| Settlements in Virginia |
|---|
| Cities · Towns · Unincorporated Counties · Magisterial · Former |
The Commonwealth of Virginia is divided into 95 counties and 39 independent cities, which are considered county-equivalents for census purposes. Note that the map in this article, taken from the official United States Census Bureau site, includes Clifton Forge as an independent city. This reflected the political reality at the time of the 2000 Census. However, in 2001, Clifton Forge relinquished its city charter and reincorporated as a town in Alleghany County, as in Virginia all municipalities incorporated as towns are included within counties. For some counties, for statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines any independent cities with the county that it was once part of (before the legislation creating independent cities took place in 1871).
Many county seats are politically not a part of the counties they serve; under Virginia law, all municipalities incorporated as cities are independent cities and are not part of any county. Some of the cities in the Hampton Roads area (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, and Suffolk) were formed from an entire county. These cities are no longer county seats, since the counties ceased to exist once the cities were completely formed, but are functionally equivalent to counties.
It is also worthy of note that there are several counties and cities which have the same name, but are separate politically. These currently include Bedford, Fairfax, Franklin, Richmond, and Roanoke, and in the past included Norfolk and Alexandria, whose counties changed their names, ostensibly to end some of the confusion. Similarity in their names does not necessarily mean that the current counties and cities which share names are close geographically. Richmond County is nowhere near the City of Richmond, and Franklin County is even further from the City of Franklin.
The map below may be clicked upon to go to any of the counties (or named Independent cities) shown.
List of 95 counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia (link shown under Fips County Code are for the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics Info Page for that county):
List
| County |
FIPS Code [1] |
County seat [2] |
Established [2] |
Origin |
Etymology |
Population [2] |
Area [2] |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accomack County | 001 | Accomac | 1663 | ? | Native American for across the water place | 38,305 | 455 sq mi (1,178 km2) |
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| Albemarle County | 003 | Charlottesville | 1744 | ? | Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle | 79,236 | 723 sq mi (1,873 km2) |
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| Alleghany County | 005 | Covington | 1822 | ? | Alleghany Mountains | 12,926 | 446 sq mi (1,155 km2) |
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| Amelia County | 007 | Amelia Court House | 1734 | ? | Princess Amelia Sophia | 11,400 | 357 sq mi (925 km2) |
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| Amherst County | 009 | Amherst | 1761 | ? | Jeffery Amherst | 31,894 | 475 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
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| Appomattox County | 011 | Appomattox | 1845 | ? | Appomattox River | 13,705 | 334 sq mi (865 km2) |
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| Arlington County | 013 | Arlington | 1801 | ? | Arlington Estate | 189,453 | 26 sq mi (67 km2) |
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| Augusta County | 015 | Staunton | 1745 | ? | Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | 65,615 | 972 sq mi (2,517 km2) |
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| Bath County | 017 | Warm Springs | 1790 | ? | Bath, England | 5,048 | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) |
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| Bedford County | 019 | Bedford | 1753 | ? | John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford | 60,371 | 755 sq mi (1,955 km2) |
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| Bland County | 021 | Bland | 1861 | ? | Richard Bland | 6,871 | 359 sq mi (930 km2) |
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| Botetourt County | 023 | Fincastle | 1796 | ? | Baron de Botetourt | 30,496 | 543 sq mi (1,406 km2) |
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| Brunswick County | 025 | Lawrenceville | 1732 | ? | Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 18,419 | 566 sq mi (1,466 km2) |
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| Buchanan County | 027 | Grundy | 1858 | ? | James Buchanan | 26,978 | 504 sq mi (1,305 km2) |
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| Buckingham County | 029 | Buckingham | 1785 | ? | Duke of Buckingham or Buckinghamshire | 15,623 | 581 sq mi (1,505 km2) |
