The independent city of Chesapeake was created when the former independent city of South Norfolk consolidated with Norfolk County. Norfolk County had originally included essentially all the area which became the towns and later cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and South Norfolk, but the area was often reduced as these cities added territory through annexations. Becoming an independent city was a way for the former county to stabilize borders with neighbors, as cities could not annex territory from each other.
Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, much of Chesapeake was either suburban or rural, serving as a bedroom community to the nearby cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach with residents commuting to and from for work. Beginning in the late 1980s and accelerating in the 1990s, however, Chesapeake saw significant growth, attracting numerous and significant industries and businesses of its own. This explosive growth quickly led to strains on the municipal infrastructure, ranging from intrusion of saltwater into the city's water supply to congested roads and schools.
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