Virginia

Virginia

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This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses, see Virginia (disambiguation). "The Old Dominion" redirects here. For other uses, see Old Dominion (disambiguation).

Virginia Commonwealth of Virginia

State

Flag of Virginia Seal of Virginia

Nicknames: Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents Motto(s): Sic semper tyrannis (English: Thus Always to Tyrants) [1] Anthem: "Our Great Virginia"

Location of Virginia within the United States

Country: United States Before statehood: Colony of Virginia Admitted to the Union: June 25, 1788 (10th) Capital: Richmond Largest city: Virginia Beach Largest county or equivalent: Fairfax County Largest metro and urban areas: Washington metropolitan area (metro and urban)

Government

• Governor: Glenn Youngkin (R)
• Lieutenant Governor: Winsome Earle-Sears (R)
• Legislature: General Assembly
  • Upper house: Senate
  • Lower house: House of Delegates
• Judiciary: Supreme Court of Virginia

U.S. Senators

• Mark Warner (D)
• Tim Kaine (D)

U.S. House delegation: 6 Democrats, 5 Republicans (list)

Area

• Total: 42,774.59 sq mi (110,785.67 km 2 )
• Rank: 35th

Dimensions

• Length: 430 mi (690 km)
• Width: 200 mi (320 km)

Elevation

• Average: 950 ft (290 m)
• Highest: Mount Rogers 5,728 ft (1,746 m)
• Lowest: Atlantic Ocean 0 ft (0 m)

Population (2024 est.)

• Total: 8,811,195 [3]
• Rank: 12th
• Density: 219/sq mi (84.7/km 2 )
• Rank: 15th

Median household income: $89,900 (2023) [4]

• Income rank: 11th

Demonym: Virginian Language

• Official language: English
• Spoken language:
  • English 86%
  • Spanish 6%
  • Other 8%

Time zone: UTC−05:00 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST): UTC−04:00 (EDT)

USPS abbreviation: VA ISO 3166 code: US-VA Traditional abbreviation: Va.

Latitude: 36°32′N to 39°28′N Longitude: 75°15′W to 83°41′W

Website: virginia.gov

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, [a] is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, situated between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Its capital is Richmond, and its most populous city is Virginia Beach. The most populous subdivision is Fairfax County, part of Northern Virginia, where over a third of Virginia's 8.8 million inhabitants reside.

Eastern Virginia, characterized by the Atlantic Plain, includes the Middle Peninsula, which forms the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Central Virginia lies primarily within the Piedmont, a region of foothills leading to the Blue Ridge Mountains that traverse the western and southwestern parts of the state. The fertile Shenandoah Valley supports the state's most productive agricultural counties, while the economy of Northern Virginia is driven by technology companies and U.S. federal government agencies. The Hampton Roads area is also significant, hosting the region's primary seaport and Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base.

The history of Virginia begins with several Indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia, the first permanent English colony in the New World, earning Virginia its nickname, the Old Dominion. The plantation economy, fueled by enslaved Africans and land acquired from displaced Native American tribes, grew significantly, though this growth was also accompanied by internal and external conflicts. Virginians played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, fighting for the independence of the Thirteen Colonies and contributing to the establishment of the new national government. During the American Civil War, Virginia's government in Richmond joined the Confederacy. However, many northwestern counties remained loyal to the Union, ultimately leading to the secession of West Virginia in 1863.

Following a century of near-uninterrupted Democratic rule after the Reconstruction era, Virginia has seen competitive elections between both major political parties since the repeal of racial segregation laws in the 1960s and 1970s. The Virginia General Assembly, established in July 1619, is the oldest continuously existing legislative body in North America. Unlike most states, Virginia's cities and counties function as approximate equals, though the state government manages most local roads. It is also unique in that its governors are prohibited from serving consecutive terms.

History

Earliest inhabitants

• Main article: Native American tribes in Virginia

Nomadic hunters are estimated to have arrived in Virginia around 17,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence from Daugherty's Cave indicates its regular use as a rock shelter by 9,800 years ago. [6] During the late Woodland period (500–1000 CE), tribal structures began to coalesce, and agriculture, initially of corn and squash, became established. Beans and tobacco, originating from the southwest and Mexico, arrived by the end of this period. By 1200 CE, the construction of palisaded towns had become common. The native population within the present-day boundaries of Virginia reached approximately 50,000 in the 1500s. [7] Prominent groups at this time included the Algonquian in the Tidewater region, who referred to their territory as Tsenacommacah. The Iroquoian-speaking Nottoway and Meherrin occupied lands to the north and south, respectively, while the Siouan-speaking Tutelo were situated to the west. [8]

In response to threats from these neighboring groups to their established trade networks, approximately thirty Virginia Algonquian-speaking tribes unified under Wahunsenacawh, known to the English as Chief Powhatan. [8] By 1607, Powhatan commanded over 150 settlements with a total population of around 15,000. [9] However, an estimated three-fourths of Virginia's native population succumbed to smallpox and other Old World diseases within that century, [10] disrupting their oral traditions and complicating historical research into earlier periods. [11] Furthermore, many primary sources, including those detailing the life of Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, were created by Europeans, who may have harbored biases or misunderstood native social structures and customs. [5] [12]

Colony

• Main article: Colony of Virginia

Several European expeditions explored the Chesapeake Bay during the 16th century, including the Spanish Jesuits. [13] To counter Spain's colonies in the Caribbean, Queen Elizabeth I of England supported Walter Raleigh's 1584 expedition to the Atlantic coast of North America. [14] [15] The name "Virginia" first appeared in Captain Arthur Barlowe's expedition report and may have been suggested by Raleigh or Elizabeth I, possibly referencing her title as the "Virgin Queen" or the perceived untouched nature of the land. Alternatively, it could derive from an Algonquin phrase, "Wingandacoa" or "Windgancon," or the name of a leader, Wingina, as heard by the expedition. [16] [17] Initially, the name applied to the entire coastal region from South Carolina in the south to Maine in the north, as well as the island of Bermuda. [18] Although Raleigh's colony failed, the potential financial and strategic advantages continued to attract English policymakers. In 1606, King James I granted a charter for a new colony to the Virginia Company of London. This group financed an expedition led by Christopher Newport, which established the settlement of Jamestown in 1607. [19]

Despite the arrival of more settlers, many were ill-equipped to handle the dangers of the new settlement. As the colony's president, John Smith secured food supplies from nearby tribes. However, after his departure in 1609, this trade ceased, initiating a period of mass starvation in the colony and a series of ambush-style killings between colonists and natives under Chief Powhatan and his brother. [20] By the end of the colony's first fourteen years, over eighty percent of the approximately eight thousand settlers transported there had perished. [21] The increasing demand for exported tobacco, however, necessitated a greater labor force. [22] Beginning in 1618, the headright system was implemented to address this, granting colonists tracts of land for their efforts in attracting indentured servants. [23] Enslaved Africans were first introduced to Virginia in 1619. [First_Africans_in_Virginia] While other Africans arrived as indentured servants and could gain freedom after four to seven years, the legal foundation for lifelong slavery was established through court cases involving individuals like John Punch in 1640 and John Casor in 1655. [24] Laws enacted in Jamestown in 1661 defined slavery as race-based, in 1662 as inherited maternally, and in 1669 as punishable by death. [25]

In 1699, following a fire that destroyed the statehouse in Jamestown, the capital of the Colony of Virginia was relocated to Williamsburg, where the College of William & Mary had been founded six years prior. [26]

From the colony's inception, residents advocated for greater local control. By 1619, certain male colonists began electing representatives to an assembly, later known as the House of Burgesses, which engaged in negotiations with the governing council appointed by the London Company. [27] Dissatisfied with this arrangement, the monarchy revoked the company's charter in 1624, assuming direct control by appointing governors and Council members. In 1635, colonists arrested a governor who had defied the assembly, John Harvey (Virginia governor), and forcibly sent him back to England. [28] William Berkeley was appointed governor in 1642, coinciding with a period of increased colonial autonomy facilitated by the turmoil of the English Civil War and Interregnum. [29] As a royalist supporter, Berkeley welcomed numerous Cavaliers fleeing England. He surrendered to Parliamentarians in 1652. Upon his reappointment as governor after the 1660 Restoration, Berkeley suppressed assembly elections and exacerbated class divisions by disenfranchising and restricting the movement of indentured servants, who constituted approximately eighty percent of the workforce. [30] On the colony's frontier, tribes such as the Tutelo and Doeg faced pressure from Seneca raiders advancing from the north, leading to increased conflict with colonists. In 1676, a rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon, fueled by resentment over Berkeley's refusal to retaliate against the tribes, resulted in the burning of Jamestown. [31]

Bacon's Rebellion led to the enactment of Bacon's Laws, which restored certain colonial rights and sanctioned both attacks on native tribes and the enslavement of their people. [32] [33] The Treaty of 1677 further diminished the autonomy of the signatory tribes, facilitating the colony's subsequent land acquisition. [34] [35] In the 1700s, colonists expanded westward into territories claimed by the Seneca and the broader Iroquois Nation. In 1748, the Ohio Company, a consortium of wealthy speculators backed by the British monarchy, was formed to establish English settlements and trade in the [Ohio Country], west of the Appalachian Mountains. [36] France, asserting its claim to this region as part of New France, viewed this expansion as a provocation, igniting the French and Indian War in 1754, which involved England, France, the Iroquois, and allied tribes on both sides. The [Virginia Regiment], a militia comprised of soldiers from several British colonies, was led by Major George Washington, himself an investor in the Ohio Company. [37]

Statehood

• See also: Virginia in the American Revolution
• In 1765, Patrick Henry led a protest against the unpopular Stamp Act in the House of Burgesses, an event later immortalized in this portrait by Peter F. Rothermel.