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| Campbell County | 031 | Rustburg | 1782 | ? | William Campbell | 51,078 | 504 sq mi (1,305 km2) |
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| Caroline County | 033 | Bowling Green | 1728 | ? | Caroline of Ansbach | 22,121 | 533 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
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| Carroll County | 035 | Hillsville | 1842 | ? | Charles Carroll | 29,245 | 476 sq mi (1,233 km2) |
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| Charles City County | 036 | Charles City | 1634 | ? | Charles I of England | 6,926 | 182 sq mi (471 km2) |
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| Charlotte County | 037 | Charlotte Court House | 1765 | ? | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | 12,472 | 475 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
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| Chesterfield County | 041 | Chesterfield | 1749 | ? | Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield | 259,903 | 426 sq mi (1,103 km2) |
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| Clarke County | 043 | Berryville | 1836 | ? | George Rogers Clarke | 12,652 | 177 sq mi (458 km2) |
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| Craig County | 045 | New Castle | 1851 | ? | Robert Craig | 5,091 | 330 sq mi (855 km2) |
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| Culpeper County | 047 | Culpeper | 1748 | ? | Thomas Colepeper | 34,262 | 381 sq mi (987 km2) |
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| Cumberland County | 049 | Cumberland | 1749 | ? | Prince William, Duke of Cumberland | 9,017 | 298 sq mi (772 km2) |
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| Dickenson County | 051 | Clintwood | 1880 | ? | William Dickinson | 16,395 | 333 sq mi (862 km2) |
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| Dinwiddie County | 053 | Dinwiddie | 1752 | ? | Robert Dinwiddie | 24,533 | 504 sq mi (1,305 km2) |
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| Essex County | 057 | Tappahannock | 1692 | ? | Essex, United Kingdom | 9,989 | 258 sq mi (668 km2) |
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| Fairfax County | 059 | Fairfax | 1742 | ? | Thomas Fairfax | 1,077,000 | 396 sq mi (1,026 km2) |
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| Fauquier County | 061 | Warrenton | 1759 | ? | Francis Fauquier | 55,139 | 650 sq mi (1,683 km2) |
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| Floyd County | 063 | Floyd | 1831 | ? | John Floyd | 13,874 | 382 sq mi (989 km2) |
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| Fluvanna County | 065 | Palmyra | 1777 | ? | An alternate name for the James River | 20,047 | 287 sq mi (743 km2) |
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| Franklin County | 067 | Rocky Mount | 1785 | ? | Benjamin Franklin | 47,286 | 692 sq mi (1,792 km2) |
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| Frederick County | 069 | Winchester | 1743 | ? | Frederick Prince of Wales | 59,209 | 415 sq mi (1,075 km2) |
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| Giles County | 071 | Pearisburg | 1806 | ? | William Branch Giles | 16,657 | 358 sq mi (927 km2) |
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| Gloucester County | 073 | Gloucester | 1651 | ? | Gloucestershire or Duke of Gloucester | 34,780 | 217 sq mi (562 km2) |
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| Goochland County | 075 | Goochland | 1727 | ? | William Gooch | 16,863 | 284 sq mi (736 km2) |
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| Grayson County | 077 | Independence | 1793 | ? | William Grayson | 17,917 | 443 sq mi (1,147 km2) |
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| Greene County | 079 | Stanardsville | 1838 | ? | Nathanael Greene | 15,244 | 157 sq mi (407 km2) |
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| Greensville County | 081 | Emporia | 1780 | ? | Nathanael Greene or Richard Greenville | 11,560 | 296 sq mi (767 km2) |
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| Halifax County | 083 | Halifax | 1752 | ? | George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax | 37,355 | 814 sq mi (2,108 km2) |
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| Hanover County | 085 | Hanover | 1720 | ? | Electorate of Hanover | 86,320 | 473 sq mi (1,225 km2) |
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| Henrico County | 087 | Richmond | 1617 | Original county of the Colony under England | Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales | 262,300 | 238 sq mi (616 km2) |
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| Henry County | 089 | Martinsville | 1777 | ? | Patrick Henry | 57,930 | 382 sq mi (989 km2) |
