Sailors stand at the rails of USS Nimitz as the ship sails into New York harbor during International Naval Review 250 on July 3, 2026. (Tanner Orth/U.S. Navy)
The oldest aircraft carrier in the Navy will conclude what might be its last major deployment this week when it arrives at its new homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, the service said Tuesday.
Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, has been at sea since leaving Naval Base Kitsap in Washington on March 7. After circumnavigating South America and hosting exercises or VIP visits involving 17 nations along the way, the carrier made a final stop near the tip of Manhattan for celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.
The Navy’s longest-serving carrier was the centerpiece of the International Naval Review, an event that concludes Wednesday. Nimitz sailed to New York at the head of a 26-ship international formation in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 130 invited navies and coast guards from around the world took part in the review, including more than 30 tall ships.
The Navy declined to specify a day Nimitz will arrive in Virginia this week.
The distance from New York Harbor to Naval Station Norfolk is about 300 nautical miles, which the nuclear-powered Nimitz can cover in less than a day.
Nearly 3,000 sailors will arrive with Nimitz in Norfolk, the Navy said. The carrier’s air wing and many of its more than 2,000 personnel are expected to disembark before the ship arrives in Norfolk.
Nimitz had previously been scheduled to retire once it arrived in Norfolk. However, the Navy has extended its active-duty until at least March 2027 to match the commissioning date of the new USS John F. Kennedy, the second of the new Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers.
USS Nimitz passes under Verrazzo-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor during International Naval Review 250 on July 3, 2026. (Frankie M. Guage/U.S. Navy)
