List of cities and counties in Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is divided into 95 counties and 38 independent cities, which are considered county-equivalents for census purposes. Some of the cities are the same size as a county.

In Virginia, cities are separate from counties, but towns are inside counties. For a list of towns, see List of towns in Virginia.

Clickable map

Virginia counties and independent cities

List of counties

County	FIPS code[1]	County seat[2][3]	Created[2]	Formed from	Meaning of name	Population (2020)[4]	Area[2]	Map
Accomack County	001	Accomac	1663	From part of Northampton County	From the Native American word Accawmack, meaning "on the other side", because the county is across the Chesapeake Bay	33,413	455 sq mi (1,178 km2)
Albemarle County	003	Charlottesville	1744	From part of Goochland County	Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, colonial proprietary governor	112,395	723 sq mi (1,873 km2)
Alleghany County	005	Covington	1822	From parts of Bath and Botetourt counties as well as Monroe County (now in WV)	Alleghany Mountains	15,223	446 sq mi (1,155 km2)
Amelia County	007	Amelia	1735	From parts of Brunswick and Prince George counties	Princess Amelia Sophia, second daughter of George II of Great Britain	13,265	357 sq mi (925 km2)
Amherst County	009	Amherst	1761	From part of Albemarle county	Jeffery Amherst, British conqueror of Quebec during the Seven Years' War and colonial governor of Virginia	31,307	475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
Appomattox County	011	Appomattox	1845	From parts of Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte and Prince Edward counties	Appomattox River	16,119	334 sq mi (865 km2)
Arlington County	013	Arlington	1846	From part of the District of Columbia	Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, originally called Alexandria County; renamed in 1920	238,643	26 sq mi (67 km2)
Augusta County	015	Staunton	1738	From part of Orange County	Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, the Princess of Wales	77,487	971 sq mi (2,515 km2)
Bath County	017	Warm Springs	1791	From parts of Augusta, Botetourt and Greenbrier counties	Bath, England	4,209	532 sq mi (1,378 km2)
Bedford County	019	Bedford	1754	From part of Lunenburg county	John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British politician and one of the head negotiators of the Peace of Paris	79,462	755 sq mi (1,955 km2)
Bland County	021	Bland	1861	From parts of Giles, Tazewell, and Wythe counties	Richard Bland, member of the Continental Congress and publisher of the American Revolutionary War-era tract An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies	6,270	359 sq mi (930 km2)
Botetourt County	023	Fincastle	1770	From part of Augusta county	Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt, colonial governor of Virginia	33,596	543 sq mi (1,406 km2)
Brunswick County	025	Lawrenceville	1720	From part of Prince George county. Parts of Surry and Isle of Wight counties were added in 1732 (when the county's government was established.)	Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from which the current line of British monarchs hailed	15,849	566 sq mi (1,466 km2)
Buchanan County	027	Grundy	1858	From parts of Russell and Tazewell counties	James Buchanan, fifteenth U.S. President	20,355	504 sq mi (1,305 km2)
Buckingham County	029	Buckingham	1761	From part of Albemarle county	Duke of Buckingham	16,824	581 sq mi (1,505 km2)
Campbell County	031	Rustburg	1782	From part of Bedford county	William Campbell, Revolutionary War general	55,696	504 sq mi (1,305 km2)
Caroline County	033	Bowling Green	1728	From parts of Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties	Caroline of Ansbach, wife of King George II of Great Britain	30,887	533 sq mi (1,380 km2)
Carroll County	035	Hillsville	1842	From part of Grayson county	Charles Carroll of Carrollton	29,155	476 sq mi (1,233 km2)
Charles City County	036	Charles City	1634	Colonial division before 1635[5]	King Charles I of England	6,773	182 sq mi (471 km2)
Charlotte County	037	Charlotte Court House	1765	From part of Lunenburg county	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of Great Britain	11,529	475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