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| Highland County | 091 | Monterey | 1847 | ? | mountains within the county | 2,536 | 416 sq mi (1,077 km2) |
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| Isle of Wight County | 093 | Isle of Wight | 1634 | ? | Isle of Wight | 29,728 | 316 sq mi (818 km2) |
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| James City County | 095 | Williamsburg | 1617 | Original county of the Colony under England | James I of England | 48,102 | 143 sq mi (370 km2) |
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| King and Queen County | 097 | King and Queen Court House | 1691 | ? | King William, Queen Mary | 6,630 | 316 sq mi (818 km2) |
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| King George County | 099 | King George | 1721 | ? | George I of Great Britain | 16,803 | 180 sq mi (466 km2) |
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| King William County | 101 | King William | 1702 | ? | William III of England | 13,146 | 275 sq mi (712 km2) |
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| Lancaster County | 103 | Lancaster | 1651 | ? | Lancaster, United Kingdom | 11,567 | 133 sq mi (344 km2) |
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| Lee County | 105 | Jonesville | 1793 | ? | Light Horse Harry Lee | 23,589 | 437 sq mi (1,132 km2) |
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| Loudoun County | 107 | Leesburg | 1757 | ? | John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun | 169,599 | 520 sq mi (1,347 km2) |
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| Louisa County | 109 | Louisa | 1742 | ? | Princess Louise | 25,627 | 498 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
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| Lunenburg County | 111 | Lunenburg | 1746 | ? | Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 13,146 | 432 sq mi (1,119 km2) |
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| Madison County | 113 | Madison | 1793 | ? | Family of James Madison | 12,520 | 322 sq mi (834 km2) |
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| Mathews County | 115 | Mathews | 1791 | ? | Thomas Mathews | 9,207 | 86 sq mi (223 km2) |
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| Mecklenburg County | 117 | Boydton | 1765 | ? | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | 32,380 | 624 sq mi (1,616 km2) |
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| Middlesex County | 119 | Saluda | 1673 | ? | Middlesex, United Kingdom | 9,932 | 130 sq mi (337 km2) |
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| Montgomery County | 121 | Christiansburg | 1777 | ? | Richard Montgomery | 83,629 | 388 sq mi (1,005 km2) |
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| Nelson County | 125 | Lovingston | 1808 | ? | Thomas Nelson Jr. | 14,445 | 472 sq mi (1,222 km2) |
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| New Kent County | 127 | New Kent | 1654 | ? | Kent County, England or Kent Island | 13,462 | 210 sq mi (544 km2) |
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| Northampton County | 131 | Eastville | 1634 | ? | Northamptonshire | 13,093 | 207 sq mi (536 km2) |
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| Northumberland County | 133 | Heathsville | 1648 | ? | Northumberland, United Kingdom | 12,259 | 192 sq mi (497 km2) |
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| Nottoway County | 135 | Nottoway | 1789 | ? | Nodawa tribe | 15,725 | 315 sq mi (816 km2) |
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| Orange County | 137 | Orange | 1734 | ? | William III of England | 25,881 | 342 sq mi (886 km2) |
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| Page County | 139 | Luray | 1831 | ? | John Page | 23,177 | 311 sq mi (805 km2) |
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| Patrick County | 141 | Stuart | 1791 | ? | Patrick Henry | 19,407 | 483 sq mi (1,251 km2) |
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| Pittsylvania County | 143 | Chatham | 1767 | ? | William Pitt | 61,745 | 971 sq mi (2,515 km2) |
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| Powhatan County | 145 | Powhatan | 1777 | ? | Powhatan | 22,377 | 261 sq mi (676 km2) |
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| Prince Edward County | 147 | Farmville | 1754 | ? | Prince Augustus William of Prussia | 19,720 | 353 sq mi (914 km2) |
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| Prince George County | 149 | Prince George | 1703 | ? | Prince George of Denmark | 33,047 | 266 sq mi (689 km2) |
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| Prince William County | 153 | Manassas | 1731 | ? | Prince William Augustus | 380,813 | 338 sq mi (875 km2) |
