HAMPTON – “First from the sea, first to the stars”

Hampton, Virginia is the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking community in North America. In 2010, Hampton celebrated its 400th anniversary. The settlers at Jamestown stopped in what became Hampton in 1607 and met the Native Americans of the Village of Kecoughtan before sailing further up the James River to avoid Spanish raiders. Thus Hampton is the first American city from the sea.

In the twentieth century, President Eisenhower created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, to send Americans into space. The Mercury astronauts began their training at Hampton’s NASA Langley Research Center. Langley Research Center was founded in 1917, just fourteen years after the first flight of the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which is about one hundred miles from Hampton on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Thus Hampton is also the first American city to head to the stars.

Hampton's Motto, "First from the sea, first to the stars", was the inspiration for the logo for Sister Cities of Hampton. The logo for Sister Cities International was updated last year. The Sister Cities of Hampton logo was also updated to better align with the International logo's modern design and representative partnership between Hampton and its international sister cities.

Mailing Address:
Sister Cities of Hampton, Inc.
P.O. Box 556
Hampton, VA 23669-0556

Phone:
757-727-6190

eMail:
sistercities@hampton.gov

 More information
on Hampton, Virginia:
Official Hampton Tourism Website
City of Hampton Website