Virginia is the only state with independent cities. Independent cities are politically and administratively separate from the county or counties in which they are geographically located. Independent cities operate their own court system. As of 1987, there were forty-one independent cities in Virginia; since population determines city status, more than half were incorporated after 1904. Many Virginia counties have been absorbed by independent cities.
Cities
City of Alexandria, PO Box 178,
301 King Street,
Alexandria, VA 22313;
(703) 838-4550
Alexandria, in Fairfax and Arlington counties, was named for John Alexander, an early owner of the tract on the which the town was located. Alexandria was established in 1749. Its site had been known as Hunting Creek Warehouse and as Bellhaven. Alexandria was incorporated as a town in 1779 and in 1789, Alexandria was ceded to the District of Columbia. Formally accepted by Congress in 1801, Alexandria remained under a part of the District until 1847 when it reverted to Virginia. In 1852 Alexandria was incorporatedas a city. The population is 128,283 according to the 2000 census.
Dorothy Starr Civil War Research Library, Fort Ward Museum,
4301 West Braddock Road
Alexandria, VA 22304-1008,
(703) 838-4848
City of Bedford
Bedford, in Bedford County, originally was known as Liberty. It became the county seat in 1782, when the court was moved there from New London. Liberty was incorporated as a town in 1839. Its name was changed to Bedford City in 1890 and to Bedford in 1912. Bedford was incorporated as a city by court order in 1969. The population is 6,299 according to the 2000 census.
City of Bristol, 497 Cumberland St.,
Bristol, VA 24201; Telephone: (540) 466-2221
Bristol, on the Tennessee-Virginia border in Washington County, originally was called Goodson, for Samuel Goodson, its founder. Goodson was established in 1850 and incorporated as a town in 1856. In 1852 the town of Bristol, Tennessee, was laid out contiguous to Goodson. In 1890, Goodson was incorporated as a city, and its name was changed to Bristol, for its Tennessee neighbor. Today the two cities have separate governments but share a public library and a local planning commission. The population is 17,367 according to the 2000 census.
City of Buena Vista, 2039 Sycamore Ave.,
Buena Vista, VA 24416; Telephone: (540) 261-6121
Buena Vista, in Rockbridge County, was built on the site of the abandoned Buena Vista iron furnace. This furnace, which was in operation as late as 1855, probably was named of the Mexican village near which General Zachary Taylor was an important battle in the Mexican War in 1847. It was incorporated as a town in 1890 and as a city in 1892. The population is 6,349 according to the 2000 census.
City of Charlottesville, 315 E. High St.,
Charlottesville, VA 22902; Telephone: (804) 295-3182
Charlottesville, in Albemarle County, was named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of George III, and was established in 1762. Charlottesville was incorporated as a town in 1801 and as a city in 1888. The population is 45,049 according to the 2000 census.
City of Chesapeake, P.O. Box 15225,
Chesapeake, VA 23328-15205; Telephone: (757) 382-6151
Chesapeake, which was named for the Chesapeake Bay, comprises the former Norfolk County and the former city of South Norfolk. It was formed by court order in 1963 by a merger of these two entities, both of which thereby became extinct. The population is 199,184 according to the 2000 census.
City of Clifton Forge, P.O. Box 27,
Clifton Forge, VA 24422-0027; Telephone: (540) 863-2508
Clifton Forge, in Alleghany County, was named for James Clifton's iron furnace, which was located in the Iron Gate Gorge by 1828. Known as Williamson's Station in 1857 when the railroad arrived, it was established as a town in 1861 and took the name Clifton Forge when it was incorporated in 1884. Clifton Forge became a city by court order in 1906. In 2001, Clifton Forge reverted back to Alleghany County. The population is 4,289 according to the 2000 census.
City of Colonial Heights, P.O. Box 3401.
Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9000; Telephone: (804) 520-9364
Colonial Heights, in Chesterfield County, is located on the heights overlooking the Appomattox River and takes its name from the fact that the Marquis de Lafayette placed his artillery, known as the Colonials, on the heights to shell British positions in Petersburg in 1781. Colonial Heights was established in 1910 and incorporated as a town in 1926; it became a city by court order in 1948. The population is 16,897 according to the 2000 census.