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| Pulaski County | 155 | Pulaski | 1839 | ? | Kazimierz Pulaski | 35,127 | 321 sq mi (831 km2) |
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| Rappahannock County | 157 | Washington | 1833 | ? | Rappahannock River | 6,983 | 267 sq mi (692 km2) |
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| Richmond County | 159 | Warsaw | 1692 | ? | Duke of Richmond | 8,809 | 192 sq mi (497 km2) |
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| Roanoke County | 161 | Roanoke | 1838 | ? | Roanoke River | 85,778 | 251 sq mi (650 km2) |
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| Rockbridge County | 163 | Lexington | 1778 | ? | Natural Bridge | 20,808 | 600 sq mi (1,554 km2) |
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| Rockingham County | 165 | Harrisonburg | 1778 | ? | Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham | 67,725 | 851 sq mi (2,204 km2) |
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| Russell County | 167 | Lebanon | 1786 | ? | William Russell | 30,308 | 475 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
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| Scott County | 169 | Gate City | 1814 | ? | Winfield Scott | 23,403 | 537 sq mi (1,391 km2) |
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| Shenandoah County | 171 | Woodstock | 1772 | ? | Shenandoah River | 35,075 | 512 sq mi (1,326 km2) |
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| Smyth County | 173 | Marion | 1832 | ? | Alexander Smyth | 33,081 | 452 sq mi (1,171 km2) |
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| Southampton County | 175 | Courtland | 1749 | ? | Southampton, England or Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton | 17,482 | 600 sq mi (1,554 km2) |
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| Spotsylvania County | 177 | Spotsylvania | 1721 | ? | Alexander Spotswood | 90,395 | 401 sq mi (1,039 km2) |
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| Stafford County | 179 | Stafford | 1664 | ? | Stafford, England | 92,446 | 270 sq mi (699 km2) |
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| Surry County | 181 | Surry | 1652 | ? | Surrey, United Kingdom | 6,829 | 279 sq mi (723 km2) |
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| Sussex County | 183 | Sussex | 1754 | ? | Sussex, United Kingdom | 12,504 | 491 sq mi (1,272 km2) |
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| Tazewell County | 185 | Tazewell | 1800 | ? | Henry Tazewell | 44,598 | 520 sq mi (1,347 km2) |
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| Warren County | 187 | Front Royal | 1836 | ? | Joseph Warren | 31,584 | 214 sq mi (554 km2) |
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| Washington County | 191 | Abingdon | 1777 | ? | George Washington | 51,103 | 564 sq mi (1,461 km2) |
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| Westmoreland County | 193 | Montross | 1653 | ? | Westmoreland, United Kingdom | 16,718 | 229 sq mi (593 km2) |
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| Wise County | 195 | Wise | 1856 | ? | Henry Alexander Wise | 40,123 | 403 sq mi (1,044 km2) |
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| Wythe County | 197 | Wytheville | 1790 | ? | George Wythe | 27,599 | 463 sq mi (1,199 km2) |
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| York County | 199 | Yorktown | 1634 | ? | Duke of York | 56,297 | 106 sq mi (275 km2) |
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| City of Alexandria | 510 | N/A | 1920 | ? | ? | 128,283 | 15 sq mi (39 km2) |
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| City of Bedford | 515 | N/A | 1968 | ? | ? | 6,299 | 7 sq mi (18 km2) |
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| City of Bristol | 520 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 17,367 | 12 sq mi (31 km2) |
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| City of Buena Vista | 530 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 6,349 | 7 sq mi (18 km2) |
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| City of Charlottesville | 540 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 45,049 | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
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| City of Chesapeake | 550 | N/A | 1963 | ? | ? | 199,184 | 341 sq mi (883 km2) |
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| City of Colonial Heights | 570 | N/A | 1948 | ? | ? | 16,897 | 8 sq mi (21 km2) |
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| City of Covington | 580 | N/A | 1952 | ? | ? | 6,303 | 4 sq mi (10 km2) |
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| City of Danville | 590 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 48,411 | 43 sq mi (111 km2) |
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| City of Emporia | 595 | N/A | 1967 | ? | ? | 5,665 | 7 sq mi (18 km2) |