In the decade following the French and Indian War, the British Parliament enacted new taxes that were met with widespread opposition in the colonies. Within the House of Burgesses, figures such as Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee emerged as leaders in the protest against taxation without representation. [38] In 1773, Virginians began coordinating their actions with other colonies through committees of correspondence, and the following year, they dispatched delegates to the Continental Congress. [39] Following the dissolution of the House of Burgesses in 1774 by the royal governor, Virginia's revolutionary leaders continued to govern through the Virginia Conventions. On May 15, 1776, the Convention declared Virginia's independence and adopted George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was subsequently incorporated into a new constitution designating Virginia as a commonwealth. [40] Thomas Jefferson, another prominent Virginian, drew upon Mason's work in drafting the national Declaration of Independence. [41]

Following the commencement of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington was appointed by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to lead the Continental Army. Many Virginians joined the army and participated in revolutionary militias. Virginia was the first colony to ratify the Articles of Confederation in December 1777. [42] In April 1780, Governor Thomas Jefferson urged the relocation of the capital to Richmond, citing concerns about Williamsburg's coastal vulnerability to British attack. [43] British forces under Benedict Arnold captured Portsmouth in December 1780 and subsequently raided Richmond the following month. [44] By early 1781, the British army had deployed over seven thousand soldiers and twenty-five warships in Virginia. However, indecisiveness among British command, including General Charles Cornwallis, coupled with the strategic maneuvers of approximately three thousand soldiers under the Marquis de Lafayette and the presence of twenty-nine allied French warships, effectively confined the British to a marshy area of the Virginia Peninsula by September. A decisive force of around sixteen thousand soldiers, led by George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau, converged on the location, culminating in the defeat of Cornwallis during the siege of Yorktown. [45] Cornwallis's surrender on October 19, 1781, precipitated peace negotiations in Paris and secured the independence of the colonies. [46]

Virginians played a significant role in the formulation of the United States Constitution. James Madison authored the Virginia Plan in 1787 and the Bill of Rights in 1789. [41] Virginia ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788. The three-fifths compromise ensured that Virginia, with its substantial enslaved population, initially held the largest delegation in the House of Representatives. This, combined with the Virginia dynasty of presidents, cemented the Commonwealth's national importance. Virginia is often referred to as the "Mother of States" due to its role in the formation of new states, such as Kentucky, and for the significant number of American pioneers born within its borders. [47]

Civil War

• Main article: Virginia in the American Civil War
• Eyre Crowe's 1853 portrait, Slaves Waiting for Sale: Richmond, Virginia, depicted the city's slave markets where thousands were sold annually. [48]

Between 1790 and 1860, the enslaved population in Virginia increased from approximately 290,000 to over 490,000, constituting roughly one-third of the state's population. The number of slave owners also rose to over 50,000, with both figures being the highest in the U.S. [49] [50] The expansion of Southern cotton production, facilitated by cotton gins for harvesting upland cotton, intensified the demand for labor. Concurrently, new federal laws prohibited the international importation of slaves. Decades of monoculture tobacco farming had also diminished Virginia's agricultural productivity. [51] Virginia plantations increasingly relied on the export of slaves, a practice that fractured numerous families and transformed the breeding of slaves, often through sexual violence, into a lucrative enterprise. [52] [53] Enslaved individuals in the Richmond area were also subjected to forced labor in industrial sectors, including mining and shipbuilding. [54] Resistance to slavery grew, marked by failed slave uprisings led by Gabriel Prosser in 1800, George Boxley in 1815, and Nat Turner in 1831. In response to fears of further uprisings, Virginia's government encouraged the migration of free Black individuals to Liberia during the 1830s. [51]

On October 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia with the objective of inciting a widespread slave revolt across the Southern states. The polarized national reaction to his capture, trial, and execution in December of that year served as a critical turning point for many who believed that slavery would ultimately be abolished through force. [55] The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 further solidified the conviction among many Southern proponents of slavery that his opposition to its expansion foreshadowed its eventual demise nationwide. The seizure of Fort Sumter by Confederate forces on April 14, 1861, prompted Lincoln to call for the federalization of 75,000 militiamen. [56]

The Confederacy established Richmond as its capital from May 1861 until April 1865, when the city was abandoned and its downtown was set ablaze.

The Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 voted on April 17 to secede, contingent upon approval in a referendum the following month. The convention resolved to join the Confederacy, which subsequently designated Richmond as its capital on May 20. [47] During the May 23 referendum, armed pro-Confederate groups obstructed the casting and tallying of votes from areas opposing secession. Representatives from 27 of these northwestern counties convened the Wheeling Convention, establishing a government loyal to the Union and initiating the separation of West Virginia as a new state. [57]

The first engagement between Union and Confederate armies occurred on July 21, 1861, at the Battle of Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia, resulting in a decisive Confederate victory. Union General George B. McClellan organized the Army of the Potomac, which landed on the Virginia Peninsula in March 1862 and advanced to the outskirts of Richmond by June. Following the wounding of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston in fighting near the city, command of his Army of Northern Virginia was transferred to Robert E. Lee. Over the subsequent month, Lee repelled the Union army in the Seven Days Battles and subsequently led the first of several invasions into Union territory beginning in September. For the ensuing three years of the war, Virginia hosted more battles than any other state, including engagements at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, and the concluding Battle of Appomattox Court House, where Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. [58]

Reconstruction and segregation

The Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation at Newport News served as the second-largest U.S. port of embarkation during World War I, processing nearly 800,000 American soldiers. [59]

Virginia was formally readmitted to the United States in 1870, largely due to the efforts of the Committee of Nine. [60] During the post-war Reconstruction era, African Americans established cohesive communities, particularly around Richmond, Danville, and the Tidewater region, and gained greater participation in Virginia society. Many achieved some level of land ownership during the 1870s. [61] [62] Virginia adopted a constitution in 1868 that guaranteed political and civil rights, including voting rights, and established free public education. [63] However, the extensive destruction of railroad lines and other infrastructure during the Civil War left the Commonwealth heavily indebted. In the late 1870s, funds allocated for public schools were redirected to satisfy bondholder obligations. The Readjuster Party emerged in 1877, gaining legislative control in 1879 by uniting Black and white Virginians against debt repayment policies and the influence of perceived plantation elites. [64]

The Readjusters prioritized educational development, supporting institutions like Virginia Tech and Virginia State, and successfully compelled West Virginia to assume a share of the pre-war debt. [65] However, internal divisions arose in 1883 over a proposed repeal of anti-miscegenation laws. Shortly before that year's elections, a riot in Danville, involving armed police, resulted in the deaths of four Black men and one white man. [66] These events fueled a concerted effort by white supremacists to seize political power through voter suppression. Segregationists within the Democratic Party secured legislative control that year and maintained it for decades, thereby establishing the Solid South. [67] They implemented Jim Crow laws that enforced a system of racial segregation in the United States. In 1902, the state constitution was revised to include a poll tax and other restrictive voter registration measures, effectively disenfranchising the majority of African Americans and a significant number of impoverished white citizens. [68]

Meanwhile, new economic forces spurred industrialization across the Commonwealth. Virginian James Albert Bonsack patented a cigarette rolling machine in 1880, leading to large-scale production centered in Richmond. In 1886, railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington founded Newport News Shipbuilding, which constructed 38 warships for the U.S. Navy between 1907 and 1923. [69] During World War I, German submarines targeted ships near the port, [70] which served as a critical hub for transporting soldiers and supplies. [59] Following the war, a homecoming parade honoring African-American troops was attacked by city police in July 1919 as part of a resurgence of white supremacy known as Red Summer. [71] The shipyard continued its role in building warships during World War II, quadrupling its pre-war workforce to 70,000 by 1943. The Radford Arsenal near Blacksburg employed 22,000 workers producing explosives, [72] while the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria employed over 5,050. [73]

Civil rights to present

Protests in 2020 focused on Confederate monuments in the state.