Chesterfield County	041	Chesterfield	1749	From part of Henrico County	Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, British politician and Lord of the Bedchamber	364,548	426 sq mi (1,103 km2)
Clarke County	043	Berryville	1836	From part of Frederick County	George Rogers Clarke, Revolutionary War general	14,783	177 sq mi (458 km2)
Craig County	045	New Castle	1851	From parts of Botetourt, Roanoke, Giles, and Monroe (in present-day West Virginia) Counties	Robert Craig, U.S. Representative from Virginia	4,892	330 sq mi (855 km2)
Culpeper County	047	Culpeper	1749	From part of Orange County	Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, colonial proprietary governor	52,552	381 sq mi (987 km2)
Cumberland County	049	Cumberland	1749	From part of Goochland County	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, British general, politician, and son of King George II	9,675	298 sq mi (772 km2)
Dickenson County	051	Clintwood	1880	From parts of Buchanan, Russell, and Wise Counties	William J. Dickinson, member of the Virginia House of Delegates	14,124	333 sq mi (862 km2)
Dinwiddie County	053	Dinwiddie	1752	From part of Prince George County	Robert Dinwiddie, colonial lieutenant governor of Virginia	27,947	504 sq mi (1,305 km2)
Essex County	057	Tappahannock	1692	From the original Rappahannock County, Virginia, which was split to form Essex and Richmond counties.	Essex, United Kingdom	10,599	258 sq mi (668 km2)
Fairfax County	059	Fairfax	1742	From part of Prince William County	Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, the only British noble resident in Virginia	1,150,309	396 sq mi (1,026 km2)
Fauquier County	061	Warrenton	1759	From part of Prince William County	Francis Fauquier, colonial lieutenant governor of Virginia	72,972	650 sq mi (1,683 km2)
Floyd County	063	Floyd	1831	From part of Montgomery County	John Floyd, governor of Virginia	15,476	382 sq mi (989 km2)
Fluvanna County	065	Palmyra	1777	From part of Henrico County	From the Latin name for the James River, which itself translates to "Annie's River" in honor of Queen Anne	27,249	287 sq mi (743 km2)
Franklin County	067	Rocky Mount	1786	From parts of Bedford and Henry Counties	Benjamin Franklin, publisher, orator, scholar, and U.S. Founding Father	54,477	692 sq mi (1,792 km2)
Frederick County	069	Winchester	1738	From part of Orange County	Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George II	91,419	415 sq mi (1,075 km2)
Giles County	071	Pearisburg	1806	From parts of Montgomery, Monroe, Wythe, and Tazewell Counties	William Branch Giles, U.S. Senator from Virginia	16,787	358 sq mi (927 km2)
Gloucester County	073	Gloucester	1651	From part of York County	Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester	38,711	217 sq mi (562 km2)
Goochland County	075	Goochland	1728	From part of Henrico County	William Gooch, colonial lieutenant governor of Virginia	24,727	284 sq mi (736 km2)
Grayson County	077	Independence	1793	From part of Wythe County	William Grayson, U.S. Senator from Virginia	15,333	443 sq mi (1,147 km2)
Greene County	079	Stanardsville	1838	From part of Orange County	Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War general	20,552	157 sq mi (407 km2)
Greensville County	081	Emporia	1781	From part of Brunswick County	Richard Grenville, commander of the English expedition to found Roanoke Colony	11,391	296 sq mi (767 km2)
Halifax County	083	Halifax	1752	From part of Lunenburg County	George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, President of the Board of Trade	34,022	814 sq mi (2,108 km2)
Hanover County	085	Hanover	1721	From the area of New Kent County called St. Paul's Parish	Electorate of Hanover, from which the current line of British monarchs hailed	109,979	473 sq mi (1,225 km2)
Henrico County	087	Laurel	1617	Original county of the Colony under England	Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, oldest son of James I of England	334,389	238 sq mi (616 km2)
Henry County	089	Martinsville	1777	From Pittsylvania County, it was initially named Patrick Henry County	Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia and U.S. Founding Father	50,948	382 sq mi (989 km2)
