One of the 13 original colonies, Virginia was the first part of the country to be permanently settled by the English, who established Jamestown on the banks of the James River in 1607. The home state of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers, Virginia played a major role in the American Revolution (1775-83).
During the Civil War (1861-65), the city of Richmond, Virginia, became the capital of the Confederacy, and more than half of the conflict’s battles were fought in the state.
Today, many government agencies are headquartered in Virginia, particularly in Arlington, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
In addition to eight presidents, famous artists such as singer Ella Fitzgerald, tennis star Arthur Ashe, actress Shirley MacLaine, and authors Willa Cather and Tom Wolfe were also born here.
Geography
Virginia is located in the southeastern region of the United States and is bordered by Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. It has a total area of 42,769 square miles and is the 35th largest state in terms of land area.
The topography of Virginia is diverse and includes mountains, hills, valleys, plains, rivers and coastal areas. The Appalachian Mountains run through western Virginia from southwest to northeast and form two major physiographic regions in the state: the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in the northwest and Blue Ridge Mountains in the east.
The Chesapeake Bay separates mainland Virginia from its easternmost tip called the Eastern Shore. The bay provides access to tidal estuaries including rivers such as Rappahannock River, James River and Potomac River which flow into it from inland areas.
Southwestern Virginia is dominated by rolling hills while central Virginia consists of piedmont plateau with rolling hills that gradually flatten out towards its eastern border with North Carolina which forms a coastal plain. The highest point in Virginia is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet above sea level located on Grayson Highland State Park in southwestern part of the state while its lowest point is sea level at Atlantic Ocean on its eastern border with Maryland.
Virginia has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters except for higher elevations where temperatures are cooler due to their elevation. Precipitation averages around 40 inches per year statewide but varies significantly depending on location; coastal areas tend to get more rainfall than inland areas due to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
Virginia’s landscape also includes numerous wetlands including swamps along its coastlines as well as many rivers like Shenandoah Valley which cuts through central part of state from north-south direction forming many lakes along its basin such as Lake Moomaw which lies along western side near West Virginia border . In addition there are several national parks located within state boundaries including Shenandoah National Park which covers large portion of Blue Ridge Mountains near northern border with West Virginia or George Washington & Jefferson National Forests near southwestern corner near Tennessee border providing wonderful opportunities for recreational activities like camping or hiking . Overall geography of Virginia is quite diverse providing plenty of natural beauty for visitors enjoy.
Cities in Virginia
Below are the top 15 cities by population in Virginia. For all cities and towns in the state, please see Virginia cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | 457,658 |
| 2 | Chesapeake | 247,172 |
| 3 | Norfolk | 238,556 |
| 4 | Arlington | 235,764 |
| 5 | Richmond | 225,676 |
| 6 | Newport News | 185,069 |
| 7 | Alexandria | 158,185 |
| 8 | Hampton | 136,748 |
| 9 | Roanoke | 99,578 |
| 10 | Portsmouth | 97,454 |
| 11 | Suffolk | 93,268 |
| 12 | Lynchburg | 78,973 |
| 13 | Dale City | 73,716 |
| 14 | Centreville | 73,064 |
| 15 | Reston | 62,453 |
Counties in Virginia
The State of Virginia consists of 95 counties. They are:
- Accomack County, Virginia
- Albemarle County, Virginia
- Alleghany County, Virginia
- Amelia County, Virginia
- Amherst County, Virginia
- Appomattox County, Virginia
- Arlington County, Virginia
- Augusta County, Virginia
- Bath County, Virginia
- Bedford County, Virginia
- Bland County, Virginia
- Botetourt County, Virginia
- Brunswick County, Virginia
- Buchanan County, Virginia
- Buckingham County, Virginia
- Campbell County, Virginia
- Caroline County, Virginia
- Carroll County, Virginia
- Charles City County, Virginia
- Charlotte County, Virginia
- Chesterfield County, Virginia
- Clarke County, Virginia
- Craig County, Virginia
- Culpeper County, Virginia
- Cumberland County, Virginia
- Dickenson County, Virginia
- Dinwiddie County, Virginia
- Essex County, Virginia
- Fairfax County, Virginia
- Fauquier County, Virginia
- Floyd County, Virginia
- Fluvanna County, Virginia
- Franklin County, Virginia
- Frederick County, Virginia
- Giles County, Virginia
- Gloucester County, Virginia
- Goochland County, Virginia
- Grayson County, Virginia
- Greene County, Virginia
- Greensville County, Virginia
- Halifax County, Virginia
- Hanover County, Virginia
- Henrico County, Virginia
- Henry County, Virginia
- Highland County, Virginia
- Isle of Wight County, Virginia
- James City County, Virginia
- King and Queen County, Virginia
- King George County, Virginia
- King William County, Virginia
- Lancaster County, Virginia
- Lee County, Virginia
- Loudoun County, Virginia
- Louisa County, Virginia
- Lunenburg County, Virginia
- Madison County, Virginia
- Mathews County, Virginia
- Mecklenburg County, Virginia
- Middlesex County, Virginia
- Montgomery County, Virginia
- Nelson County, Virginia
- New Kent County, Virginia
- Northampton County, Virginia
- Northumberland County, Virginia
- Nottoway County, Virginia
- Orange County, Virginia
- Page County, Virginia
- Patrick County, Virginia
- Pittsylvania County, Virginia
- Powhatan County, Virginia
- Prince Edward County, Virginia
- Prince George County, Virginia
- Prince William County, Virginia
- Pulaski County, Virginia
- Rappahannock County, Virginia
- Richmond County, Virginia
- Roanoke County, Virginia
- Rockbridge County, Virginia
- Rockingham County, Virginia
- Russell County, Virginia
- Scott County, Virginia
- Shenandoah County, Virginia
- Smyth County, Virginia
- Southampton County, Virginia
- Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- Stafford County, Virginia
- Surry County, Virginia
- Sussex County, Virginia
- Tazewell County, Virginia
- Warren County, Virginia
- Washington County, Virginia
- Westmoreland County, Virginia
- Wise County, Virginia
- Wythe County, Virginia
- York County, Virginia