High school student Barbara Rose Johns initiated a strike in 1951 at her underfunded and segregated school in Prince Edward County. The ensuing protests led Spottswood Robinson and Oliver Hill to file a lawsuit against the county. Their case was consolidated with Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court, which in 1954 rejected the doctrine of "separate but equal". The segregationist establishment, spearheaded by Senator Harry F. Byrd and his Byrd Organization, responded with a strategy known as "massive resistance". In 1956, the General Assembly enacted a series of laws, the Stanley Plan, that terminated funding for local schools integrating their student bodies, leading to the closure of some. Court rulings declared this strategy unconstitutional, and on February 2, 1959, Black students successfully integrated schools in Arlington and Norfolk, becoming known as the Norfolk 17. [74] Rather than comply with integration orders, county leaders in Prince Edward closed their school system in June 1959. After further litigation reached the Supreme Court in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, the court mandated the reopening and integration of the county's schools, which finally occurred in September 1964. [75] [76]

Federal legislation, including the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act, along with subsequent enforcement by the Justice Department, played a crucial role in dismantling racial segregation in Virginia and overturning Jim Crow laws. [77] In 1967, the Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia invalidated the state's prohibition on interracial marriage. In 1968, Governor Mills Godwin convened a commission tasked with revising the state constitution. The new constitution, which outlawed discrimination and removed provisions conflicting with federal law, was approved by referendum and took effect in 1971. [78] In 1989, Douglas Wilder made history as the first African American elected governor in the United States. In 1992, Bobby Scott became Virginia's first Black congressman since 1888. [79] [80]

The expansion of federal government offices into the suburbs of Northern Virginia during the Cold War significantly boosted the region's population and economic growth. [81] The Central Intelligence Agency, outgrowing its facilities in Foggy Bottom, relocated to Langley in 1961, partly in response to a National Security Council directive to move the agency outside of Washington, D.C. [82] The Pentagon, constructed in Arlington during World War II to serve as the headquarters for the Department of Defense, was struck by a hijacked aircraft during the September 11, 2001 attacks. [83] Mass shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and in Virginia Beach in 2019 prompted the passage of gun control measures in 2020. [84] Concerns regarding racial injustice and the prominent display of Confederate monuments in Virginia have also catalyzed substantial demonstrations. Notably, in August 2017, a white supremacist drove his vehicle into protesters, resulting in one fatality. In June 2020, protests associated with the broader Black Lives Matter movement led to the removal of Confederate statues. [85]

Geography

• Main article: Environment of Virginia
• Virginia's topography is shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, and the parallel 36°30′ north.

Virginia is situated in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States. [86] [87] With a total area of 42,774.2 square miles (110,784.7 km 2 ), including 3,180.13 square miles (8,236.5 km 2 ) of water, Virginia ranks as the 35th-largest state by area. [88] It shares borders with Maryland and Washington, D.C. to the northeast; the Atlantic Ocean to the east; North Carolina to the south; Tennessee to the southwest; Kentucky to the west; and West Virginia to the northwest. The boundary between Virginia and Maryland, defined by the low-water mark of the south shore of the Potomac River, has historically been a point of contention regarding water rights. [89]

Virginia's southern border was established in 1665 as 36°30' north latitude. [Royal_Colonial_Boundary_of_1665] However, surveyors marking the border with North Carolina in the 18th century began approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of this line and deviated further westward, extending an additional 3.5 miles by the border's westernmost point. [90] Following Tennessee's admission to the U.S. in 1796, new surveys in 1802 and 1803 redefined its border with Virginia as a line extending from the summit of White Top Mountain to the peak of Tri-State Peak in the Cumberland Mountains. Nevertheless, discrepancies in this border were identified during its re-marking in 1856, prompting the Virginia General Assembly to propose a new surveying commission in 1871. Representatives from Tennessee favored maintaining the less precise 1803 boundary, and in 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tennessee in its dispute with Virginia. [91] [92] A notable consequence of these boundary issues is the division of the city of Bristol between the two states. [93]

Geology and terrain

• Main article: Geology of Virginia
• Great Falls, situated on the fall line of the Potomac River, features rocks dating to the late Precambrian. [94]

The Chesapeake Bay divides the contiguous portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula known as Virginia's Eastern Shore. The bay itself was formed from the drowned river valley of the ancient Susquehanna River. [95] Numerous Virginia's rivers, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, flow into the Chesapeake Bay. These rivers create three peninsulas, traditionally referred to as "necks," named Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and the Virginia Peninsula from north to south. [96] Sea level rise has contributed to the erosion of Virginia's islands, including Tangier Island in the bay and Chincoteague, one of 23 barrier islands along the Atlantic coast. [97] [98]

The Tidewater region is a coastal plain situated between the Atlantic coastline and the fall line. This region encompasses the Eastern Shore and the major estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay. East of the mountains lies the Piedmont, a region characterized by foothills formed from sedimentary and igneous rock deposits. [99] This area, known for its heavy clay soil, includes the Southwest Mountains surrounding Charlottesville. [100] The Blue Ridge Mountains, a physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains, contain the Commonwealth's highest elevations, with Mount Rogers standing as the tallest peak at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). [2] West of the Blue Ridge lies the Ridge-and-Valley region, characterized by carbonate rock. This region includes the Massanutten Mountain ridge and the Great Appalachian Valley, known in Virginia as the Shenandoah Valley, named after the river of the same name that flows through it. [101] The southwesternmost corner of Virginia is occupied by the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains, situated south of the Allegheny Plateau. Rivers in this region flow northwestward into the Ohio River basin. [102]

Virginia's seismic zones have historically exhibited limited regular earthquake activity, with magnitudes rarely exceeding 4.5 on the Richter scale. The Commonwealth experienced its largest earthquake in at least a century, registering a magnitude of 5.8, which struck central Virginia on August 23, 2011. [2011_Virginia_earthquake] Approximately 35 million years ago, a bolide impacted the area now known as eastern Virginia. The resulting Chesapeake Bay impact crater is theorized to be a contributing factor to the region's seismic activity and subsidence. [104] A meteor impact is also hypothesized as the origin of Lake Drummond, the larger of the two natural lakes in the state. [105]

The Commonwealth's carbonate rock geology hosts over 4,000 limestone caves, ten of which are accessible to tourists, including the popular Luray Caverns and Skyline Caverns. [106] Virginia's iconic Natural Bridge is the remnant roof of a collapsed limestone cave. [107] Coal mining is conducted in the state's three mountainous regions. [108] In 2020, Virginia produced over 72 million tons of non-fuel resources, such as slate, kyanite, sand, and gravel. [109] The largest known uranium deposits in the U.S. are located beneath Coles Hill, Virginia. Despite legal challenges reaching the U.S. Supreme Court twice, the state has maintained a ban on uranium mining since 1982 due to environmental and public health concerns. [110]

Climate

• Main article: Climate of Virginia
• See also: Climate change in Virginia

Virginia experiences a humid subtropical climate that transitions to a humid continental climate west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. [111] Seasonal temperature variations range from average lows of 25 °F (−4 °C) in January to average highs of 86 °F (30 °C) in July. [112] The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream exert a significant influence on the climate of eastern and southeastern coastal areas, resulting in warmer yet more stable conditions. The majority of Virginia's recorded temperature and precipitation extremes have occurred in the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent western regions. [113] Virginia receives an average annual precipitation of 43.47 inches (110 cm), [112] with the Shenandoah Valley being the state's driest region. [113]

Virginia experiences approximately 35–45 days with thunderstorms annually, with storms typically occurring in the late afternoon and early evening between April and September. [114] These months also represent the peak season for tornadoes, [115] with twelve recorded instances in the Commonwealth in 2024. [116] Hurricanes and tropical storms can affect the state from August through October. The deadliest natural disaster in Virginia's history was Hurricane Camille in 1969, which caused over 150 fatalities, primarily in the inland county of Nelson County, Virginia. [113] [117] Between December and March, cold-air damming events, caused by the Appalachian Mountains, can lead to substantial snowfall across the state. An example is the January 2016 blizzard, which produced the state's highest recorded one-day snowfall of 36.6 inches (93 cm) near Bluemont. [118] [119] On average, Virginia cities receive between 5.8–12.3 inches (15–31 cm) of snow annually. However, recent winters have experienced below-average snowfall, with much of Virginia recording no measurable snow during the 2022–2023 winter season. [120] [121]

Climate change in Virginia is contributing to rising temperatures throughout the year and an increase in heavy rainfall and flooding events. [122] Urban heat islands are prevalent in many Virginia cities and suburbs, particularly in neighborhoods historically affected by redlining. [123] [124] Air quality in Virginia has shown statistical improvement since 1998. [125] The closure and conversion of coal power plants in Virginia and the Ohio Valley region have helped reduce the concentration of particulate matter in Virginia's air by half. [126] [127] Current energy policies aim to source 30% of the Commonwealth's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. [128]