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| City of Fairfax | 600 | N/A | 1961 | ? | ? | 21,498 | 6 sq mi (16 km2) |
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| City of Falls Church | 610 | N/A | 1948 | ? | ? | 10,377 | 2 sq mi (5 km2) |
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| City of Franklin | 620 | N/A | 1961 | ? | ? | 8,346 | 8 sq mi (21 km2) |
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| City of Fredericksburg | 630 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 19,279 | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
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| City of Galax | 640 | N/A | 1952 | ? | ? | 6,837 | 8 sq mi (21 km2) |
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| City of Hampton | 650 | N/A | 1908 | ? | ? | 146,437 | 52 sq mi (135 km2) |
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| City of Harrisonburg | 660 | N/A | 1916 | ? | ? | 40,468 | 18 sq mi (47 km2) |
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| City of Hopewell | 670 | N/A | 1916 | ? | ? | 22,354 | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
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| City of Lexington | 678 | N/A | 1966 | ? | ? | 6,867 | 2 sq mi (5 km2) |
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| City of Lynchburg | 680 | N/A | 1900 | ? | John Lynch | 65,269 | 49 sq mi (127 km2) |
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| City of Manassas | 683 | N/A | 1975 | ? | ? | 37,135 | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
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| City of Manassas Park | 685 | N/A | 1975 | ? | ? | 10,290 | 2 sq mi (5 km2) |
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| City of Martinsville | 690 | N/A | 1928 | ? | ? | 15,416 | 11 sq mi (28 km2) |
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| City of Newport News | 700 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 180,150 | 68 sq mi (176 km2) |
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| City of Norfolk | 710 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 234,403 | 54 sq mi (140 km2) |
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| City of Norton | 720 | N/A | 1954 | ? | ? | 3,904 | 7 sq mi (18 km2) |
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| City of Petersburg | 730 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 33,740 | 23 sq mi (60 km2) |
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| City of Poquoson | 735 | N/A | 1975 | ? | ? | 11,566 | 16 sq mi (41 km2) |
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| City of Portsmouth | 740 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 100,565 | 33 sq mi (85 km2) |
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| City of Radford | 750 | N/A | 1900 | ? | Dr. John Blair Radford | 15,859 | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
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| City of Richmond | 760 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 197,790 | 60 sq mi (155 km2) |
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| City of Roanoke | 770 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 94,911 | 43 sq mi (111 km2) |
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| City of Salem | 775 | N/A | 1968 | ? | ? | 24,747 | 15 sq mi (39 km2) |
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| City of Staunton | 790 | N/A | 2000 | ? | ? | 23,853 | 20 sq mi (52 km2) |
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| City of Suffolk | 800 | N/A | 1910 | ? | ? | 63,677 | 400 sq mi (1,036 km2) |
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| City of Virginia Beach | 810 | N/A | 1962 | ? | ? | 425,257 | 248 sq mi (642 km2) |
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| City of Waynesboro | 820 | N/A | 1948 | ? | Anthony Wayne | 19,520 | 14 sq mi (36 km2) |
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| City of Williamsburg | 830 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 11,998 | 9 sq mi (23 km2) |
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| City of Winchester | 840 | N/A | 1900 | ? | ? | 23,585 | 9 sq mi (23 km2) |
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Former Counties of Virginia:
Bermuda Hundred (1617- Original county of the Colony under England
Kecoughtan (1617- Original county of the Colony under England
See also
References
- ^ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/codes/va.html. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b c d National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/state.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=VA. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
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