The 'Elizabeth River' is a short
tidal estuary forming an arm of
Hampton Roads at the southern end of
Chesapeake Bay in southeast
Virginia in the
United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of
James River, between the cities of
Portsmouth and
Norfolk. The estuary provides significant military and commercial port facilities for the two cities.
The main branch of the estuary is approximately 5 mi (8 km) long and 2 mi (3.2 km) wide at its mouth. It is formed at its southern end by three river estuaries from the east near its mouth.
The river was named by the
Jamestown colonists in the early
17th century for Princess
Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King
James I of England and a sister of the later King
Charles I.
Motor vehicles cross the main portion of the river using the
Downtown Tunnel and the
Midtown Tunnel.
See also
★
List of Virginia rivers
External links
★
Elizabeth River Project
★
Norfolk Historical Society: Elizabeth River