Virginia (VA)

VIRGINIA STATE FLAG

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:

  1. Accomack County, Virginia
  2. Albemarle County, Virginia
  3. Alleghany County, Virginia
  4. Amelia County, Virginia
  5. Amherst County, Virginia
  6. Appomattox County, Virginia
  7. Arlington County, Virginia
  8. Augusta County, Virginia
  9. Bath County, Virginia
  10. Bedford County, Virginia
  11. Bland County, Virginia
  12. Botetourt County, Virginia
  13. Brunswick County, Virginia
  14. Buchanan County, Virginia
  15. Buckingham County, Virginia
  16. Campbell County, Virginia
  17. Caroline County, Virginia
  18. Carroll County, Virginia
  19. Charles City County, Virginia
  20. Charlotte County, Virginia
  21. Chesterfield County, Virginia
  22. Clarke County, Virginia
  23. Craig County, Virginia
  24. Culpeper County, Virginia
  25. Cumberland County, Virginia
  26. Dickenson County, Virginia
  27. Dinwiddie County, Virginia
  28. Essex County, Virginia
  29. Fairfax County, Virginia
  30. Fauquier County, Virginia
  31. Floyd County, Virginia
  32. Fluvanna County, Virginia
  33. Franklin County, Virginia
  34. Frederick County, Virginia
  35. Giles County, Virginia
  36. Gloucester County, Virginia
  37. Goochland County, Virginia
  38. Grayson County, Virginia
  39. Greene County, Virginia
  40. Greensville County, Virginia
  41. Halifax County, Virginia
  42. Hanover County, Virginia
  43. Henrico County, Virginia
  44. Henry County, Virginia
  45. Highland County, Virginia
  46. Isle of Wight County, Virginia
  47. James City County, Virginia
  48. King and Queen County, Virginia
  49. King George County, Virginia
  50. King William County, Virginia
  51. Lancaster County, Virginia
  52. Lee County, Virginia
  53. Loudoun County, Virginia
  54. Louisa County, Virginia
  55. Lunenburg County, Virginia
  56. Madison County, Virginia
  57. Mathews County, Virginia
  58. Mecklenburg County, Virginia
  59. Middlesex County, Virginia
  60. Montgomery County, Virginia
  61. Nelson County, Virginia
  62. New Kent County, Virginia
  63. Northampton County, Virginia
  64. Northumberland County, Virginia
  65. Nottoway County, Virginia
  66. Orange County, Virginia
  67. Page County, Virginia
  68. Patrick County, Virginia
  69. Pittsylvania County, Virginia
  70. Powhatan County, Virginia
  71. Prince Edward County, Virginia
  72. Prince George County, Virginia
  73. Prince William County, Virginia
  74. Pulaski County, Virginia
  75. Rappahannock County, Virginia
  76. Richmond County, Virginia
  77. Roanoke County, Virginia
  78. Rockbridge County, Virginia
  79. Rockingham County, Virginia
  80. Russell County, Virginia
  81. Scott County, Virginia
  82. Shenandoah County, Virginia
  83. Smyth County, Virginia
  84. Southampton County, Virginia
  85. Spotsylvania County, Virginia
  86. Stafford County, Virginia
  87. Surry County, Virginia
  88. Sussex County, Virginia
  89. Tazewell County, Virginia
  90. Warren County, Virginia
  91. Washington County, Virginia
  92. Westmoreland County, Virginia
  93. Wise County, Virginia
  94. Wythe County, Virginia
  95. York County, Virginia

VIRGINIA STATE FLAG