Highland County	091	Monterey	1847	From parts of Bath and Pendleton Counties[6]	Mountainous topography	2,232	416 sq mi (1,077 km2)
Isle of Wight County	093	Isle of Wight	1634	Original county of the Colony under England, initially named Warrosquyoake Shire	Isle of Wight, England	38,606	316 sq mi (818 km2)
James City County	095	Williamsburg	1617	Original county of the Colony under England	King James I of England	78,254	143 sq mi (370 km2)
King and Queen County	097	King and Queen	1691	From part of New Kent County.	King William III and Queen Mary II	6,608	316 sq mi (818 km2)
King George County	099	King George	1721	From part of Richmond County	George I of Great Britain	26,723	180 sq mi (466 km2)
King William County	101	King William	1702	English colonists formed King William County in 1702 out of King and Queen County, Virginia.	William III of England	17,810	275 sq mi (712 km2)
Lancaster County	103	Lancaster	1651	From parts of Northumberland and York counties.	Lancaster, United Kingdom	10,919	133 sq mi (344 km2)
Lee County	105	Jonesville	1793	From part of Russell County	Light Horse Harry Lee, Revolutionary War general and governor of Virginia	22,173	437 sq mi (1,132 km2)
Loudoun County	107	Leesburg	1757	From part of Fairfax County	John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, British Commander-in-Chief, North America during the Seven Years' War	420,959	520 sq mi (1,347 km2)
Louisa County	109	Louisa	1742	From part of Hanover County	Princess Louise, youngest daughter of George II	37,596	498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
Lunenburg County	111	Lunenburg	1746	From part of Brunswick County	Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from which the current line of British monarchs hailed	11,936	432 sq mi (1,119 km2)
Madison County	113	Madison	1793	From part of Orange County	James Madison, Congressman from Virginia, principal author of the U.S. Constitution, and future U.S. President	13,837	322 sq mi (834 km2)
Mathews County	115	Mathews	1791	From part of Gloucester County	Thomas Mathews, Revolutionary War general.	8,533	86 sq mi (223 km2)
Mecklenburg County	117	Boydton	1765	From part of Lunenburg County	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III	30,319	624 sq mi (1,616 km2)
Middlesex County	119	Saluda	1673	From part of Lancaster County	Middlesex, United Kingdom	10,625	130 sq mi (337 km2)
Montgomery County	121	Christiansburg	1777	From part of Fincastle County	Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War general	99,721	388 sq mi (1,005 km2)
Nelson County	125	Lovingston	1808	From part of Amherst County	Thomas Nelson Jr., governor of Virginia and signer of the Declaration of Independence	14,775	472 sq mi (1,222 km2)
New Kent County	127	New Kent	1654	From part of York County, Virginia.	Kent County, England	22,945	210 sq mi (544 km2)
Northampton County	131	Eastville	1634	Original county of the Colony under England, initially named Accomac Shire. In 1642, it was renamed Northampton County.	Northamptonshire, England	12,282	207 sq mi (536 km2)
Northumberland County	133	Heathsville	1648	Created by the Virginia General Assembly during a period of rapid population growth and geographic expansion	Northumberland, United Kingdom	11,839	192 sq mi (497 km2)
Nottoway County	135	Nottoway	1789	From the area of Amelia County called Nottaway Parish	Nodawa tribe	15,642	315 sq mi (816 km2)
Orange County	137	Orange	1734	From part of Spotsylvania County	William IV, Prince of Orange, to celebrate his marriage to the Royal Princess Anne of the House of Hanover, England on March 25, 1734. The county was formed on August 8, 1734	36,254	342 sq mi (886 km2)
Page County	139	Luray	1831	From parts of Shenandoah and Rockingham counties	John Page, governor of Virginia	23,709	311 sq mi (805 km2)
Patrick County	141	Stuart	1791	From part of Patrick Henry County	Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia and U.S. Founding Father	17,608	483 sq mi (1,251 km2)
Pittsylvania County	143	Chatham	1767	From part of Halifax County	William Pitt, British Prime Minister	60,501	978 sq mi (2,533 km2)
Powhatan County	145	Powhatan	1777	From part of Cumberland County	Powhatan tribe	30,333	261 sq mi (676 km2)
Prince Edward County	147	Farmville	1754	From part of Amelia County	Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, brother of George III	21,849	353 sq mi (914 km2)