Colonial Heights Central Library,
1000 Yacht Basin Drive,
Colonial Heights, VA 23834;
(804) 520-9384
City of Covington, P.O. Box 670,
Covington, VA 24426; Telephone: (540) 965-1730
Covington, in Alleghany County, was named for Peter Covington, an early settler. It was established in 1818 and first incorporated as a town in 1833. Covington became a city by court order in 1953. The population is 6,303 according to the 2000 census.
City of Danville, P.O. Box 3300,
Danville, VA 24543 ; Telephone: (804) 799-5168
Danville, in Pittsylvania County, was named for the Dan River on which the city is located. Danville was established in 1793; it was incorporated as a town in 1830 and as a city in 1890. North Danville was added in 1896. The population is 48,411 according to the 2000 census.
City of Emporia, P.O. Box 631,
Emporia, VA 23847-0631; Telephone: (804) 348-4215
Emporia, in Greensville County, was formed in 1887 from the merger of Hicksford and Belfield. Because of friction between the two villages, Benjamin Tillar, a county native and member of the Virginia House of Delegates, named the town after Emporia, Kansas, the hometown of one of his associates in the Atlantic and Danville Railroad. Emporia comes from the Latin word meaning place of plenty where business is transacted. The General Assembly revolked the town charter in 1888, a year after it had incorporated Emporia, and did not reincorporate the town until 1892. Emporia became a city by court order in 1967. The population is 5,665 according to the 2000 census.
City of Fairfax
Fairfax, in Fairfax County, was first called Providence. It was established at the site of the county courthouse in 1805. After the town named Fairfax in Culpeper County was changed to Culpeper in 1859, Fairfax County took the name Fairfax for its county seat. Fairfax was incorporated as a town in 1874 and became a city by court order in 1961. The population is 21,498 according to the 2000 census.
City of Falls Church, 300 Park Ave.,
Falls Church, VA 22046;Telephone: (703) 248-5096
Falls Church, in Fairfax County, was named for an Anglican church erected in the area about 1769. The church was so called because of its proximity to the Little Falls of the Potomac River. Falls Church was established in 1850, was incorporated as a town in 1875, and became a city by court order in 1948. The population is 10,377 according to the 2000 census. Records are in Arlington or Fairfax County
City of Franklin, P.O. Box 190,
Courtland, VA 23837-0190; Telephone: (757) 653-2200
Franklin, in Southampton County, came into existence during the 1830s as a stop along the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad line then under construction. The origin of the name is unclear. It could have been named for Benjamin Franklin, patriot and statesman; for a man named Franklin kept a store in the area; or for the exclamation of a railroad section foreman who drove a spike into a crosstie and said, "This shall be Franklin!" It was a post village in 1855 and was incorporated as a town in 1876. Franklin became a city by court order in 1961. The population is 8,346 according to the 2000 census.
City of Fredericksburg, P.O. Box 359,
Fredericksburg, VA 22404-0359; Telephone: (540) 372-1066
Fredericksburg, in Spotsylvania County, was named for Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George II. Fredericksburg was established in 1728, was incorporated as a town in 1782, and became a city in 1879. The population is 19,279 according to the 2000 census.
City of Fredericksburg County Clerk, P.O. Box 7447,
Fredericksburg, VA 22404-7447;
(540) 372-1066
Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society,
P.O. Box 42013,
Fredericksburg, VA 22404-2013
Kenmore Association Library,
1201 Washington Avenue,
Fredericksburg, VA 22401,
(540) 373-3381
Sergeant Kirkland's Historical Society / Museum,
912 Lafayette Blvd.,
Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5617,
(540) 899-5565
City of Galax, P.O. Box 1187,
Galax, VA 24333-2907; Telephone: (540) 236-2131
Galax, in Grayson and Carroll counties, was first called Bonaparte. It received its present name from the mountain evergreen that grows profusely in the surrounding area. It was incorporated as a town in 1906 and became a city by court order in 1954. The population is 6,837 according to the 2000 census. Records are in Carroll or Grayson County
City of Hampton, P.O. Box 40,
Hampton, VA 23669-0040;Telephone: (757) 727-6105
Hampton was located in Elizabeth City County, which is now extinct. It takes its name from the Hampton Creek, earlier called Southampton River in honor of the earl of Southampton, an important figure in the Virginia Company of London. An Indian village stood on the site in 1607, when John Smith visited the area. The English established a village there in 1601 and a trading post in 1630. Hampton was established by an act of assembly in 1680 and was designated as a port in 1708. It was first incorporated as a town in 1849, then it was incorporated again in 1852, but the act of incorporation was repealed in 1860. The General Assembly again incorporated the town of Hampton in 1887, and it became a city by court order in 1908. It was greatly enlarged in 1952 by a merger with Elizabeth City County and the town of Phoebus; the county and town thereby became extinct. The population is 146,437 according to the 2000 census.