Ecosystem

• See also: List of endangered species in Virginia
• Up to 7,000 white-tailed deer, also known as Virginia deer, inhabit Shenandoah National Park. [129]

As of 2021, forests cover 62% of Virginia's land area. [130] Of this forested land, 80% consists of hardwood forests, indicating a prevalence of deciduous and broad-leaved trees. The remaining 20% is pine forest, with loblolly and shortleaf pine dominating much of central and eastern Virginia. [130] In the western and mountainous regions of the Commonwealth, oak and hickory are the most common tree species, while lower elevations are more likely to feature small but dense stands of hemlocks and abundant mosses. [113] Spongy moth infestations affecting oak trees and the devastating impact of chestnut blight have led to a decline in the populations of these species, creating opportunities for hickory and the invasive tree of heaven. [131] [113] In the lowland Tidewater and Piedmont regions, yellow pines are prevalent, complemented by bald cypress wetland forests in the Great Dismal and Nottoway swamps. [130] Other significant tree species include red spruce, Atlantic white cedar, tulip-poplar, and the flowering dogwood, which is designated as the state tree and flower. [132] Common plant species also include milkweed, dandelions, daisies, ferns, and Virginia creeper, the latter of which is featured on the state flag. [133] The Thompson Wildlife Area in Fauquier County, Virginia is recognized for hosting one of the largest populations of trillium wildflowers in North America. [113]

Virginia is home to 75 mammal species, including the white-tailed deer. Their population has rebounded significantly, increasing from an estimated low of 25,000 in the 1930s to over one million by the 2010s. [134] [135] Native carnivorans found in Virginia include black bears, with an estimated population of five to six thousand statewide, [136] as well as bobcats, coyotes, both gray and red foxes, raccoons, weasels, and skunks. Rodent species include groundhogs, nutria, beavers, gray squirrels and fox squirrels, chipmunks, and Allegheny woodrats. The seventeen bat species found in the state include brown bats and the Virginia big-eared bat, which is designated as the state mammal. [137] [135] The Virginia opossum is the sole marsupial native to both the United States and Canada. [138] The native Appalachian cottontail was recognized as a distinct rabbit species in 1992, one of three rabbit species found in the state. [139] Virginia's coastal waters host various whale, dolphin, and porpoise species, with bottlenose dolphins being the most frequently observed aquatic mammals. [135]

Osprey nesting platforms at False Cape State Park were designed to encourage their return to the area.

Virginia's avifauna comprises 422 documented species, of which 359 are regularly observed, and 214 have been recorded breeding in the state. The remaining species are primarily winter residents or transients. [140] Water birds found in Virginia include sandpipers, wood ducks, and the Virginia rail. Common inland species consist of warblers, woodpeckers, and cardinals, the latter being the state bird. Birds of prey include osprey, broad-winged hawks, and barred owls. There are no endemic bird species in Virginia. [140] Audubon designates 21 Important Bird Areas within the state. [142] Peregrine falcons, whose populations experienced a significant decline due to DDT poisoning in the mid-20th century, are the subject of conservation initiatives in the state, including a reintroduction program in Shenandoah National Park. [143]

Virginia's freshwater fish diversity includes 226 species from 25 families, attributed to the region's varied climate, topography, interconnected river systems, and absence of Pleistocene glaciers. Common species found in the Cumberland Plateau and higher-elevation areas include the Eastern blacknose dace, sculpin, smallmouth bass, redhorse sucker, Kanawha darter, and brook trout, the designated state fish. At lower elevations in the Piedmont, species such as the stripeback darter and Roanoke bass become more common, as do swampfish, bluespotted sunfish, and pirate perch in the Tidewater area. [144] The Chesapeake Bay supports populations of clams, oysters, and 350 species of saltwater and estuarine fish. Among these are the bay's most abundant finfish, the Bay anchovy, and the invasive blue catfish. [145] [146] As of 2025, an estimated 238 million Chesapeake blue crabs inhabit the bay. [147] Virginia is also home to 34 native species of crayfish, including the Big Sandy crayfish. [148] [113] Amphibians found in Virginia include the Cumberland Plateau salamander and Eastern hellbender, [149] while the northern watersnake is the most common of the 32 snake species present. [150]

Protected lands

• See also: List of Virginia state parks
• Oak trees release isoprene, contributing to the distinctive bluish haze observed in the Blue Ridge Mountains. [151]

As of 2019, approximately 16.2% of Virginia's land is under protection by federal, state, and local governments, as well as non-profit organizations. [152] Federal lands constitute the majority of protected areas, encompassing thirty units managed by the National Park Service, including Great Falls Park and sections of the Appalachian Trail, as well as one national park, Shenandoah. [153] Nearly forty percent of Shenandoah National Park's total area of 199,173 acres (806 km 2 ) has been designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. [154] The U.S. Forest Service oversees the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, which collectively span over 1.6 million acres (6,500 km 2 ) within Virginia's mountainous regions and extend into West Virginia and Kentucky. [155] The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge also extends into North Carolina, as does the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, marking the beginning of the Outer Banks. [156]

State agencies manage approximately one-third of the Commonwealth's protected lands. [152] The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation oversees more than 75,900 acres (307.2 km 2 ) across forty Virginia state parks and 65 Natural Area Preserves, in addition to three undeveloped parks. [157] [158] Breaks Interstate Park, which straddles the Kentucky border, is one of only two interstate parks in the United States. [159] Sustainable logging practices are permitted in 26 state forests managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry, covering a total of 71,972 acres (291.3 km 2 ). [160] Hunting is permitted in 44 Wildlife Management Areas operated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, encompassing over 205,000 acres (829.6 km 2 ). [161] While the Chesapeake Bay is not designated as a national park, it receives protection through both state and federal legislation, as well as the interstate Chesapeake Bay Program. [162]

Cities and towns

• See also: Political subdivisions of Virginia and Virginia statistical areas
• The population density of Virginia counties and cities as of 2020.

Virginia is comprised of 95 counties and 38 independent cities, which the U.S. Census Bureau classifies as county-equivalents. [163] This unique system of treating cities and counties as equivalent administrative units originated from the historical significance of Williamsburg and Norfolk during the colonial era. [164] Only three other independent cities exist elsewhere in the U.S. [165] The distinctions between counties and cities in Virginia are minor, pertaining primarily to their authority in assessing new taxes, the necessity of referendums for bond issuance, and the application of Dillon's Rule, which limits the powers of cities and counties to actions explicitly authorized by the General Assembly. [166] [167] Counties may also incorporate towns. While there are no further administrative subdivisions, the Census Bureau recognizes several hundred unincorporated communities.

Arlington County in Northern Virginia was formerly part of Washington, D.C..

Over three million people, constituting 35% of Virginia's population, reside in the twenty jurisdictions collectively defined as Northern Virginia. This region is part of the larger Washington metropolitan area and the Northeast megalopolis. [168] [169] Fairfax County, with a population exceeding 1.1 million, is Virginia's most populous jurisdiction [170] and features a major commercial and retail hub in Tysons, which serves as Virginia's largest office market. [171] Neighboring Prince William County, with over 450,000 residents, ranks as Virginia's second most populous county and is home to Marine Corps Base Quantico, the FBI Academy, and Manassas National Battlefield Park. Arlington County holds the distinction of being the smallest self-governing county in the U.S. by land area, [172] and local officials have proposed its reorganization as an independent city due to its high population density. [166] Loudoun County is recognized as the fastest-growing county in the state. [170] [173] In western Virginia, the city of Roanoke and Montgomery County, part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg metropolitan area, have both surpassed a population of 100,000 since 2018. [174]

Situated on the western edge of the Tidewater region is Virginia's capital, Richmond, with a city proper population of approximately 230,000 and a metropolitan area exceeding 1.3 million. On the eastern edge lies the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, encompassing over 1.7 million residents across six counties and nine cities, including the Commonwealth's three most populous independent cities: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk. [168] [175] The adjacent city of Suffolk, which includes a portion of the Great Dismal Swamp, is the largest city by area, covering 429.1 square miles (1,111 km 2 ). [176] One factor contributing to the concentration of independent cities in the Tidewater region is the trend of several rural counties re-incorporating as cities or consolidating with existing ones to retain control over newly developed suburban neighborhoods that experienced growth in the 1950s. Cities like Norfolk and Portsmouth were historically able to annex land from adjacent counties until a moratorium was imposed in 1987. [177] Other cities, such as Poquoson, pursued city status as a means to preserve racial segregation during the desegregation era of the 1970s. [178]

Largest Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas in Virginia
U.S. Census Bureau MSA Population Estimates 2023
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Demographics

