The Naval Station Norfolk guide

• Fly into Norfolk International (ORF). It sits a mile off I-64 on the east side of the city, about 8 miles and 15 minutes from the base via I-64 west to I-564 (Admiral Taussig Blvd), which dead-ends at the station gates.
• Gate 2 on Hampton Blvd is the main 24/7 gate and the one to use from Ghent, Wards Corner and Ocean View. Other gates run limited hours: Gates 1 and 10 off I-564 operate as inbound-only in the morning and outbound-only in the afternoon, and Gates 3A, 4, 5 and 6 keep weekday daytime hours. On weekends and federal holidays most gates close, so plan on Gate 2. Hours were revised in 2025 and again in early 2026 — verify on the CNRMA NAVSTA Norfolk gate hours page.
• Visitors without a CAC need a pass from the Pass and ID office (757-322-1971). Bring a REAL ID, registration and proof of insurance, and expect a background check. The Quarterdeck (757-322-2365) can point you to the right window if you arrive after hours.
• Morning inbound traffic on I-564 and Hampton Blvd stacks up between about 0530 and 0730 and again outbound from 1500 to 1700; a crashpad north of downtown lets you skip most of it.
• Coming from the Peninsula (Hampton, Newport News, Langley–Eustis) means the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which backs up badly with any incident or summer beach traffic. From Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, I-264 and I-64 to I-564 is the normal route.
• Hampton Roads Transit runs a free on-base Base Express shuttle (Blue and Gold routes) and city bus lines up Hampton Blvd, but for anything beyond the pier-to-office loop you want a car.

• Norfolk Public Schools (npsk12.com) is the home school division for the base and maintains a military family liaison program; the district has a large Navy population and offers specialty and magnet programs.
• Families who live in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake attend Virginia Beach City Public Schools (about 70,000 students, 87 schools) or Chesapeake Public Schools, both consistently popular choices among Navy families.
• There is no DoDEA school on the installation. The Naval Station Norfolk School Liaison Officer (Building C-9, 9475 Bacon Ave, 757-445-0350) helps with enrollment, transfers and the Interstate Compact.
• Child Development Centers on base (including Willoughby CDC) are NAEYC-accredited and run weekday full-day care, but Hampton Roads waits are long; apply through MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as you have orders and ask Mid-Atlantic Region (866-628-9232) about status.
• Old Dominion University, Norfolk State, Tidewater Community College and Regent University all sit within a half hour of the base, and the Navy College office on base handles TA and testing.

• Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River, is the Navy's oldest hospital and the region's military medical center with a full emergency department, Level II trauma designation and most specialty care.
• On the base itself, Branch Health Clinic Naval Station Norfolk (Sewells Point) provides primary care, family medicine, dental, pharmacy, optometry, radiology, sea-duty and overseas screening; Boone Branch Health Clinic at JEB Little Creek serves the beach side.
• Hampton Roads is in the TRICARE East region administered by Humana Military; TDY travelers on Prime should use the base clinic or call the Nurse Advice Line before seeking civilian urgent care.
• The closest civilian emergency departments are Sentara Norfolk General (the region's only Level I adult trauma and burn center, in the Ghent medical district) and Sentara Leigh Hospital off I-64; Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters is adjacent to Norfolk General.
• The branch clinic and NMCP pharmacies fill military prescriptions; retail network pharmacies are everywhere along Hampton Blvd and Little Creek Rd.

Commissary & Exchange

The Norfolk Commissary on base opens 0900-1900 daily, and the Norfolk NEX mall on Hampton Blvd runs 1000-1900 Monday to Saturday and 1000-1800 Sunday with a food court, uniform shop and gas station; the Little Creek and Oceana NEX complexes are backups

Fitness

Three fitness centers, including the large Fitness and Sports Q-80 complex, plus two indoor pools and an outdoor pool and a track; most facilities open before 0500 on weekdays

Outdoor recreation

MWR Outdoor Adventure Center rents kayaks, paddleboards, bikes, camping and beach gear; Sewells Point Golf Course and the base marina are on the installation, and Willoughby Spit and Ocean View beaches are minutes away

Dining

Galleys on the waterfront serve meal-card holders; MWR runs the bowling center, base theater and several clubs, and Hampton Blvd outside Gate 2 has every fast-food and takeout option

Legal & finance

Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic on base handles powers of attorney, wills and notary; the Fleet and Family Support Center offers financial counseling, relocation help and transition classes

Chapel & pets

Naval Station Norfolk Chapel hosts Catholic, Protestant and other services; the Norfolk Veterinary Treatment Facility offers routine care and is not an emergency clinic, and NGIS accepts pets under the Navy lodging pet policy

1. 01Pick a crashpad north of downtown (Ocean View, Wards Corner, Titustown) if your orders are on the waterfront; anything across a bridge or tunnel turns a 10-minute commute into 40 on a bad morning.
2. 02Gate 2 on Hampton Blvd is the only gate you can count on around the clock; Gates 1 and 10 off I-564 are directional (inbound mornings, outbound afternoons) and most gates close on weekends.
3. 03Call NGIS (757-394-9164) the day you arrive to learn which of the two front desks to report to; the five buildings are spread out and the wrong one costs you 20 minutes in traffic.
4. 04Watch the tide tables and the forecast: Ocean View, Willoughby Spit and parts of Ghent flood on a strong high tide or a nor'easter, and saltwater on your car is expensive.
5. 05The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion and I-64 work mean lane closures pop up regularly; check VDOT 511 before any trip to the Peninsula or Langley.
6. 06If your orders say Virginia Beach rather than Norfolk you get the higher Virginia Beach lodging rate, especially in June through August; read the locality line on your orders before booking.
7. 07Summer hotel rates track the beach tourism calendar, so a month-long TDY in July is exactly when a crashpad saves you the most.
8. 08Base parking near the piers is tight and permit-driven; ask your sponsoring command where TDY personnel are supposed to park before your first day.

More Virginia guides

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