Charles Taylor Arts Center,
4205 Victory Boulevard,
Hampton, VA 23669,
(804) 727-1051
Tidewater Genealogical Society,
TGS Library,
Old Warwick County Courthouse,
14415 Old Courthouse Way,
Newport News, VA 23608,
(757) 988-1055,
email: VATGS@verizon.net
City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County Courthouse Square,
Harrisonburg, VA 22801;Telephone: (540) 564-3000
Harrisonburg, in Rockingham County, was named for Thomas Harrison, who gave fifty acres for the town site. It was established in 1780, was incorporated as a town in 1849, and became a city by court order in 1916. It was enlarged by an annexation from Rockingham County in 1982. The population is 40,468 according to the 2000 census.
City of Hopewell, P.O. Box 354,
Hopewell, VA 23860-0354; Telephone: (804) 541-2239
Hopewell, in Prince George County, was established as Charles City Point by Sir Thomas Dale in 1613. Francis Eppes, who arrived in Virginia on the ship Hopewell, patented land near Charles City Point in 1635. He named part of his property Hopewell Farm. The town was known as City Point until 1913 when E. I. DuPont de Nemmours and Company purchased Hopewell Farms and established a factory and a settlement for munitions workers there. Hopewell was never incorporated as a town but was incorporated as a city by an act of the General Assembly in 1916. It was enlarged by the annexation of City Point in 1923 and by further annexations from Prince George County in 1952 and 1969. The population is 22,354 according to the 2000 census.
City of Lexington, 2 S. Main,
Lexington, VA 24450;Telephone: (540) 463-4758
Lexington, in Rockbridge County, probably was named for the village in Massachusetts where the first battle of the American Revolution was fought. The town was established in 1778 as the county seat for the newly created Rockbridge County. It is believed that Thomas Jefferson suggested the name for the town. Lexington was incorporated as a town in 1874 and became a city by court order in 1965. The population is 6,867 according to the 2000 census.
City of Lynchburg, P.O. Box 4,
Lynchburg, VA 24505-0004; Telephone: (804) 847-1590
Lynchburg, in Campbell County, was named for John Lynch, the owner of the original town site. It was established in 1786, was incorporated as a town in 1805, and became a city in 1852. Parts of Campbell and Bedford counties were annexed to the city in 1976. The population is 65,269 according to the 2000 census.
Jones Memorial Library,
2311 Memorial Avenue,
Lynchburg, VA 24501,
(434) 846-0501
Lynchburg College Library,
Archives and Special Collections,
1501 Lakeside Drive,
Lynchburg, VA 24501,
(434) 544-8441
City of Manassas, 9311 Lee Ave.,
Manassas, VA 22110; Telephone: (703) 792-6015
Manassas, in Prince William County, began in 1852 as the Manassas junction of the Manassas Gap Railroad and the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. It was incorporated as the town of Manassas in 1874 and became a city by court order in 1975. The population is 35,135 according to the 2000 census.
City of Manassas Park
Manassas Park, in Prince William County, was established in 1955 as an outgrowth of Manassas. It was incorporated as a town by order of the circuit court in 1957 and became a city by court order in 1975. The population is 10,290 according to the 2000 census.
City of Martinsville, P.O. Box 1206,
Martinsville, VA 24114-1206;Telephone: (540) 656-5106
Martinsville, in Henry County, was named for Joseph Martin, an early settler and revolutionary soldier who represented Henry County in the General Assembly in 1791, when the town was established. Martinsville was incorporated as a town in 1873 and became a city by court order in 1928. The population is 15,416 according to the 2000 census.