• Main article: Demographics of Virginia

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	691,737		—
1800	807,557		16.7%
1810	877,683		8.7%
1820	938,261		6.9%
1830	1,044,054		11.3%
1840	1,025,227		−1.8%
1850	1,119,348		9.2%
1860	1,219,630		9.0%
1870	1,225,163		0.5%
1880	1,512,565		23.5%
1890	1,655,980		9.5%
1900	1,854,184		12.0%
1910	2,061,612		11.2%
1920	2,309,187		12.0%
1930	2,421,851		4.9%
1940	2,677,773		10.6%
1950	3,318,680		23.9%
1960	3,966,949		19.5%
1970	4,648,494		17.2%
1980	5,346,818		15.0%
1990	6,187,358		15.7%
2000	7,078,515		14.4%
2010	8,001,024		13.0%
2020	8,631,393		7.9%
2024 (est.)	8,811,195		2.1%

1790–2020,[179][180] 2024[3]

The 2020 census recorded Virginia's resident population at 8,631,393, representing a 7.9% increase since the 2010 census. An additional 23,149 Virginians reside overseas, bringing the state's total population to 8,654,542. Virginia ranks fourth among U.S. states for its overseas population, largely due to the presence of federal employees and military personnel. [181] As of 2020, Virginia's fertility rate was 55.8 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 44. [182] The median age in 2021 was 38.8 years, aligning with the national average. [175] The geographic center of population was located northwest of Richmond in Hanover County as of 2020. [183]

Although Virginia continues to experience natural population growth due to births exceeding deaths, the state has recorded a negative net migration rate since 2013. In 2021, 8,995 more individuals departed the state than arrived. This trend is largely attributed to the high cost of housing in Northern Virginia, [184] which is prompting residents to relocate southward, with Raleigh, North Carolina being a primary destination. [185] [186] Aside from Virginia, New York is the leading state of birth for Virginians, and the Northeast region accounts for the largest number of domestic migrants entering the state. [187] Approximately twelve percent of Virginia residents were foreign-born as of 2020. [188] El Salvador is the most common country of origin for foreign-born residents, followed by India, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. [188]

Race and ethnicity

The state's largest demographic group, non-Hispanic whites, has seen a proportional decrease from 76% in 1990 to 58.6% in 2020. [189] [190] Immigrants from Britain and Ireland settled throughout the Commonwealth during the colonial period, [191] with roughly three-fourths arriving as indentured servants. [192] The Appalachian Mountains and Shenandoah Valley feature numerous settlements established by German and Scotch-Irish immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries, often following the Great Wagon Road. [193] [194] Over ten percent of Virginians reported German ancestry in 2020. [195]

New citizens participate in a naturalization ceremony in Northern Virginia, where 25% of residents are foreign-born, nearly double the state average. [188]

The most significant minority group in Virginia is the Black or African American population, comprising approximately one-fifth of the state's inhabitants. [190] Virginia was a major hub for the Atlantic slave trade. The Igbo ethnic group, originating from what is now southern Nigeria, represented the largest African contingent among enslaved individuals in Virginia. [196] Furthermore, Black Virginians exhibit greater European ancestry compared to those in other Southern states. DNA analyses reveal asymmetrical male and female ancestry predating the Civil War, indicating European fathers and African or Native American mothers. [197] [198] While the Black population experienced a decline due to the Great Migration to northern industrial cities in the first half of the 20th century, a reverse migration of Black individuals returning to the South has been observed since 1965. [199] The Commonwealth records the highest rate of Black-white interracial marriages in the US, and 8.2% of Virginians identify as multiracial. [3]

Recent immigration since the late 20th century has led to the establishment of new Hispanic and Asian communities. As of 2020, 10.5% of Virginia's total population identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 8.8% identified as Asian. [3] The state's Hispanic population surged by 92% between 2000 and 2010, with two-thirds of this population residing in Northern Virginia. [201] Northern Virginia also hosts a substantial Vietnamese American population, with a major wave of immigration following the Vietnam War. [202] Korean Americans have immigrated more recently, [203] while approximately 45,000 Filipino Americans have settled in the Hampton Roads area. [204]

Governor Glenn Youngkin receives a ceremonial tribute from representatives of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes, a Thanksgiving tradition dating back to 1677. [205]

Tribal membership in Virginia is complicated by the legacy of the state's "pencil genocide," a policy enacted through the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 that intentionally categorized Native Americans and Black individuals together. Consequently, many tribal members possess African or European ancestry, or both. [206] In the 2020 U.S. Census, only 0.5% of Virginians identified exclusively as American Indian or [Alaska Native], although 2.1% reported this in combination with other ethnicities. [190] The state government has extended recognition to eleven tribes, and seven tribes also hold federal recognition. [207] [208] The Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes maintain reservations situated on tributaries of the York River in the Tidewater region. [209]

Largest race by county or city
Race and ethnicity (2020)
Alone
Total
Legend
Non-Hispanic White
30–39%
40–49%
50–59%
60–69%
70–79%
80–89%
90–99%
Black or African American
40–49%
50–59%
60–69%
70–79%
Hispanic or Latino
40–49%
Non-Hispanic White
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Asian
American Indian and Alaska Native
Other

Largest ancestry by county or city
Ancestry (2020 est.)
Total
American Community Survey five-year estimate
Irish or Scotch-Irish
German
English
American
Subsaharan African

Languages

A recording of a resident from Tangier Island, born in the late 1800s, demonstrates the island's distinctive accent.

According to U.S. Census data from 2022, 83% (6,805,548) of Virginia residents aged five and older speak English at home as their first language. Spanish is the second most common language, spoken in 7.5% (611,831) of Virginia households. This figure rises to 8.7% (120,560) among Virginians under the age of eighteen. Arabic ranks as the third most frequently spoken language, with approximately 0.8% of residents, followed by Chinese languages and Vietnamese, each spoken by over 0.7% of the population. Korean and Tagalog are spoken by just under 0.7% and 0.6% of residents, respectively. [210]

English was formally designated as the Commonwealth's official language through statutes enacted in 1981 and again in 1996, although this status is not constitutionally mandated. [211] While a more standardized American English is prevalent in urban areas, and the use of Southern accents has generally declined among individuals born since the 1960s, [212] a variety of distinct accents persist. [213] The Piedmont region is noted for its non-rhotic dialect, which has significantly influenced Southern American English. A 2014 study by BBC America identified it as one of the most recognizable accents in American English. [214] The Tidewater accent evolved from the speech patterns of the upper class in early colonial England, whereas the Appalachian accent reflects a stronger influence from the English spoken by Scottish and Irish immigrants of that era. [213] [215] However, Appalachian stereotypes have led some individuals from the region to adopt a less distinct English accent through code-switching. [216] The English spoken on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay, preserved by the island's isolation, retains numerous phrases and euphemisms unique to the location and exhibits elements of Early Modern English. [217] [218]

Religion

• See also: Religion in early Virginia

Religious Tradition (2023)
Unaffiliated (29.0%)
Protestantism (46.0%)
Catholicism (16.0%)
Jehovah's Witnesses (2.00%)
Judaism (2.00%)
Eastern Orthodoxy (1.00%)
Islam (1.00%)
Mormonism (1.00%)
Unitarian Universalism (1.00%)
Other (1.00%)

Virginia enshrined the principle of religious freedom through a statute in 1786. Although historically situated within America's Bible Belt, a 2023 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) estimated that 55% of Virginians seldom or never attend religious services, exceeding the national average of 53.2%. The survey also indicated an increase in the percentage of Virginians unaffiliated with any religious body, rising from 21% in 2013 to 29% in 2023. [219] The 2020 U.S. Religion Census, conducted by the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), similarly found that 55% of Virginians do not attend any of the state's 10,477 congregations. [220] Overall belief in God has also seen a decline across the South region, of which Virginia is a part, dropping from 93% of respondents in Gallup surveys conducted between 2013 and 2017 to 86% in 2022. [221]

In the 2020 ARDA census, Evangelical Protestants constituted the largest religious grouping among the 45% of Virginians affiliated with religious bodies, representing 20.3% of the state's population. Mainline Protestants accounted for 8.1%, and Black Protestants for 2%. Baptists, 84% of whom are categorized as Evangelical, comprised 9.4% of Virginians in that census. The primary divisions within the Baptist denomination are between the Baptist General Association of Virginia, established in 1823, and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, which separated in 1996. Other Protestant denominations with over one percent of Virginia's population include Pentecostalism (1.8%), Presbyterianism (1.3%), Anglicanism (1.2%), and Adventism (1%). [222] The 2023 PRRI survey estimated that 46% of Virginians identify as Protestants, with 14% each categorized as White Evangelical, White Mainline, and Black, although these figures include individuals who report no regular attendance at services. [219]

Since 1927, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia has hosted an annual nondenominational sunrise service on Easter Sunday. [223]

