Virginia

**Virginia**, officially the **Commonwealth of Virginia**, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state's capital is Richmond and the largest city is Virginia Beach. Virginia borders eight states including Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.

Virginia is the 35th-largest by area and the 12th-most populated state and as of 2025, the state's population is around 8.8 million.

## History

Native Americans were the first people to settle in Virginia.

Virginia became a state in 1788 after the American Revolution. Before it became a state of the United States, Virginia was one of the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. Virginia was founded (started) in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.

The state of West Virginia was part of Virginia until the American Civil War.  Virginia then left (seceded from) the United States and joined the Confederate States of America.  The western counties of Virginia seceded from Virginia to form a new state which was loyal to the Union.  After the end of the Civil War, Virginia became part of the United States again in 1870, but the counties that had left to start West Virginia did not join Virginia again.

Virginia is the state where eight United States presidents were born. This is more than any other state.

The first African-American slaves were sent to Virginia.

## Economy

Virginia has many industries like local and national government, military, farming, technology and business. Many Virginians work for the government because it is next to Washington, D.C.. The Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, as well as the National Science Foundation are in Northern Virginia.  Farming is the largest industry in the state, making 334,000 jobs. Tomatoes, peanuts, tobacco, and hay are grown in Virginia. Technology is a fast growing industry. Virginia is 4th in technology workers after California, Texas, and New York.

## Related pages

- Colleges and universities in Virginia
- List of counties in Virginia

## Other websites

- Virginia at Citizendium

## Infobox (u.s. state)

- **official name**: Commonwealth of Virginia
- **image flag**: Flag of Virginia.svg
- **name**: Virginia
- **anthem**: "Our Great Virginia"<div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;"></div>
- **flag alt**: Navy blue flag with the circular Seal of Virginia centered on it.
- **image seal**: Seal of Virginia.svg
- **seal alt**: A circular seal with the words "Virginia" on the top and "Sic Semper Tyrannis" on the bottom. In the center, a woman wearing a blue toga and Athenian helmet stands on the chest of dead man wearing a purple breastplate and skirt. The woman holds a spear and sheathed sword. The man holds a broken chain while his crown lies away from the figures. Orange leaves encircle the seal.
- **flag link**: Flag of Virginia
- **seal link**: Seal of Virginia
- **nicknames**: Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents
- **motto**:

- **image map**: Virginia in United States.svg
- **map alt**: Virginia is located on the Atlantic coast along the line that divides the northern and southern halves of the United States. It runs mostly east to west. It includes a small peninsula across a bay which is discontinuous with the rest of the state.
- **officiallang**: English
- **population demonym**: Virginian
- **seat**: Richmond, Virginia, Richmond
- **largestcity**: Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach
- **largestcounty**: Fairfax County, Virginia, Fairfax
- **largestmetro**: Washington metropolitan area, Washington (metro and urban)
- **area rank**: 35th
- **area total sq mi**: 42,774.2
- **area total km2**: 110,785.67
- **width mi**: 200
- **width km**: 320
- **length mi**: 430
- **length km**: 690
- **area water percent**: 7.4
- **latitude**: 36° 32′ N to 39° 28′ N
- **longitude**: 75° 15′ W to 83° 41′ W
- **population rank**: 12th
- **population as of**: 2024
- **2010pop**: 8,811,195
- **medianhouseholdincome**: $ (2<span>0</span>23)
- **2000densityus**: 219.3
- **2000density**: 84.7
- **population density rank**: 15th
- **incomerank**: List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income, 11th
- **elevation max point**: Mount Rogers (Virginia), Mount Rogers
- **elevation max ft**: 5,729
- **elevation max m**: 1746
- **elevation ft**: 950
- **elevation m**: 290
- **elevation min point**: Atlantic Ocean
- **elevation min m**: 0
- **elevation min ft**: 0
- **former**: Colony of Virginia
- **admittancedate**: June 25, 1788
- **admittanceorder**: 10th
- **legislature**: Virginia General Assembly, General Assembly
- **upperhouse**: Senate of Virginia, Senate
- **lowerhouse**: Virginia House of Delegates, House of Delegates
- **judiciary**: Supreme Court of Virginia
- **representative**: 6 Democrats
5 Republicans
- **timezone1**: Eastern Time Zone, Eastern
- **utc offset1**: −05:00
- **timezone1 dst**: Eastern Daylight Time, EDT
- **utc offset1 dst**: −04:00
- **iso code**: US-VA
- **postal code**: VA
- **tradabbreviation**: Va.
- **website**: virginia.gov


## Infobox (u.s. state symbols)

- **flag**: Flag of Virginia.svg
- **seal**: Seal of Virginia.svg
- **coat of arms**: Virginia state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg
- **name**: Virginia
- **bird**: Cardinal (bird), Cardinal (_Cardinalis cardinalis_)
- **butterfly**: Eastern tiger swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (_Papilio glaucus_)
- **dog breed**: American Foxhound (_Canis lupis familiaris_)
- **fish**: Brook trout, striped bass
- **flower**: Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood
- **insect**: Eastern tiger swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (_Papilio glaucus_)
- **tree**: Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood
- **beverage**: Milk
- **dance**: Square dance
- **fossil**: Chesapecten jeffersonius
- **rock**: Nelsonite
- **shell**: Eastern oyster
- **slogan**: _Virginia is for lovers_
- **tartan**: Virginia Quadcentennial Tartan
- **route marker**: Virginia 5.svg
- **quarter**: 2000 VA Proof.png
- **quarterreleasedate**: 2000
- **collapsed state**: collapsed