From 23 - 27 January she cruised to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with RADM Parks embarked, and received thousands of visitors while at this port. Captain J.D. Ferguson relieved Captain A.J. Hill as Commanding Officer on 12 February and four days later NEWPORT NEWS joined in "Operation Springboard" in the Caribbean. Weekend liberty was enjoyed in San Juan before returning to "Operation Springboard". She returned to Norfolk on 3MAR for a two-day stay. She then cruised north to visit New York on March 6th. Thousands of visitors swarmed aboard the heavy cruiser before she left on the 9th.

On 16MAR NEWPORT NEWS left Norfolk for Mayport, Florida where she was host to the American Ordnance Association Convention, taking Convention members along with pressmen on a short excursion to see a missile-firing demonstration by the USS BOSTON (CAG-1). Returning to NOB on 20MAR she was then host ship for Commander Cruiser Force, Atlantic, Change of Command ceremonies on 1 April. RADM J. McNay Taylor relieved RADM L.S. Parks of this post. NEWPORT NEWS entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 2 April for her regular triennial overhaul. On 18 July 1959 Captain J.V. Smith relieved Captain J.D. Ferguson. Completing her overhaul on 1 August, NEWPORT NEWS began refresher training in the Caribbean. A relaxing weekend of recreational activities was spent at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 14 to 16 August.

From September through November she conducted exercises in the Atlantic. This included ISE operations off the Virginia Capes, LANTFLEX-3-59, TRALEX-4-59 and more ISE exercises. On 25NOV NEWPORT NEWS became flagship for Commander Cruiser Division TWO and Rear Admiral I.J. Galantin assumed this command on 30 November. The remainder of 1959 was spent in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in preparation for her tenth tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.