The MacArthur Square Station is located on East City Hall Ave. in Norfolk. It's in the heart of the…read morearea where there's many things to do around that area. I generally come to this station monthly for an in-person work meeting that's only 0.1 miles away from this station. I start my ride at the Newtown Rd. Station. My most recent ride was on May 15, 2026. The Eastbound and Westbound Stations on opposite sides of the road. You want to make sure that you are on the correct platform. The area around the station can be quite busy. I love that they have a braille sign for the station too, so those that can't see can tell which station they are at. You can see you're in the heart of the city. There are many things to do nearby as well. I've never felt unsafe in this area. I was able to see places such as Nauticus and Waterside Dr. that weren't too far from the station too, so that's a great way to get there too. The ferry to get over to Portsmouth isn't too far away either. As of May 2026, they have changed how you pay for riding The Tide Light Rail System. Discounted tickets are no longer available at the new ticket vending machines. You will need to get a GoMobile Fare Card, or now, as of May 18, 2026, you can just tap to pay by using a credit or debit card at the Fare Validator (photos included). To use the Fare Validator, you would open the GoMobile App, use a physical GoMobile Card, or Credit/Debit Card. In the app, you need to choose the card you are using and place it towards the top part of the validator. If you have a QR code, you can go down just a bit to that other reader on the fare validator. It costs $2 to get the fare card itself, and then you can load funds to it at the ticket vending machine or through the GoMobile app. The total cost for a day will be no more than $4.50. The first two rides will be $2, followed by the third being $0.50. Any further rides on the light rail that day will incur no additional charges. Overall, this is a great way to get to the heart of the city through the light rail system. You get to save some miles and gas/electricity for your vehicle too. Even better, you don't have to deal with accidents and such that may occur on Interstate Two-Sucksty Four (I-264) in Norfolk. You don't have to deal with the costs of parking in Norfolk since parking is free at their park and ride lots available at select stations (not at this one). All in all, this is a great way to get around.

I'm going out of the country soon and needed to exchange some currency…read more The Currency Exchange International Corp, and my cashier Katherine, made the process fast and easy. This mall is beautiful. I hope it can be infused with new business to keep it going.

Another fabulous trip hoping on the Tide & heading to see the Tides play!…read more I can appreciate how cool the light rail is during the toasty summer months

A good stop if you want to exercise - the downtown Norfolk YMCA is right there - the folks on the…read morebikes are watching you get on or off the train! It's also a short walk to several eating establishments, and to the Chrysler Museum.

The Tide Light Rail is a 7.4-mile-long train line, starting here at the Newtown Rd. station…read more(Eastern terminus). The western end is at the EVMC/Fort Norfolk Station. My most recent ride along the rail line was on May 15, 2026. Although the station is called the Newtown Rd. station, it is actually located on Curlew Rd, which is not too far off from Newtown Rd. This is a pretty big area, as there are several bus stop connections here, as well as a large parking area just across the street. Parking is free. There isn't much else around the immediate vicinity of this station and have never felt safety was an issue here. As of May 2026, they have changed how you pay for riding The Tide Light Rail System. Discounted tickets are no longer available at the new ticket vending machines. You will need to get a GoMobile Fare Card, or now, as of May 18, 2026, you can just tap to pay by using a credit or debit card at the Fare Validator (photos included). To use the Fare Validator, you would open the GoMobile App, use a physical GoMobile Card, or Credit/Debit Card. In the app, you need to choose the card you are using and place it towards the top part of the validator. If you have a QR code, you can go down just a bit to that other reader on the fare validator. It costs $2 to get the fare card itself, and then you can load funds to it at the ticket vending machine or through the GoMobile app. The total cost for a day will be no more than $4.50. The first two rides will be $2, followed by the third being $0.50. Any further rides on the light rail that day will incur no additional charges. The reason for my travel is generally to go to a monthly in-person work meeting at the TowneBank Tower. The MacArthur Station is just 0.1 miles from that building. Plus, I don't have to deal with the traffic along Interstate Two-Sucks-ty-Four (I-264) and parking in the city. Doing it this way takes the stress off when it comes to driving in Norfolk. Almost every time I have ridden so far, I have ridden past an accident on the interstate while riding the light rail. Overall, the Newtown Road Light Rail Station has been good to me. I have not encountered any issues or feeling unsafe. This is a great way to get into the heart of Norfolk without dealing with the traffic and parking in the city. If you plan to visit downtown Norfolk, this is a great way to get around the city during your visit.

I took my first ride on the Tide this year. I remember how much I wanted to jump on way back when…read morethey had the inaugural launch and were offering free and/or reduced fares. Somehow it never worked out, even though it would make downtown trips less painstaking. My opportunity to ride the tide came as part of a work project. The team and I arrived early in the morning on a brisk day. The parking lot has an abundance of spaces, more than adequate for the average number of passengers riding the Tide daily. Parking is free. HRT has a connection here for those needing to take the bus to the TIDE or once they depart from the TIDE. And there are a few shelters for the HRT riders to wait under. There are also a few ticket vending machines where you purchase your fare. The team and I climbed the platform where there were two shelters with seating that thankfully partially shielded us from the cold wind. The conductors were nice and greeted us. We felt safe with the security guard on duty walking through and keeping an eye on things. At a certain point of the ride all tickets are checked and confirmed as legit. We had all day passes which cost $4. The TIDE was packed during the morning commute but was practically empty by 2 pm. Get dropped of directly in front of the Mall, Library, and the baseball stadium. Because it was my first ride I wanted to know what to expect. I looked up and memorized a few facts which came in handy as I told the team how fast the average speed was of the car and the max speed as well as the occupancy, and the max occupancy with commuters standing. Maximum Operational Speed is 55 mph. Maximum Number of Seated Passengers is 68 and the Total Passenger Capacity is 160-180.