Catholics represented 10.3% of the population in the 2020 ARDA census, [222] and 16% in the 2023 PRRI survey, which further divided them into 9% White Catholic, 6% Hispanic Catholic, and 1% other. [219] Catholic churches in Virginia are organized under either the Diocese of Arlington or the Diocese of Richmond. Episcopal churches fall under the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, and the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. Adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constitute just over one percent of the population, with 210 congregations in Virginia as of 2024. [224] While Virginia's Jewish population is relatively small, organized Jewish sites date back to 1789 with the founding of Congregation Beth Ahabah. [225]

Fairfax County stands out as the state's most religiously diverse jurisdiction. [220] Fairfax Station is home to the Ekoji Buddhist Temple, affiliated with the Jōdo Shinshū school, and the Hindu Durga Temple of Virginia. The All Dulles Area Muslim Society, located on the county's border in Sterling, comprises eleven branches and is considered the second-largest Muslim mosque community in the country. [226] McLean Bible Church, with approximately 16,500 weekly attendees, ranks among the top 25 largest megachurches in the U.S. According to the 2020 ARDA census, 8.4% of Virginians attend nondenominational Christian churches similar to McLean Bible Church. [227] [222] In that same census, the metropolitan areas of Lynchburg and Roanoke reported the highest rates of religious adherence, while the state-college-dominated Blacksburg–Christiansburg and Charlottesville recorded the lowest. [222] Two prominent Christian universities, Liberty University and the University of Lynchburg, are based in Lynchburg, while Regent University is located in Virginia Beach.

Economy

• Main article: Economy of Virginia
• See also: Virginia locations by per capita income
• Counties and cities by median property tax paid in 2019.

Virginia's economy is sustained by a diverse range of sectors, including local and federal government, military operations, agriculture, and high-technology industries. In 2022, the state's average per capita income was $68,211, [228] and its [gross domestic product](/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_GDP) (GDP) reached$654.5 billion, placing both figures among the top 13 highest for U.S. states. [229] The COVID-19 recession led to a surge in jobless claims, exceeding 10% in early April 2020, [230] before returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. [231] As of March 2025, the unemployment rate stood at 3.2%, ranking as the 11th lowest nationwide. [232]

Virginia boasts a median household income of $89,931 as of 2023, [4] ranking 11th nationally. The state's poverty rate is 10.2$760,000, [235] 69.1% of Virginians own their homes as of 2023. [236] The Hampton Roads region reports the state's highest per capita number of homeless individuals, with 11 per 10,000 residents as of 2020. [237] Despite a lower Gini index indicating less income inequality than the national average, [238] Virginia's middle class is smaller relative to most other states. [239]

CNBC recognized Virginia as its 2024 Top State for Business, citing deductions primarily for the high costs associated with business and living. [240] Forbes magazine ranked it sixteenth for ease of starting a business. [241] However, Oxfam America ranked Virginia 26th overall in its 2024 assessment of states for workers, noting strengths in protections against sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, but weaknesses in laws governing organized labor and a low minimum wage for tipped employees ($2.13). [242] Virginia has maintained an [employment-at-will](/At-will_employment) policy since 1906 and a "[right to work](/Right-to-work_law)" status since 1947. [243] [244] Although the state minimum wage increased to$12 in 2023, farmworkers and tipped employees are specifically excluded from this increase. [245] [242]

Government agencies

The U.S. Department of Defense is headquartered in Arlington County at the Pentagon.

As of 2022, government agencies directly employ approximately 714,100 Virginians, constituting nearly 17% of the state's total workforce. [246] Virginia receives the second-largest share of U.S. federal procurement funds after [California], amounting to about 12% of all federal spending. [247] [248] In 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense employed 125,648 active-duty personnel, 25,404 reservists, and 99,832 civilians at the Pentagon or one of the state's 27 military bases, which collectively occupy 270,009 acres (1,092.69 km 2 ). [249] An additional 139,000 Virginians are employed by defense contracting firms, [250] which received $44.8 billion in contracts during the 2020 fiscal year. [249] Virginia has the second-highest concentration of veterans among U.S. states, with 9.7% of its population being veterans. The Hampton Roads area hosts the world's largest naval base and the only NATO installation on U.S. soil, Naval Station Norfolk. [251] [249]

Other significant federal agencies located in Northern Virginia include the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Bailey's Crossroads. Virginia's state government employs over 106,000 public servants, whose median income was $52,401 as of 2018. [252] The [Virginia Department of Transportation](/Virginia_Department_of_Transportation) and the [Virginia Department of Education](/Virginia_Department_of_Education) are the two largest state departments by expenditure. [253] K–12 teachers in Virginia earn an average annual salary of$59,970, which ranks as the thirteenth lowest in the U.S. when adjusted for the state's cost of living as of the 2021–22 school year. [254]

Business

Ocean tourism is a significant component of Virginia Beach's economy.

As of 2020, Virginia is home to 204,131 independent employers and 644,341 sole proprietorships. Among the 144,431 registered non-farm businesses in 2017, 59.4% were majority male-owned, 22% were majority female-owned, 19.6% were majority minority-owned, and 8.9% were veteran-owned. [3] As of 2024, twenty-four Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Virginia, with the largest firms by revenue including Freddie Mac, Boeing, RTX Corporation, Performance Food Group, and Capital One. [255] The two largest companies by employee count are Dollar Tree in Chesapeake and Hilton Worldwide Holdings in McLean. [256]

Virginia ranks third nationally in the concentration of technology workers and fifth in the overall number of tech workers as of 2020. [257] The 451,268 tech jobs in the state represent 11.1% of all employment and yield a median salary of $98,292. [257] A significant portion of these jobs are located in Northern Virginia, which hosts numerous software, communications, and cybersecurity companies, particularly within the Dulles Technology Corridor and Tysons areas. In 2018, Amazon selected Crystal City for its HQ2, and Google expanded its Reston offices in 2019.

Northern Virginia emerged as the world's largest data center market in 2016, encompassing over 47.7 million square feet (4.43 km 2 ) as of 2023. [258] Much of this development is concentrated in Loudoun County, which has branded itself as "Data Center Alley." [259] [260] Data centers in Virginia handle approximately one-third of all internet traffic, directly employing 13,500 Virginians in 2023 and supporting a total of 45,000 jobs. [261] Virginia recorded the second-fastest average internet speed among U.S. states that year and ranked ninth for household broadband access at 93.6%. [262] [263] Computer chips became the state's highest-grossing export in 2006, [264] with an estimated export value of $740 million in 2022. [265] While ranking in the top quartile for diversity based on the Simpson index, only 26% of Virginia's tech employees are women, and 13% are Black or African American. [257]

Tourist spending in Virginia reached a record $33.3 billion in 2023, marking a 10% increase from the previous year and supporting an estimated 224,000 jobs, an increase of 13,000. [266] In 2022, the state ranked as the eighth most visited in the U.S. [267] That year, Virginia welcomed 745,000 international visitors, with 41% originating from Canada. [268]

Agriculture

Rockingham County in the Shenandoah Valley accounts for twenty percent of Virginia's agricultural sales as of 2017, with the valley region as a whole being the state's most productive agricultural area. [269]

As of 2021, agriculture occupies 30% of Virginia's land, encompassing 7.7 million acres (12,031 sq mi; 31,161 km 2 ) of farmland. Nearly 54,000 Virginians are employed on the state's 41,500 farms, which average 186 acres (0.29 sq mi; 0.75 km 2 ). Although agriculture has experienced a substantial decline since 1960, when the number of farms was twice as high, it remains Virginia's largest industry, generating over 490,000 jobs. [270] Soybeans were the most profitable single crop in Virginia in 2022, [271] although the ongoing trade war with China has prompted many Virginia farmers to shift to cotton cultivation. [272] Other leading agricultural products include corn, cut flowers, and tobacco, with Virginia ranking third nationally in tobacco production. [270] [271]

Virginia ranks as the country's third-largest producer of seafood as of 2021. [273] The primary seafood harvests by value include sea scallops, oysters, Chesapeake blue crabs, menhaden, and hardshell clams. Top export destinations for Virginia seafood are France, Canada, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Commercial fishing supports 18,220 jobs as of 2020, while recreational fishing contributes another 5,893 jobs. [274] The population of eastern oysters experienced a collapse in the 1980s due to pollution and overharvesting but has shown a gradual recovery. The 2022–2023 season recorded the largest oyster harvest in 35 years, yielding approximately 700,000 U.S. bushels (25,000 kL). [275] A mild winter and dry summer resulted in one of the best wine harvests in recent years for vineyards in the Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains, areas that also attract 2.6 million tourists annually. [276] [277] Virginia ranks seventh nationally with 388 wineries producing 1.1 million cases annually as of 2024. [278] Virginia breweries produced 460,315 barrels (54,017 kl) of craft beer in 2022, placing it 15th among U.S. states. [279]

Taxes

Counties and cities by median property tax paid in 2019.

