Virginia Beach Metro Area: Insurance, Healthcare and IT Businesses Flourish

According to geological surveys completed by the US government, Tidewater is the land located east of a line named the geological Fall Line.

Historically, Tidewater is the old Chesapeake Bay Colony before the Revolutionary War and the area surrounding it, including the bay. As today's large eastern Metroplex, several cities and counties in Southeastern Virginia, along with one county in North Carolina, would all be connected if it were not for several rivers and smaller waterways that divide them from one another. Some call the place a megalopolis.

This Metroplex largely in Virginia contains ten major cities and has been nicknamed Tidewater as well as Hampton Roads.

As a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of the US Federal Government's Office of Budget, the large community also contains a single county in North Carolina for business, economic, workforce development, and other analyses.

The cities in the Commonweath of Virgina are, in fact, not part of the counties in which they sit, but are completely independent governmental units by themselves.This is all very interesting.

Different sources list some variation in which cities and counties are included in the Metroplex discussed here, but taken together, they form a powerful marketplace and jobs resource. Tidewater is also a popular place for vacationers, given its recreational, entertainment, and historical.

During the spring of 2014, Colonial Williamsburg leaders bid to acquire Carter's Grove Plantation, a 1755 mansion and 400-acre property given up by its owner as too expensive to maintain. It is on the James River and makes a good addition to the attractions at Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg.

The plantation was part of the colonial theme park from 1969 - 2003, was sold to a millionaire, who gave it up after a decade.

Reference: Va. Plantation Returning to Colonial Williamsburg by Steve Szkotak of the Associated Press on May 21, 2014.

When I first visited Colonial Williamsburg in the mid-1960s, the park was small and admission was free. Today, the installation includes the entire city as well as a large district of refurbished historical sites and activities at the price of $52.00 per adult in the mid 2010s.

Counties In the Metroplex:

• Gloucester,
• Isle of Wight,
• James City (County),
• Mathews,
• Surry,
• York; and
• Currituck County of North Carolina.

Major Cities In the Metroplex:

• Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg.

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act of 1988 is a conservation act that protects these additional Virginia COUNTIES:

Accomack, Arlington, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Essex, Fairfax, Hanover, Henrico, King George, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, and Westmoreland, and these additional Virginia CITIES: Alexandria, Colonial Heights, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Hopewell, Petersburg, Richmond. However, for the analysis of economy, business, and jobs, the Metroplex actually refers to the first list of counties and cities above that are located more closely together.

Local Airports

Still others choose to divide the Metroplex from the rest of the state, according to the nearest airports. Many consider the communities around these three airports to be Tidewater:

• Newport News-Williamsburg Airport
• Norfolk International Airport
• Richmond International Airport

However, Richmond is rather far to the northwest from the rest of Tidewater. In addition, Metroplex residents requiring non-stop lights to Europe still fly out of Washington Dulles International Airport .

The Metroplex

In general, the Metroplex covers much of Southeastern Virginia and the region around Chesapeake Bay, especially the eight cities listed under. Many of the cities touch one another and it is difficult to distinguish between them as one drives through. The area is one of the 50 most populous metropolitan areas of the USA.

The Top 10 Jobs in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads Metroplex include the industries of Information Technology (IT) in a number of fields that span health and medical segments, Healthcare, Bioengineering, and Insurance.

A fairly new job designation, Environmental protection technician, is also in high demand.

TOP 10 JOBS:

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
2. Veterinary Techs
3. Personal and Home Health Aides
4. Biomedical Engineers
5. Insurance Sales Agents and Insurance Underwriters
6. Computer Software Systems Engineers,
7. Physician, Medical, and Dental Assistants
8. Database Administrators
9. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
10. Environmental Protection Technicians

The Metroplex hosts this list of companies and agencies that are among Virginia's Top 100 Largest Employers. The list contains the name of the organization and the city within the Metroplex where you can find it.

• Northrop Grumman Newport News, Newport News - Part of the NASA Commercial Crew of privatized space exploration and business partners.
• University of Virginia Health Systems, multiple sites
• National Aeronautics and Space, Hampton
• College Of William and Mary, Williamsburg
• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg
• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk
• US Navy Department, Production Dept, Portsmouth
• Bon Secours Maryview Med Center, Portsmouth
• Landmark Inc., Norfolk
• Old Dominion University, Norfolk
• Maryview Behavioral Medicine, Portsmouth
• Anheuser-Busch Inc., Williamsburg
• West Telemarketing, Hampton
• Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock, Norfolk
• Chesapeake General Hospital, Chesapeake

In addition to the above list of Metroplex's 15 largest employers, the City of Virginia Beach's Top 10 Largest Employers include:

1. American Systems Engineering
2. Amerigroup
3. Manpower
4. Geico Direct
5. Gold Key Resorts
6. Stihl
7. Virginian-Pilot Production Plant
8. Christian Broadcasting Network
9. Lillian Vernon Corporation
10. MILCOM Systems

This region's colleges, universities, and vocational schools include several major facilities:

• Christopher Newport University
• College of William and Mary
• Eastern Shore Community College
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• ECPI College of Technology
• Hampton University
• Joint Forces Staff College
• Norfolk State University
• Old Dominion University
• Paul D. Camp Community College
• Regent University
• Thomas Nelson Community College
• Tidewater Community College
• Troy University: University College - Atlantic Region (Multiple sites -- Dedicated to government and agency civilians; related to military and government operations)
• Virginia Wesleyan College