City of Newport News, 2500 Washington Ave.,
Newport News, VA 23607; Telephone: (757) 247-8561
Newport News was located in Warwick County, which is now extinct. The origin of the name is uncertain but the phrase "Newportes News" appeared in documents as early as 1619 and probably commemorated Christopher Newport, who made five voyages to Virginia between 1607 and 1619. Newport News was a small settlement until late in the nineteenth century, when it became the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. It was established in 1880 and incorporated as a city by act of the General Assembly in 1896 without ever having been incorporated as a town. Newport News was enlarged by consolidation with the city of Warwick in 1858. The population is 180,150 according to the 2000 census.
City of Norfolk, 100 St. Paul Blvd.,
Norfolk, VA 23510-2702;Telephone: (757) 664-4380
Norfolk was located in Norfolk County, which is now extinct. The city took the name from the former home of an early settler, Adam Thoroughgood, who was a native of the county of Norfolk in England. Norfolk was established in 1680 by an act of assembly. It was incorporated as a town in 1736 and as a city in 1845. Norfolk was enlarged in 1906 by annexation of the town of Berkeley. The population is 234,403 according to the 2000 census.
City of Norton, 206 Main St.,
Wise, VA 24293; Telephone: (703) 328-6111
Norton, in Wise County, was first known as Prince's Flats, probably for William Prince, who settled in the area about 1787. The present name honors Eckstein Norton, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1891 when the Clinch Valley branch of the railroad was finished. Norton was incorporated as a town in 1894 and became a city by court order in 1954. The population is 3,904 according to the 2000 census.
City of Petersburg, 7 Courthouse Ave.,
Petersburg, VA 23803; Telephone: (804) 733-2367
Petersburg was formed from parts of Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield counties. A garrison and fur trading post called Fort Henry was established in 1645 on the site of the Indian village of Appamattuck. The present name, suggested in 1733 by William Byrd II, honors Peter Jones, Byrd's companion on expeditions into the Virginia backcountry. Petersburg was established in 1748 and incorporated as a town in 1784. In the latter year the towns of Blandford, Pocahontas, and Ravenscroft were added to Petersburg. It was incorporated as a city in 1850. Petersburg was enlarged by annexation from both Prince George and Dinwiddie counties in 1972. The population is 33,740 according to the 2000 census.
Petersburg Courthouse, Union and Tabb Streets,
Petersburg, VA 23803
Petersburg National Battlefield Library,
P.O. Box 549,
Petersburg, VA 23804,
(804) 732-6092
Historic Blandford Cemetery Foundation, Inc.,
250 South Sycamore Street,
Petersburg, VA 23803
City of Poquoson, P.O. Box 371,
Yorktown, VA 23690-0371; Telephone: (804) 890-3350
Poquoson, in York County, was established as a post office between 1885 and 1888. A pocosin, as the word is now spelled, is an upland swamp in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States. Poquoson became a town in 1952 as the result of a referendum and became a city by court order in 1976. The population is 11,566 according to the 2000 census.
Poquoson Public Library,
774 Poquoson Avenue,
Poquoson, VA 23662,
(804) 868-7931
City of Portsmouth, P.O. Drawer 1217,
Portsmouth, VA 23705-1217; Telephone: (757) 393-8671
Portsmouth was located in Norfolk County, which is now extinct. It was named by its founder, William Crawford, for the English seaport and was established in 1752. Portsmouth was incorporated as a town in 1836 and as a city in 1858. The population is 100,565 according to the 2000 census.
Portsmouth Public Library or Portsmouth Genealogical Society,
601 Court Street, P.O. Box 7062,
Portsmouth, VA 23707-0062,
(804) 393-8501
Portsmouth Historical Association,
221 North St.,
Portsmouth, VA 23704,
(757) 393-0241
City of Radford, 619 2nd St.,
Radford, VA 24141; Telephone: (540) 731-3610
The City of Radford, in Montgomery County, was at different times known as Lovely Mount, English Ferry, Ingles's Ferry, Central Depot, and Central City. The town of Central City was established in 1885 and incorporated in 1887. Its name was changed to Radford in 1890 to honor John Blair Radford, a prominent local citizen, and it was incorporated as a city in 1892. Its area is 10 square miles. The population is 15,859 according to the 2000 census.