State income tax is levied on individuals whose incomes exceed a specified filing threshold. Virginia employs a progressive tax system with five income brackets, with tax rates ranging from 2.0% to 5.75% of taxable income. [280] [281] The state sales and use tax rate is 4.3%, supplemented by an additional 1% local tax, resulting in a combined sales tax rate of 5.3% on most transactions. Three specific regions are subject to a higher sales tax: 6% in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, and 7% in the Historic Triangle. [282] Unlike most states, Virginia imposes a 1% sales tax on groceries, [283] which was reduced from 2.5% in January 2023, with the scope of this lower tax rate expanded to include essential personal hygiene products. [282] [284]

Property tax rates in Virginia are determined and collected at the local government level and vary across the Commonwealth. Real estate is also subject to local taxation. [285] As of 2021, the statewide median real estate tax rate was $0.96 per$100 of assessed taxable value. However, for 72 of the 95 counties, this rate was below $0.80 per$100. Northern Virginia exhibits the highest property taxes in the state, with Manassas Park having the highest effective tax rate at $1.31 per$100, while Powhatan and Lunenburg counties share the lowest rate at $0.30. [286] Of the total local government tax revenue, approximately 61% is generated from real property taxes, with tangible personal property, sales and use, and business license taxes contributing 24%. The remaining 15% derives from taxes on hotels, restaurant meals, public service corporation property, and consumer utilities. [285]

Culture

• Main article: Culture of Virginia
• Colonial Virginian culture, language, and aesthetics are recreated in Colonial Williamsburg.

Modern Virginian culture draws from numerous sources and is recognized as part of the broader culture of the Southern United States. [287] The Smithsonian Institution delineates Virginia into nine distinct cultural regions. [288]

Beyond the general cuisine of the Southern United States, Virginians maintain unique culinary traditions. Virginia wine is produced across various regions of the Commonwealth. [277] [Smithfield ham], often referred to as "Virginia ham," is a specific type of country ham that is legally protected by state law and can only be produced in the town of Smithfield, Virginia. [289] Virginia furniture and architectural styles are characteristic of American colonial architecture. Thomas Jefferson and many of Virginia's early leaders favored the Neoclassical architecture style, influencing its adoption for prominent state buildings. Elements of Pennsylvania Dutch culture and architectural style are also present in certain areas of the Commonwealth. [193]

Virginia's literary landscape frequently explores the Commonwealth's historical narrative. The works of Pulitzer Prize recipient Ellen Glasgow often examined social inequalities and the societal role of women in her cultural context. [290] James Branch Cabell extensively documented the evolving position of the gentry during the Reconstruction era, challenging its moral codes through works like Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice. [291] [William Styron] (/William_Styron) delved into historical themes in novels such as The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice. [292] Tom Wolfe has occasionally addressed his Southern heritage in best-selling novels like I Am Charlotte Simmons. [293] Matt Bondurant garnered critical acclaim for his historical novel [The Wettest County in the World], which depicted moonshiners in Franklin County, Virginia during Prohibition. [294] Virginia also designates a Poet Laureate of Virginia. [295]

Fine and performing arts

• See also: Music of Virginia
• The Steel Wheels, an Americana roots folk rock band, performs at Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville in February 2019.

Virginia ranks near the national average in public spending on the arts as of 2021, at just over half of the national average. [296] The state government supports several cultural institutions, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum of Virginia. Other notable museums include the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum and the Chrysler Museum of Art. [297] In addition to these institutions, Virginia hosts numerous open-air museums and living history sites, such as Colonial Williamsburg, the Frontier Culture Museum, and various historic battlefields. [298] The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is dedicated to enhancing the Commonwealth's civic, cultural, and intellectual landscape. [299]

The Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Virginia is the home venue for the Virginia Opera. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra performs throughout the Hampton Roads area. [300] Resident and touring theater companies operate out of the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. [301] The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, designated as the State Theatre of Virginia, received the first Regional Theatre Tony Award in 1948. The Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia was honored with the award in 2009. Additionally, Theatre IV, the second-largest touring troupe in the nation, serves as Virginia's Children's Theater. [302] Notable music performance venues include The Birchmere, the Landmark Theater, and Jiffy Lube Live. [303] [Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts], located in Vienna, Virginia, is the only national park designated for performing arts activities. [304]

Virginia is renowned for its contributions to old-time string and bluegrass genres, with influential groups such as the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers achieving national recognition in the 1940s. [305] The state's African American musical heritage is represented through gospel, blues, and shout bands. Both Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey hailed from Newport News, Virginia. [306] Contemporary Virginia artists have also gained prominence, including folk rock musicians like Dave Matthews and Jason Mraz; R&B artists such as Chris Brown, D'Angelo, and Kali Uchis; hip hop stars like Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Pusha T; and thrash metal bands including GWAR and Lamb of God. [307] Several members of the country music band Old Dominion grew up in the Roanoke area and adopted their band name from Virginia's state nickname. [308]

Festivals

The annual Pony Penning event features over 200 Chincoteague ponies swimming across the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague, Virginia. [309]

Numerous counties and localities across Virginia host county fairs and festivals. The Virginia State Fair takes place annually in September at the Meadow Event Park. Also in September, the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia celebrates the city, its waterfront, and regional artists. Norfolk's Harborfest, held in June, showcases boat races and air shows. Fairfax County sponsors "Celebrate Fairfax!", featuring popular and traditional music performances. [311] The Virginia Lake Festival is held in July in Clarksville, Virginia. [312] The island of Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore of Virginia hosts the annual Pony Penning event for feral Chincoteague ponies, which has expanded into a week-long carnival. [309] Every Thanksgiving in Richmond, Virginia, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes present Virginia's governor with a ceremonial tribute of deer, honoring colonial treaties. [205]

The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a two-week event held annually in Winchester, Virginia, featuring parades and bluegrass concerts. The Old Time Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, Virginia, established in 1935, is recognized as one of the oldest and largest such events globally. Wolf Trap hosts the Wolf Trap Opera Company, which presents an opera festival each summer. [304] The Blue Ridge Rock Festival, initiated in 2017, has attracted up to 33,000 attendees to the Blue Ridge Amphitheater in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. [313] Two prominent film festivals, the Virginia Film Festival and the [VCU French Film Festival], are held annually in Charlottesville, Virginia and Richmond, respectively. [314]

Law and government

• Main article: Government of Virginia
• The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia, designed by Thomas Jefferson and Charles-Louis Clérisseau, houses the Virginia General Assembly.

The first meeting of the Virginia General Assembly occurred in 1619, establishing Virginia's legislature as the oldest of its kind in North America. [315] The current governmental framework operates under the seventh Constitution of Virginia, approved by voters in 1970 and effective from July 1971. [78] This constitution mirrors the federal structure by establishing three branches of government: a robust legislature, an executive branch, and a unified judicial system. [316]

Virginia's legislature is bicameral, consisting of a 100-member House of Delegates and a 40-member Senate. These bodies collaboratively draft legislation for the Commonwealth. Delegates serve two-year terms, while senators serve four-year terms. The most recent elections for the House were held in November 2023, and for the Senate in November 2025. The executive branch comprises the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, all elected to four-year terms in separate elections. The most recent elections for these offices occurred in November 2025. Governors are constitutionally prohibited from seeking immediate re-election but may serve non-consecutive terms. [317] The Lieutenant Governor serves as the official president of the Senate, casting tie-breaking votes. The House elects a Speaker of the House, and the Senate elects a President pro tempore to preside in the Lieutenant Governor's absence. Both chambers also elect their respective clerks and majority and minority leaders. [318] The Governor appoints 16 cabinet members and heads of various state departments. [319]

The legislature convenes for regular sessions on the second Wednesday of each year. Sessions last up to 48 days in odd-numbered years (election years) or 60 days in even-numbered years, allowing for the consideration of biennial state budgets proposed by the governor. [318] [320] Following the conclusion of regular sessions, special sessions can be convened either by the governor or with the agreement of two-thirds of both legislative houses. Since 2000, 21 special sessions have been called, typically to address pre-determined legislative agendas. [321] Although not a full-time legislature, the General Assembly is considered hybrid due to the absence of constitutional limits on special session durations, which often extend for several months. [322] A one-day "veto session" is automatically convened when the governor chooses to veto legislation or return bills with amendments. Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. [323] Bills that pass with a two-thirds majority can become law without the governor's signature. [324] Virginia does not have a "pocket veto"; bills automatically become law if the governor neither approves nor vetoes them. [325]

Legal system

Unlike the federal judiciary system, justices of the Virginia Supreme Court are subject to term limits, a mandatory retirement age, and select their own Chief Justice.

