resort development of the resort area near Seatack
(now known commonly as the "Oceanfront") area of Princess Anne County began in the 1880s, travelers were largely dependent upon steam-powered railroad and later electric trolley service from Norfolk to reach the new Princess Anne Hotel and the others which soon followed, provided by Norfolk Southern Railway
and its predecessor companies. A line parallel to the beach extended north to Cape Henry, and Pullman car service was offered to the original landmark brick Cavalier Hotel, which attracted many affluent tourists.
In the early 20th century, rubber-tired motor vehicles emerged as preferred mode of travel for Americans, offering more personalized transportation for vacationers. Virginia Beach Boulevard was established in 1922 as a concrete roadway extending from the eastern outskirts of the City of Norfolk
through formerly rural sections of Norfolk County
and Princess Anne County
to the reach the developing Oceanfront area. The new roadway provided a major avenue of access by automobiles, buses, and trucks to the resort strip, and the areas along the route.
Over the years, Virginia Beach Boulevard was extended further into Norfolk, and widened. Service roads were built along both sides. After World War II
, huge shopping complexes, JANAF Shopping Center
, and Military Circle Mall were established near the junction with Military Highway
. Further east, Pembroke Mall
was built. Gradually, the former farmlands of the two counties gave way to development, and eventually expansion of the independent cities
through annexations and consolidations brought the borders of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk together on Virginia Beach Boulevard, near Newtown Road.
Along with a more circuitous route along U.S. Route 60 which, as Ocean View Avenue and Shore Drive, looped along from Willoughby Spit
along the south shore of the Chesapeake Bay
past Cape Henry
to reach the Oceanfront area, Virginia Beach Boulevard (designated as U.S. Route 58
) served as the primary access route to the Oceanfront area until the largely parallel Virginia Beach Expressway (now I-264
) was opened as a toll road
in 1967.
In modern times, Virginia Beach Boulevard remains one of the major traffic arteries and commercial corridors of the City of Virginia Beach, passing through the New Urbanist Town Center
development in the Pembroke area at Independence Boulevard. Today, almost the entire length of the Boulevard is signed U.S. Route 58
. The exception is its easternmost section, just east of Great Neck Road (State Route 279
). Here, Laskin Road splits from the Boulevard and takes up the Route 58 designation while Virginia Beach Boulevard becomes Business U.S. Route 58, a designation it holds until it logically ends at Cypress Avenue. From there east to the physical terminus at Atlantic Avenue, the road continues as the oceanfront's 17th Street.
The flagship store of the 17th Street Surf Shop chain is located at the corner of 17th Street and Pacific Avenue, one block from the terminus.
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, passing through the newly-developed New Urbanist Town Center
Virginia Beach Town Center
Virginia Beach Town Center is a group of offices, hotels, stores, and restaurants in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Location:The Virginia Beach Town Center is located in the Central Business District of Virginia Beach across the street from Pembroke Mall...
development of the latter as it links the two independent cities
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
in the South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA with a population about 1.7 million....
subregion of the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
region in southeastern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The first hard-surfaced road from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Boulevard opened in July 1921. "the Boulevard" as it became widely known locally, was a major factor in the growth of the Oceanfront town and adjacent portions of the former Princess Anne County
Princess Anne County, Virginia
Princess Anne County is a former county which was created in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach...
(consolidated with Virginia Beach in 1963) as automobiles replaced streetcars and trains as a preferred mode of travel.
In the late 1950s, a former airfield near the intersection with Norfolk's semi-circumferential Military Highway
Military Highway
Military Highway is a four-lane roadway built in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, USA during World War II.- Original construction :...
became the site of JANAF
JANAF Shopping Center
JANAF Shopping Center in Norfolk, Virginia was one of the first large shopping centers in the United States.The Hampton Roads area experienced tremendous growth during and after World War II. In the 1950s, a trend in retail was the shopping center, a group of stores along a common sidewalk adjacent...
, the largest shopping center in the eastern United States at time. When indoor shopping malls became the newest trend a few laters later, Military Circle Mall was built in another quadrant of this major intersection. As traffic continued to grow, Virginia Beach Boulevard was largely paralleled by the Virginia Beach Expressway, a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
which was completed in 1967. Originally designated Virginia State Route 44, after the toll revenue bond
Toll revenue bond
A toll revenue bond is a financial promissory note usually issued to generate funds for the construction and/or operation of a public accommodation such as an expressway, bridge, or tunnel...
s were retired, it became toll-free and was re-designated as part of Interstate 264
Interstate 264 (Virginia)
Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River into Norfolk...