Prince George County	149	Prince George	1703	From Charles City County	Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne	43,010	266 sq mi (689 km2)
Prince William County	153	Manassas	1731	From parts of Stafford and King George counties	Prince William Augustus, son of George II	482,204	338 sq mi (875 km2)
Pulaski County	155	Pulaski	1839	From parts of Montgomery and Wythe counties	Kazimierz Pulaski, Polish-born Revolutionary War general	33,800	321 sq mi (831 km2)
Rappahannock County	157	Washington	1833	From part of Culpeper County. The original Rappahannock County, known as Old Rappahannock County, was created in 1656 from part of Lancaster County. Old Rappahannock County became extinct in 1692 when it was split to create Essex and Richmond counties.	Rappahannock River	7,348	267 sq mi (692 km2)
Richmond County	159	Warsaw	1692	From the original Rappahannock County, better known as Old Rappahannock County, which was split to form Richmond and Essex counties.	Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, illegitimate son of King Charles II	8,923	192 sq mi (497 km2)
Roanoke County	161	Salem	1838	From the southern part of Botetourt County	Roanoke River	96,929	251 sq mi (650 km2)
Rockbridge County	163	Lexington	1778	From parts of Augusta and Botetourt counties	Natural Bridge	22,650	600 sq mi (1,554 km2)
Rockingham County	165	Harrisonburg	1778	From part of Augusta County	Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, British Prime Minister	83,757	851 sq mi (2,204 km2)
Russell County	167	Lebanon	1786	From a section of Washington County	William Russell, frontiersman and state representative	25,781	475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
Scott County	169	Gate City	1814	From parts of Washington, Lee, and Russell Counties	Winfield Scott, War of 1812 and later Mexican-American War general	21,576	537 sq mi (1,391 km2)
Shenandoah County	171	Woodstock	1772	Formed from non-county territory; originally named for Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, but renamed in 1778.	Shenandoah River	44,186	512 sq mi (1,326 km2)
Smyth County	173	Marion	1832	From Washington and Wythe counties	Alexander Smyth, Congressman from Virginia	29,800	452 sq mi (1,171 km2)
Southampton County	175	Courtland	1749	Most of it from part of Warrosquyoake Shire	Disputed; either Southampton, England or Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, one of the founders of the Virginia Company	17,996	600 sq mi (1,554 km2)
Spotsylvania County	177	Spotsylvania Courthouse	1721	Spotsylvania From parts of Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties.	Alexander Spotswood, colonial lieutenant governor of Virginia	140,032	401 sq mi (1,039 km2)
Stafford County	179	Stafford	1664	From part of Westmoreland County	Stafford, England	156,927	270 sq mi (699 km2)
Surry County	181	Surry	1652	From part of James City County	Surrey, United Kingdom	6,561	279 sq mi (723 km2)
Sussex County	183	Sussex	1754	From part of Surry County	Sussex, United Kingdom	10,829	491 sq mi (1,272 km2)
Tazewell County	185	Tazewell	1800	From parts of Wythe and Russell counties	Henry Tazewell, U.S. Senator from Virginia	40,429	520 sq mi (1,347 km2)
Warren County	187	Front Royal	1836	From parts of Frederick and Shenandoah counties	Joseph Warren, Revolutionary War general	40,727	214 sq mi (554 km2)
Washington County	191	Abingdon	1777	From part of Fincastle County	George Washington, Revolutionary War commander, U.S. Founding Father, and future U.S. President	53,935	564 sq mi (1,461 km2)
Westmoreland County	193	Montross	1653	From part of Northumberland County	Westmoreland, United Kingdom	18,477	229 sq mi (593 km2)
Wise County	195	Wise	1856	From parts of Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties	Henry Alexander Wise, governor of Virginia	36,130	403 sq mi (1,044 km2)
Wythe County	197	Wytheville	1790	From part of Montgomery County	George Wythe, legal scholar and signer of the Declaration of Independence	28,290	463 sq mi (1,199 km2)
York County	199	Yorktown	1634	Formed in 1634 as one of the eight shires of Virginia. It was originally called Charles River Shire.	James Stuart, Duke of York, the future King James II	70,045	106 sq mi (275 km2)

