Wards Corner is a historical suburban shopping center and residential neighborhood in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

, located approximately five miles north of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

and less than four miles southeast of

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Ham ...

. The shopping center originated from a general store that was opened by grocer Alfred C. Ward on Norfolk County farmland in 1910. Known as the "Times Square of the South," the shopping hub served as one of the first and most popular suburban shopping centers of the region from the mid-to-late twentieth century. The area became a crossroads that served customers from the surrounding local military bases, Naval Station Norfolk and

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

, as well as other neighborhoods, including Ocean View,

Sewell's Point Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewells Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to t ...

, Talbot Park, and Little Creek. Notable stores of the area at the time included Hofheimer's, Revco Pharmacy,

Rices Nachmans Rices Nachmans was an upscale department store chain that, at its peak, had eight locations in Norfolk, Virginia and the surrounding Hampton Roads, Virginia, Hampton Roads area. Stores included Downtown Norfolk on Granby St. and Wards Corner (open ...

, and Mercury Roller Rink. Current retailers in Wards Corner include

Firehouse Subs Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc., doing business as Firehouse Subs, is an American multinational Fast casual restaurant, fast casual restaurant chain based in Jacksonville, Florida, that specializes in submarine sandwiches. It was founded in 1994 ...

Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. ( ), often known simply as Chipotle, is an American multinational chain of fast casual restaurants specializing in bowls, tacos, and Mission burritos made to order in front of the customer. As of March 31, 2025, C ...

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...

, a

Harris Teeter Harris Teeter Supermarkets, LLC., also known as Harris Teeter Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy, is an American supermarket chain based in Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte. , the chain operates 262 stores in ...

grocery store and fuel service station,

Moe's Southwest Grill Moe's Southwest Grill, referred to informally as Moe's, is an American fast casual restaurant franchise chain that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 9, 2000,FOCUS Brands press release, FOCUS Brands to Acquire Moe’s Southwest Grill' ...

, Subway, the Book Exchange, Your Pie, and

Black Rifle Coffee Company Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a coffee company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer, it gained national attention in 2017 after pledging to hire 10,000 veterans in respon ...

. A new

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

is currently in development at Wards Corner and will be located along the corridor for the

Hampton Roads Beltway The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region o ...

near

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at the Bowers Hill ...

External links

Wards Corner Civic League

History on Wards Corner Now website

References

{{coord, display=title, 36.91594, -76.27103 1910 establishments in Virginia Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia Economy of Norfolk, Virginia History of Norfolk, Virginia Neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia Shopping malls in Virginia