- HRPDC
- What We Do
- Geospatial and Data Services
- Data & Maps
- Aerial Imagery
Aerial Imagery
The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) holds a vast library of historic aerial photography (over 13,000 images) covering the Hampton Roads region. The original prints have been scanned in order to preserve this resource for the future. Aerial imagery is available to the public on request. Please read through the following information and submit your requirements via the request form.
Geographic & Temporal Availability
The Southside Hampton Roads localities (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Southampton, Suffolk, Franklin, and Surry) were flown every five years from 1970 to 1990 when the Southeastern Virginia PDC was in existence. After merging with the Peninsula PDC, all Hampton Roads localities were flown in 1995 and 2000 via the HRPDC.
The Peninsula Hampton Roads localities (Newport News, Hampton, York, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City, and Gloucester) are available every five years from 1976 to 1990. Our copies are duplicates of images flown by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
We also have photos of the City of Chesapeake which were flown by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. These are available for 1937, 1949, 1958, 1964, and 1981.
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Sara Kidd, GISP
GIS, Data, & Analytics Manager
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GIS, Data, & Analytics
Physical Address
723 Woodlake Dr.
Chesapeake, VA 23320
Mailing Address
Chesapeake, VA 23320
Phone: 757-420-8300Fax: 757-523-4881
Inventory Chart
| Locality | 1937 | 1949 | 1958 | 1964 | 1970 | 1976 | 1980 | 1981 | 1985 | 1987 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Franklin | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Gloucester | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Partial Coverage | Partial Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Hampton | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Isle of Wight | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Partial Coverage | N/A | Partial Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| James City | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Newport News | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Norfolk | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Poquoson | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Portsmouth | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Southampton | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Partial Coverage | N/A | Partial Coverage | Partial Coverage | Partial Coverage |
| Suffolk | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Surry | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Partial Coverage | Partial Coverage |
| Virginia Beach | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| Williamsburg | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
| York | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | N/A | N/A | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage | Full Coverage |
Scale of Imagery
The scale of the imagery is summarized in the following tables.
Southside / Peninsula
| Year | Southside | Peninsula |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1 to 12,000 | N/A |
| 1976 | 1 to 12,000 | 1 to 36,000 |
| 1980 | 1 to 12,000 | 1 to 36,000 |
| 1985 | 1 to 12,000 | N/A |
| 1987 | N/A | 1 to 36,000 |
| 1990 | 1 to 12,000 | 1 to 36,000 |
| 1995 | 1 to 12,000 | 1 to 12,000 |
| 2000 | 1 to 12,000 | 1 to 12,000 |
Chesapeake
| Year | Chesapeake |
|---|---|
| 1937 | 1 to 15,840 |
| 1949 | 1 to 15,840 |
| 1958 | 1 to 20,000 |
| 1964 | 1 to 20,000 |
| 1981 | 1 to 15,840 |
Scanned Imagery Format
All images are in .TIF format except for the NRCS Chesapeake photos, which are in MrSID format. To view .TIF files, install Irfanview. To view MrSID files, install GeoViewer.
Request Form
To request digital copies, please review the detailed inventory of available photos and submit the Request Form. Turnaround time can be up to two weeks depending on staff availability.