Community Information - Hopewell, Virginia

Hopewell History >

Even though Hopewell is a relatively young city that was incorporated in 1916, it is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Virginia. Captain Christopher Newport set foot in what was to become Hopewell a few days before the first people arrived in Jamestown in 1607. The area was to have permanent settlements from as early as 1613, and play a major role in the War of Independance and the Civil War. During the Civil War, Hopewell served as a supply headquarters for the Union general, Ulysses S. Grant and has many periodic buildings and sites which have been preserved.

Dupont built production facilities in Hopewell in 1915, and was bolstered in the production of dynamite to help with the war effort during the Great War. Hopewell was incorporated soon after the Dupont plant opened and City Point was annexed in 1923. After the war was over, Dupont's plant closed down and Hopewell's population fell from 50,000 to only a few thousand.

Hopewell has had a council/manager form of government since 1924. The City Council has seven members who are elected. They collectively select the City Manager.

Location >

Hopewell occupies 11 square miles and lies 23 miles southeast of Richmond at the convergence of the James and Appomattox rivers in eastern Virginia. Hopewell is an independent, incorporated city within Virginia. The city is 30 minutes from downtown Richmond and 56 miles from Williamsburg. It is not part of any county and acts as an entity of its own without county affiliation, taxation, etc.

Hopewell Facts & Figures >

The population of Hopewell is approximately 22,354
The approximate number of families is 9,625 (1990)
The amount of land area in Hopewell is 11.3 square miles
The amount of surface water is 1.227 sq kilometers.
The distance from Hopewell to Washington DC is 112 miles. The distance to the Virginia state capital is 19 miles. (as the crow flies)
Hopewell is positioned 37.29 degrees north of the equator and 77.29 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Persons per Square Mile = 1,1978
School Enrollment atage 3+ = 5,474
High School Graduates, age 25+ = 71.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher, age 25+ = 10.2%
Housing Units = 9,749
Homeownership Rate = 56.0%
Multi-unit Housing Structures = 24.2%
Median Value of Owner Occupied = $77,300
Households = 9,055
Persons per Household = 2.43
Median Household Income = $33,196

(This information was collected from a variety of public domain sources. Please visit the sites below for more information about the City of Hopewell.)

Appomattox Regional Library

City of Hopewell

Visitor's Center - Tourism

Community

Chester
Chesterfield
Colonial Heights
Dinwiddie
Hopewell
Petersburg
Prince George
Surry
Sussex