Virginia's judicial system, the oldest in the United States, comprises judges and justices who are elected by a majority vote in both the House and the Senate, without gubernatorial input—a mechanism that underscores the legislature's significant authority over the judiciary. The governor can make recess appointments, and when both branches are controlled by the same party, the assembly often confirms these appointments. The judicial hierarchy begins with the General District Courts and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts, followed by the Circuit Courts, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and culminating with the Supreme Court of Virginia at the apex. [326] The Supreme Court consists of seven justices who serve 12-year terms and must retire at age 73. They elect their own chief justice, whose tenure is informally limited to two four-year terms. [327] Virginia was the last state to guarantee an automatic right of appeal in all civil and criminal cases. In 2021, the number of judges on the Court of Appeals increased from 11 to 17. [328] [329]

The Code of Virginia codifies the statutory law enacted by the General Assembly. The Virginia State Police is the largest law enforcement agency in Virginia, comprising 3,035 sworn and civilian members as of 2019. [330] The Virginia Marine Police, originally established as the "Oyster Navy" in 1864, was formed in response to widespread oyster bed poaching. [331] The Virginia Division of Capitol Police provides security for the legislature and executive branch and is recognized as the oldest police department in the United States, tracing its origins to the guards who protected colonial leadership. [332] The governor can also mobilize the Virginia National Guard, which includes approximately 7,200 army soldiers, 1,200 airmen, 300 Defense Force members, and 400 civilians. [333]

Between 1608 and 2021, when the death penalty was abolished, Virginia executed over 1,300 individuals, including 113 following the resumption of capital punishment in 1982. [List of people executed in Virginia] [334] As of 2018, Virginia's prison system incarcerates 30,936 individuals, 53% of whom are Black. [335] The state has the sixteenth-highest incarceration rate in the country, at 422 per 100,000 residents. [336] Prisoner parole was eliminated in 1995. [337] Virginia's recidivism rate for released felons reconvicted within three years and sentenced to a year or more stands at 23.1%, the lowest in the nation as of 2019. [338] [339] Virginia reports the fourth-lowest violent crime rate and the thirteenth-lowest property crime rate as of 2018. [340] Between 2008 and 2017, arrests for drug-related offenses increased by 38%, with 71% of these related to marijuana. [341] Virginia decriminalized marijuana in July 2020 and legalized it in July 2021. [342] [343]

Politics

• Main article: Politics of Virginia
• Reflecting Virginia's political evolution, the annual Shad Planking event in Wakefield, Virginia has transformed from a remnant of the Byrd era into a regular stop for numerous state political campaigns. [344]

Over the past century, Virginia has transitioned politically from a predominantly rural, conservative state aligned with the Solid South to a more urbanized, pluralistic, and politically moderate entity. This shift is attributed to increased voter enfranchisement and evolving demographics that have reshaped the electorate. Until the 1970s, Virginia operated as a racially segregated one-party state dominated by the Byrd Organization. [345] This organization actively sought to counter the political influence of Northern Virginia, uphold segregation, and successfully implemented measures that restricted voter registration, resulting in voter turnout consistently below ten percent between 1905 and 1948. [346] [347] The organization employed malapportionment to manipulate representation in the General Assembly and the U.S. Congress until court orders mandated the end of this practice following the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Davis v. Mann and the 1965 Virginia Supreme Court ruling in Wilkins v. Davis, respectively. [348]

The enforcement of federal civil rights legislation enacted in the mid-1960s was instrumental in dismantling the state's Jim Crow laws, which had effectively disenfranchised African Americans. [349] The Voting Rights Act of 1965 required Virginia, along with eight other states, to obtain federal approval for changes to voting laws, a preclearance requirement that was invalidated by the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. [350] In 2021, Virginia enacted the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, mandating preclearance from the state Attorney General for local election modifications that could potentially lead to disenfranchisement, such as the closure or relocation of polling sites. [351] Although many Jim Crow-era provisions were removed from Virginia's 1971 constitution, the lifetime ban on voting for felony convictions remained in place. By 2016, an estimated twenty percent of African Americans in Virginia faced disenfranchisement due to prior felony convictions. [352] In that year, Governor Terry McAuliffe rescinded the lifetime ban and individually restored voting rights to over 200,000 former felons. [346] Virginia improved its ranking from the second most difficult state to vote in (2016) to the twelfth easiest (2020). [353]

While urban centers and expanding suburban areas, notably Northern Virginia, now constitute the Democratic Party base, rural southern and western regions increasingly shifted their support to the Republican Party starting around 1970, influenced by the latter's "Southern strategy". [354] [355] Nevertheless, Democratic support persists in union-influenced areas like Roanoke, university towns such as Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and the southeastern Black Belt Region. [356] African Americans represent the most consistent bloc of Democratic voters, [349] and educational attainment and gender have also emerged as significant indicators of political alignment, with a majority of women in Virginia supporting Democratic presidential candidates since 1980. [357] The influx of international immigrants and domestic migrants to Virginia has increased the proportion of eligible voters born outside the state from 44% in 1980 to 55% in 2019. [358]

State elections

• See also: Elections in Virginia and Political party strength in Virginia

2023 Virginia House of Delegates election	2023 Virginia Senate election
Republican hold	Republican hold
Democratic hold	Democratic hold
Republican gain	Republican gain
Democratic gain	Democratic gain

Due to Virginia's post-Civil War constitution, adopted in 1870, state elections are held in odd-numbered years. Executive branch elections take place in years following U.S. presidential elections, while State Senate elections occur in the years preceding presidential elections. [359] House of Delegates elections are synchronized with these presidential election cycles. National political trends often influence state election outcomes, with Virginia historically electing governors from the party opposite the incumbent U.S. president in eleven of the last twelve contests, with the exception of Terry McAuliffe in 2013. [360] [361]

The 2017 state elections saw Democrats secure all three executive offices, with Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam winning the race for governor. In concurrent House of Delegates elections, Democrats gained fifteen seats previously held by Republicans, overturning a sixteen-seat Republican majority. [362] Control of the House was decided by a tied election in the 94th district, ultimately won by the Republican candidate through a lottery drawing, granting the party a narrow 51–49 majority for the 2018–19 legislative sessions. [363] At this time, Virginia's state legislature was ranked as the most gerrymandered in the U.S., with Republicans holding the House majority despite securing only 44.5% of the total vote. [364] In 2019, federal courts determined that the lines for eleven House districts, including the 94th, were unconstitutionally drawn to discriminate against African Americans. [365] [366] Following adjustments to district boundaries, the 2019 elections resulted in Democrats achieving full control of the General Assembly, despite a political crisis earlier that year. [367] [368] In 2020, voters approved a referendum transferring the responsibility for drawing both state and congressional districts from the legislature to an eight-member commission composed of citizens and four legislators from each of the two major parties. [369]

In 2021, Glenn Youngkin became the first Republican to win the governor's race since 2009. [2021_Virginia_gubernatorial_election] His party also secured victories in the lieutenant governor and attorney general races and gained seven seats in the House of Delegates. [371] [372] Two years later, revised legislative maps, drawn by special masters appointed by the state supreme court, led to nine retirements in the state senate and 25 House delegates opting not to seek re-election. In those elections, Democrats secured a narrow majority of one seat in both the Senate and the House. [373]

Federal elections

• See also: United States presidential elections in Virginia
• 2024 U.S. presidential election results by county in Virginia.
  • Democratic
  • Republican
• U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both former governors, meet with students on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Although Virginia was considered a "swing state" in the 2008 presidential election, [374] Virginia's thirteen electoral votes were carried by Democratic candidates in that election and the four subsequent presidential elections, suggesting a shift towards reliably Democratic presidential voting. Virginia was the only former Confederate state to vote for Democratic presidential candidates in the 2016 and 2024 elections. Previously, Virginia had voted for Republican presidential candidates in thirteen out of fourteen presidential elections from 1952 to 2004, including ten consecutive elections from 1968 to 2004. [375] Virginia currently holds its presidential open primary on Super Tuesday, concurrently with fourteen other states. The most recent primary was held on March 5, 2024. [376]

Virginia's two U.S. senators belong to classes 1 and 2. Virginia has held eleven U.S. House of Representatives seats since 1993. The majority party in the delegation has shifted four times since then, often coinciding with "wave elections". Currently, six representatives are Democrats and five are Republicans. [377]

Education

• Main article: Education in Virginia
• Middle school students in Albemarle County, Virginia participate in an engineering program in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.

Virginia's educational system consistently ranks among the top five states in the U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress, with Virginia students outperforming the national average in all tested subject areas and grade levels. [378] As of the 2022–23 school year, Virginia's K–7 schools maintained a student–teacher ratio of 12.41:1, and 12.52:1 for grades 8–12. [379] All school divisions are required to adhere to educational standards established by the Virginia Department of Education, which oversees