. However, "the Boulevard" continues to serve in many ways as Virginia Beach's equivalent of "Main Street" in the early 21st century.
History
Prior to the late 19th century, the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
frontage of Princess Anne County from Cape Henry
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...
south to North Carolina was isolated, subject to severe weather, and largely uninhabited. When the resort development of the resort area near Seatack
Seatack, Virginia
Seatack, Virginia was located in Princess Anne County and is now part of the Oceanfront resort strip and adjacent area of the independent city of Virginia Beach. The Seatack community of Virginia Beach includes an area inland from the resort strip along present-day Virginia Beach Boulevard. Seatack...
(now known commonly as the "Oceanfront") area of Princess Anne County began in the 1880s, travelers were largely dependent upon steam-powered railroad and later electric trolley service from Norfolk to reach the new Princess Anne Hotel and the others which soon followed, provided by Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway (former)
The Norfolk Southern Railway was the final name of a railroad running from Norfolk, Virginia southwest and west to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was acquired by the Southern Railway in 1974, which was merged with the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1990 to form the current entity of the Norfolk...
and its predecessor companies. A line parallel to the beach extended north to Cape Henry, and Pullman car service was offered to the original landmark brick Cavalier Hotel, which attracted many affluent tourists.
In the early 20th century, rubber-tired motor vehicles emerged as preferred mode of travel for Americans, offering more personalized transportation for vacationers. Virginia Beach Boulevard was established in 1922 as a concrete roadway extending from the eastern outskirts of the City of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
through formerly rural sections of Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Virginia
Norfolk County was a county of the South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States that was created in 1691. After the American Civil War, for a period of about 100 years, portions of Norfolk County were lost and the territory of the county reduced as they became parts of the separate...
and Princess Anne County
Princess Anne County, Virginia
Princess Anne County is a former county which was created in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach...
to the reach the developing Oceanfront area. The new roadway provided a major avenue of access by automobiles, buses, and trucks to the resort strip, and the areas along the route.
Over the years, Virginia Beach Boulevard was extended further into Norfolk, and widened. Service roads were built along both sides. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, huge shopping complexes, JANAF Shopping Center
JANAF Shopping Center
JANAF Shopping Center in Norfolk, Virginia was one of the first large shopping centers in the United States.The Hampton Roads area experienced tremendous growth during and after World War II. In the 1950s, a trend in retail was the shopping center, a group of stores along a common sidewalk adjacent...
, and Military Circle Mall were established near the junction with Military Highway
Military Highway
Military Highway is a four-lane roadway built in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, USA during World War II.- Original construction :...
. Further east, Pembroke Mall
Pembroke Mall
Pembroke Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. Opened in March 1966 as the first shopping mall in the Hampton Roads MSA, it comprises more than 100 stores, including anchor stores Kohl's, Sears and Stein Mart, as well as a food court, and a movie...
was built. Gradually, the former farmlands of the two counties gave way to development, and eventually expansion of the independent cities
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
through annexations and consolidations brought the borders of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk together on Virginia Beach Boulevard, near Newtown Road.
Along with a more circuitous route along U.S. Route 60 which, as Ocean View Avenue and Shore Drive, looped along from Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
along the south shore of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
past Cape Henry
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...
to reach the Oceanfront area, Virginia Beach Boulevard (designated as U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
) served as the primary access route to the Oceanfront area until the largely parallel Virginia Beach Expressway (now I-264
Interstate 264 (Virginia)
Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River into Norfolk...
) was opened as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in 1967.
In modern times, Virginia Beach Boulevard remains one of the major traffic arteries and commercial corridors of the City of Virginia Beach, passing through the New Urbanist Town Center
Virginia Beach Town Center
Virginia Beach Town Center is a group of offices, hotels, stores, and restaurants in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Location:The Virginia Beach Town Center is located in the Central Business District of Virginia Beach across the street from Pembroke Mall...
development in the Pembroke area at Independence Boulevard. Today, almost the entire length of the Boulevard is signed U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
. The exception is its easternmost section, just east of Great Neck Road (State Route 279
Virginia State Route 279
State Route 279 is a primary state highway in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. It runs along Great Neck Road from U.S. Route 58 north to U.S. Route 60.-External links:*...
). Here, Laskin Road splits from the Boulevard and takes up the Route 58 designation while Virginia Beach Boulevard becomes Business U.S. Route 58, a designation it holds until it logically ends at Cypress Avenue. From there east to the physical terminus at Atlantic Avenue, the road continues as the oceanfront's 17th Street.
The flagship store of the 17th Street Surf Shop chain is located at the corner of 17th Street and Pacific Avenue, one block from the terminus.