Virginia Beach is an autonomous community on the southeast coast of the United States Commonwealth of Virginia. This had been estimated to reach 450,000. While characteristically largely suburban, it is the most populated city in Virginia, and the nation's 44th most populous city. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Virginia Beach is a resort town with miles of beaches along its oceanfront and hundreds of hotels, motels and restaurants. The city hosts the East Coast Surfing Championships each year as well as the North American Sand Soccer Championship, a beach football competition. It also houses multiple State parks, multiple long-protected beach areas, three military bases, and major corporations. Virginia Beach is 497 miles in size.