List of cities and counties in Virginia
List of independent cities

List of cities and counties in Virginia

Section Title: List of independent cities
Table Section Text: None

City	FIPS code	Seat	Established	Origin	Etymology	Population	Area	Map

Alexandria	510	N/A	1902	From Alexandria County before 1870	Phillip & John Alexander, brothers and area plantation owners	147,391	15 sq mi (39 km2)	State map highlighting Alexandria

Bristol	520	N/A	1902	From Washington County in 1890	Bristol, England	17,367	12 sq mi (31 km2)	State map highlighting Bristol

Buena Vista	530	N/A	1902	From Rockbridge County in 1892	from the Buena Vista Company, which founded an iron mine in the area and established the town for its laborers	6,349	7 sq mi (18 km2)	State map highlighting Buena Vista

Charlottesville	540	N/A	1902	From Albemarle County in 1888	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III	45,049	10 sq mi (26 km2)	State map highlighting Charlottesville

Chesapeake	550	N/A	1963	Formed out of consolidation of Norfolk County (extinct) and City of South Norfolk (extinct)	Chesapeake tribe	222,209	341 sq mi (883 km2)	State map highlighting Chesapeake

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	16,897	8 sq mi (21 km2)	State map highlighting Colonial Heights

Covington	580	N/A	1952	From Alleghany County	Leonard Covington, hero of the Siege of Fort Recovery and Congressman from Maryland	6,303	4 sq mi (10 km2)	State map highlighting Covington

Danville	590	N/A	1902	From Pittsylvania County before 1870	Dan River	48,411	43 sq mi (111 km2)	State map highlighting Danville

Emporia	595	N/A	1967	From Greensville County	Emporia, Kansas	5,665	7 sq mi (18 km2)	State map highlighting Emporia

Fairfax	600	N/A	1961	From Fairfax County	Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, only British noble resident in colonial Virginia	21,498	6 sq mi (16 km2)	State map highlighting Fairfax

Falls Church	610	N/A	1948	From Fairfax County	The Falls Church	12,332	2.1 sq mi (5 km2)	State map highlighting Falls Church

Franklin	620	N/A	1961	From Southampton County	Benjamin Franklin, publisher, scholar, orator, and U.S. Founding Father	8,346	8 sq mi (21 km2)	State map highlighting Franklin

Fredericksburg	630	N/A	1902	From Spotsylvania County before 1870	Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George II	24,286	10 sq mi (26 km2)	State map highlighting Fredericksburg

Galax	640	N/A	1952	From Grayson County and Carroll County	the galax shrub	6,837	8 sq mi (21 km2)	State map highlighting Galax

Hampton	650	N/A	1908	Founded 1610. Current city formed by consolidation of Elizabeth City County and City of Hampton in 1952	Disputed; either Southampton, England or Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, one of the founders of the Virginia Company	146,437	52 sq mi (135 km2)	State map highlighting Hampton

Harrisonburg	660	N/A	1916	From Rockingham County in 1916	Thomas Harrison, pioneering settler and town founder	40,468	18 sq mi (47 km2)	State map highlighting Harrisonburg

Hopewell	670	N/A	1916	From Prince George County in 1916	The Hopewell, a ship that carried some of the early English settlers to Virginia	22,354	10 sq mi (26 km2)	State map highlighting Hopewell

Lexington	678	N/A	1966	From Rockbridge County	Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington	6,867	2.5 sq mi (6 km2)	State map highlighting Lexington

Lynchburg	680	N/A	1902	From Campbell County before 1870	John Lynch, ferry operator and constructor of the first bridge across the James River in the area	65,269	49 sq mi (127 km2)	State map highlighting Lynchburg

Manassas	683	N/A	1975	From Prince William County	Manassas Gap Railroad	40,605	10 sq mi (26 km2)	State map highlighting Manassas

Manassas Park	685	N/A	1975	From Prince William County	Manassas Gap Railroad and Manassas National Battlefield Park	14,273	2.5 sq mi (6 km2)	State map highlighting Manassas Park

Martinsville	690	N/A	1928	From Henry County	Joseph Martin, Revolutionary War general	15,416	11 sq mi (28 km2)	State map highlighting Martinsville

Newport News	700	N/A	1902	From Warwick County in 1896	Captain Christopher Newport, English privateer	180,726	68 sq mi (176 km2)	State map highlighting Newport News

Norfolk	710	N/A	1845	Founded 1682. Incorporated as City in 1845 from Norfolk County (extinct)	Norfolk, England	245,782	54 sq mi (140 km2)	State map highlighting Norfolk

Norton	720	N/A	1954	From Wise County	Eckstein Norton, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad	3,904	7 sq mi (18 km2)	State map highlighting Norton

Petersburg	730	N/A	1902	From Prince George County before 1870	Peter Jones, early settler and merchant	33,740	23 sq mi (60 km2)	State map highlighting Petersburg

Poquoson	735	N/A	1975	From York County	An Algonquin term roughly translating to "great marsh" or "flat land"	11,566	16 sq mi (41 km2)	State map highlighting Poquoson

Portsmouth	740	N/A	1858	Founded 1752. Incorporated as City in 1858 from Norfolk County (extinct)	Portsmouth, England	96,470	33 sq mi (85 km2)	State map highlighting Portsmouth

Radford	750	N/A	1902	From Montgomery County in 1892	Dr. John Blair Radford, owner of a plantation that included that town's lands	15,859	10 sq mi (26 km2)	State map highlighting Radford

Richmond	760	N/A	1902	From Henrico County before 1870	Richmond, Surrey, England	210,309	60 sq mi (155 km2)	State map highlighting Richmond

Roanoke	770	N/A	1902	From Roanoke County in 1884	Roanoke River	94,911	43 sq mi (111 km2)	State map highlighting Roanoke

Salem	775	N/A	1968	From Roanoke County	After Salem, New Jersey, home of town founder William Bryan	24,747	15 sq mi (39 km2)	State map highlighting Salem

Staunton	790	N/A	1902	From Augusta County before 1870	Lady Rebecca Staunton, wife of colonial Lieutenant Governor William Gooch	23,853	20 sq mi (52 km2)	State map highlighting Staunton

Suffolk	800	N/A	1910	Founded 1742. Incorporated as City in 1910 from Nansemond County (extinct)	Suffolk, England	63,677	400 sq mi (1,036 km2)	State map highlighting Suffolk

Virginia Beach	810	N/A	1963	Founded 1906 around existing community of Seatack. Incorporated as City in 1963 from Princess Anne County (extinct)	The city's coastal location	447,021	248 sq mi (642 km2)	State map highlighting Virginia Beach

Waynesboro	820	N/A	1948	From Augusta County	Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general	19,520	14 sq mi (36 km2)	State map highlighting Waynesboro

Williamsburg	830	N/A	1902	From James City County	William III of England	14,068	9 sq mi (23 km2)	State map highlighting Williamsburg

Winchester	840	N/A	1902	From Frederick County in 1874	Winchester, England	23,585	9 sq mi (23 km2)	State map highlighting Winchester

Sentence(s)

Virginia Beach, Virginia is the most populous city in Virginia.

final_sentence: Virginia Beach, Virginia is the most populous city in Virginia.