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Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia is a rare blend of town and country living, with historic roots reaching back nearly four centuries. With a revitalized downtown, a Main Street pulsing with exciting new places to shop and dine you will enjoy southern hospitality second to none.
Suffolk is a city of pleasant villages with intriguing names like Chuckatuck, Driver, Holland, Whaleyville, Harbor View and the Riverfront. Encompassing 430 square miles Suffolk is Virginia's largest city in terms of land mass and the11th largest in the country! In 1609, the Nansemond Indians drove out Captain John Smith, who was interested in the oyster beds in the Nansemond River. This river, the commerce it helped create, and the English settlers who recognized the opportunity they would have here, gave birth in 1742 to the Town of Suffolk.
In 1912, an Italian immigrant named Amedeo Obici moved from Pennsylvania to Suffolk and opened Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. Today, Suffolk remains a major peanut processing center and transportation hub.
Suffolk is home to dozens of major employers, enabling residents to live close to where they work without time-intensive commutes. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Warfighting Center is located in the Northeast section of Suffolk.
Suffolk honors community spirit with annual family-friendly events and festivals including the Suffolk Peanut Festival, Nansemond Indian Tribal Pow Wow, Taste of Suffolk Downtown Street Festival, Great Dismal Swamp Birding Festival and many more.
Discover the Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge-111,000 acres of untouched wilderness. Swim, scuba dive, canoe, kayak or fish in 8,000 acres of lakes and rivers. Play a round of golf on one of five championship golf courses.