List of independent cities

County	FIPS code[1]	County seat	Created[2]	Formed from	Meaning of name	Population (2020)[4]	Area[2]	Map
Alexandria	510	N/A	1870[7]	From Alexandria County[8]	Phillip & John Alexander, brothers and area plantation owners	159,467	15 sq mi (39 km2)
Bristol	520	N/A	1890[8]	From Washington County[8]	Bristol, England	17,219	12 sq mi (31 km2)
Buena Vista	530	N/A	1892[8]	From Rockbridge County[8]	from the Buena Vista Company, which founded an iron mine in the area and established the town for its laborers	6,641	7 sq mi (18 km2)
Charlottesville	540	N/A	1888[8]	From Albemarle County[8]	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III	46,553	10 sq mi (26 km2)
Chesapeake	550	N/A	1963	Formed by combining Norfolk County and City of South Norfolk[9]	Chesapeake tribe	249,422	341 sq mi (883 km2)
Colonial Heights	570	N/A	1948	From Chesterfield County	From the actions of Revolutionary War general Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette; his soldiers, nicknamed the "Colonials", placed an artillery on high ground overlooking Petersburg	18,170	8 sq mi (21 km2)
Covington	580	N/A	1952	From Alleghany County	Leonard Covington, hero of the Siege of Fort Recovery and Congressman from Maryland	5,737	4 sq mi (10 km2)
Danville	590	N/A	1870[8]	From Pittsylvania County[8]	Dan River	42,590	43 sq mi (111 km2)
Emporia	595	N/A	1967	From Greensville County	Emporia, Kansas	5,766	7 sq mi (18 km2)
Fairfax	600	N/A	1961	From Fairfax County	Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, only British noble resident in colonial Virginia	24,146	6 sq mi (16 km2)
Falls Church	610	N/A	1948	From Fairfax County	The Falls Church	14,658	2.1 sq mi (5 km2)
Franklin	620	N/A	1961	From Southampton County	Benjamin Franklin, publisher, scholar, orator, and U.S. Founding Father	8,180	8 sq mi (21 km2)
Fredericksburg	630	N/A	1870[8]	From Spotsylvania County[8]	Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George II	27,982	10 sq mi (26 km2)
Galax	640	N/A	1953	From Grayson County and Carroll County	the galax shrub	6,720	8 sq mi (21 km2)
Hampton	650	N/A	1908	Founded 1610. Current city formed by combining Elizabeth City County and City of Hampton in 1952[9]	Disputed; either Southampton, England or Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, one of the founders of the Virginia Company	137,148	52 sq mi (135 km2)
Harrisonburg	660	N/A	1916	From Rockingham County[8]	Thomas Harrison, pioneering settler and town founder	51,814	18 sq mi (47 km2)
Hopewell	670	N/A	1916	From Prince George County[8]	The Hopewell, a ship that carried some of the early English settlers to Virginia	23,033	10 sq mi (26 km2)
Lexington	678	N/A	1966	From Rockbridge County	Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington	7,320	2.5 sq mi (6 km2)
Lynchburg	680	N/A	1786	From Campbell County[8]	John Lynch, ferry operator and constructor of the first bridge across the James River in the area	79,009	49 sq mi (127 km2)
Manassas	683	N/A	1975	From Prince William County	Manassas Gap Railroad	42,772	10 sq mi (26 km2)
Manassas Park	685	N/A	1975	From Prince William County	Manassas Gap Railroad and Manassas National Battlefield Park	17,219	2.5 sq mi (6 km2)
Martinsville	690	N/A	1928	From Henry County	Joseph Martin, Revolutionary War general	13,485	11 sq mi (28 km2)
Newport News	700	N/A	1896[8]	From Warwick County[8]	Captain Christopher Newport, English privateer[10]	186,247	68 sq mi (176 km2)
Norfolk	710	N/A	1845[11]	Founded 1682.[12] Incorporated as City in 1845 from Norfolk County (extinct)[9]	Norfolk, England	238,005	54 sq mi (140 km2)
Norton	720	N/A	1954	From Wise County	Eckstein Norton, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad	3,687	7 sq mi (18 km2)
Petersburg	730	N/A	1870[8]	From Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties[8]	Peter Jones, early settler and merchant	33,458	23 sq mi (60 km2)
Poquoson	735	N/A	1975	From York County	An Algonquin term roughly translating to "great marsh" or "flat land"	12,460	16 sq mi (41 km2)
Portsmouth	740	N/A	1858[9]	Founded 1752.[13] Incorporated as City in 1858 from Norfolk County (extinct)[9]	Portsmouth, England	97,915	33 sq mi (85 km2)
Radford	750	N/A	1892[8]	From Montgomery County[8]	John Blair Radford, owner of a plantation that included that town's lands	16,070	10 sq mi (26 km2)
Richmond	760	N/A	1870[8]	From Henrico County[8]	Richmond, Surrey, England	226,610	60 sq mi (155 km2)
Roanoke	770	N/A	1884[8]	From Roanoke County[8]	Roanoke River	100,011	43 sq mi (111 km2)
Salem	775	N/A	1968	From Roanoke County	After Salem, New Jersey, home of town founder William Bryan	25,346	15 sq mi (39 km2)
Staunton	790	N/A	1870[8]	From Augusta County [8]	Lady Rebecca Staunton, wife of colonial Lieutenant Governor William Gooch	25,750	20 sq mi (52 km2)
Suffolk	800	N/A	1910[14]	Founded 1742.[14] Incorporated as City in 1910 from Nansemond County (extinct)[14]	Suffolk, England	94,324	400 sq mi (1,036 km2)
Virginia Beach	810	N/A	1963	Founded 1906 around existing community of Seatack. Incorporated as City in 1963 from Princess Anne County (extinct)[9]	The city's coastal location	459,470	248 sq mi (642 km2)
Waynesboro	820	N/A	1948	From Augusta County	Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general	22,196	14 sq mi (36 km2)
Williamsburg	830	N/A	1902[8]	From James City County	William III of England	15,425	9 sq mi (23 km2)
Winchester	840	N/A	1874[8]	From Frederick County [8]	Winchester, England	28,120	9 sq mi (23 km2)

Other maps

Top 10 most populated cities in Virginia (2010)

Virginia counties and cities by population density (population/ square mile) in 2015

Virginia counties and cities by population in 2010