You really just can't beat riding the Tide to/from the baseball games!…read more This station is so well lit & is only a short walk to the stadium. It runs very periodically so even if you miss the, another will be on the way soon!

I had a great experience with Amtrak. It was easy to board and the attendants were all very…read morefriendly and helpful. The trains could be updated for the passengers....kind of look like it's from the early 90's. (Not that it's a bad thing) I just feel like you could smell all the years it's been since they opened. At the station, there's a lot of construction currently for the casino and a very little drop off/pick up area. Don't bother leaving your car because the only parking is across the street under the interstate without supervision. I suggest a ride or the Tide to drop you off. I'll definitely use the train again!

After hours pamphlets available at door along with a clean bowl of water for dogs. Virginia…read moreloveworks art on the parking lot. Lots of parking next door at the bank.

The Smithfield Visitor Center is really nice - it's attached to the Arts Center and shares the same…read moreentry lobby area. There are tons of brochures about things to do in Smithfield and Isle of Wight County. Some of them have coupons for entry if there is an admission fee (like touring the St. Luke's Church. There's Windsor Castle Park, kayak rentals at the park where you can launch for $10 an hour (1 person) or $20 an hour (2 people). There are plenty go guided walking tours like Ivy Hill Cemetery, Fort Huger, The Isle of Wight Courthouse Complex, Fort Boykin Historic Park and Nike Park. I spoke to the nice lady working inside, Deb, for quite a while and she was so friendly! She told me about the upcoming markets and events (there are tons) and I can't wait to see some of them! There is a Halloween market, a Picker's market (antiques), Christmas markets, and other vintage or handmade craft fairs all the time. Smithfield is so cute and the town is really good at planning things like this. Most events have a cute ham theme as well or bacon. If you are interested in finding suggestions for things to do in Smithfield - this is a worthwhile stop.

Clean with its own dedicated parking lot for riding into downtown? Yes please. This is probably the…read moreeasiest and most accessible metro station on the Tide line in my opinion.

The Tide is by far the best way to go downtown. On my way to a Tides baseball game now. Would l,…read moreof course, be nice if it went into Virginia Beach, but that's not Norfolk's fault. Beats paying $6 to park at the stadium! No traffic worries either. Plenty of free parking at the station too.

Have Exact fare, or get a pass Round trip, day pass…read moreVarious discounts. Check the board and have yo money right!!!

Pleasant little ferry that hits up the Norfolk inlet, then two spots a dozen blocks from one…read moreanother on the Portsmouth coast. The fare is $1.50, cash only and exact change necessary. Note that this isn't a car ferry, just a people one! The signage to get on board wasn't so clear in the dark, when we rode it. If you're worried about making it, you might want to ask someone around where the ferry docks up, because you'll only have a few minutes to hop aboard. There are two levels to the boat, an enclosed one on the main deck and an upper deck that's rather exposed to the elements; beware if it's wet or windy outside. This is not a fast ferry, so you'll have to hunker down, especially when crossing the Elizabeth. There was a pretty big crowd late into the weeknight evening when we rode, and I can imagine the latest shifts not feeling all that safe if you're all alone. Travel with a buddy just in case!

The EVMS/Fort Norfolk Station is the last station on the Norfolk Tide light rail line. The location…read moreis extremely convenient. It serves both the Eastern Virginia Medical School / Sentara Norfolk General Hospital / Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters campus & the medical buildings, housing, businesses & historic Fort Norfolk on the opposite side of Brambleton Avenue. The station itself is on the Fort Norfolk side of Brambleton. There is a pedestrian walkway over busy Brambleton Avenue to safely reach the EVMS/CHKD/Norfolk General side. A station at this spot is a great benefit for the medical professionals who are also on staff or perform procedures at the Sentara Leigh Hospital complex. The Newtown Road station is only a few blocks from Leigh, located on the Norfolk side of the border with Virginia Beach. A way to navigate quickly between the two medical complexes is a plus. The EVMS/Fort Norfolk station is also an huge convenience for those visiting patients at the hospitals. There is Valet Parking for patients at the Heart Hospital, River Pavilion & Kaufmann Main Entrance to Norfolk General. But visitors have to hope for a spot in a parking garage. The parking fees are high. I experienced this personally during my late husband's last hospitalization. It was very hard at a difficult time in my life. How I wish The Tide had been completed then. Getting on The Tide at EVMS/Fort Norfolk is an experience in itself. There is a conductor area at both ends of the rail car. So instead of turning the car around, he simply walks through the train to the opposite end and voila, you're on your way. When my Grandson was younger and going through his MTA Subway obsession I would take him for rides on The Tide when he visited. He loved friendly conductors greeting him as they walked through the car at the Fort Norfolk station. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of The Tide and their strategic station locations. EVMS/Fort Norfolk is one of the best.

The last stop for the Tide light rail in Norfolk. It's suppose to be an open "Park and Ride"…read morestation, however, the parking isn't clarified or labeled. Kind of confusing, but we risked it and parked in an "Authorized Staff Parking." It was right behind the station so we figured it would only make sense for the city to make that the actual park and ride parking lot. Fortunately for us, our car was still there when we got back and no ticket. This stop is within walking distance to EVMC and Colley area. Most everyone we know in the area takes this station to head out to Granby and the Harbor Park. I did notice that there are a lot more stops from this end to get to the Tides game but far less people.