 Newport News shares water borders with Portsmouth on the southeast and Suffolk on the south across the Hampton Roads Area, and
Isle of Wight County on the southwest and west and Surry County on the northwest across the James River.The city's downtown area was part of the earliest developed area which was initially incorporated as an independent city in 1896.The earlier city portions also included the "Southeast" community, which was predominantly African-American, the "North End" and the shipyard and coal piers.