City of Richmond, 800 E. Marshall St.,
Richmond, VA 23219; Telephone: (804) 780-6505
The City of Richmond is located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties. It was named by William Byrd II, who with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. The name probably came from the English borough of Richmond upon Thames. Richmond was established in 1742 and in 1779 was designated the capitol of Virginia effective April 1780. Incorporated as a town in 1782 and incorporated as a city in 1842, it was the capital of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865. Richmond was enlarged by several annexations, including Manchester/South Richmond (1910), Barton Heights, Fairmount, and Highland Park (1914). A further annexation form Chesterfield County occurred in 1970. Richmond's area is 60 square miles. The population is 197,790 according to the 2000 census.
City of Roanoke, P.O. Box 1126,
Salem, VA 24153; Telephone: (540) 387-6205
The City of Roanoke, in Roanoke County, was first known as Big Lick because of salt deposits found in the vicinity. The town of Big Lick was established in 1852 and was incorporated in 1874. Its name was changed to Roanoke in 1882, and it became a city in 1884. Roanoke was enlarged by annexation from Roanoke County in 1976. Its area is 43 square miles. The population is 94,911 according to the 2000 census.
Roanoke Vital Records Div., 109 Governor Street,
Richmond, VA 23219;
(804) 786-6228
Roanoke City Public Library,
706 South Jefferson Street,
Roanoke, VA 24016,
(540) 981-2475
Catholic Historic Society of the Roanoke Valley,
3288 Somerset Street, S.W.,
Roanoke, VA 24014
City of Salem, 2 E. Calhoun St.,
Salem, VA 24153; Telephone: (540) 375-3067
The City of Salem, in Roanoke County, was laid out in 1802 on land owned by James Simpson. The town is said to have been named by a member of the Bryan family, of Salem, New Jersey. The General Assembly established Salem in 1806 and incorporated it as a town in 1836. Salem was incorporated as a city by court order in 1968. Its area is 15 square miles. The population is 24,747 according to the 2000 census.
Salem Historical Society,
c/o Salem Museum,
801 E. Main St.,
Salem, VA 24153,
(703) 389-6760
City of South Boston, P.O. Box 729,
Halifax, VA 24558-0729;Telephone: (804) 476-6211
South Boston, in Halifax County, was named for Boston, Massachusetts. The town originally was located on the south side of the Dan River and called Boyd's Ferry. It was established in 1796 but was destroyed by floods shortly thereafter. Reestablished on the north side of the Dan River, it was incorporated as a town in 1884 and as a city by court order in 1960. In 1995, South Boston reverted to town status within Halifax County. Its area is 5.09 square miles. The population is 6,997 according to the 1990 census.
City of Staunton, P.O. Box 1286,
Staunton, VA 24402; Telephone: (540) 332-3874
The City of Staunton, in Augusta County, was named, according to tradition, for Rebecca Staunton, wife of Sir William Gooch, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. Staunton was laid out in 1748 at the site of the Augusta County courthouse and was established as a town in 1761. It was incorporated as a town in 1801 and as a city in 1871. Its area is 20 square miles. The population is 23,853 according to the 2000 census.
City of Suffolk, P.O. Box 1604,
Suffolk, VA 23439-1604; Telephone: (757) 925-6450
The City of Suffolk was located in Nansemond County, which is now extinct. It probably was named for the county of Suffolk in England. Established in 1742 on the site of John Constant's warehouse, Suffolk was incorporated as a town in 1808 and as a city by court order in 1910. In 1974 the city was enlarged when it merged with the former county of Nansemond. Its area is 400 square miles. The population is 63,677 according to the 2000 census.
Nansemond County court records were destroyed in three separate fires, the earliest of which consumed the house of the court clerk in April 1734 (where the records were kept at that time), and the last on 7 February 1866. A few fee books have been found in the records of Sussex County.
City of Virginia Beach, 2305 Judicial Blvd.,
Virginia Beach, VA 23456; Telephone: (757) 636-4600
The City of Virginia Beach was located in Princess Anne County, which is now extinct. The oceanside resort was incorporated as a town in 1906 and as a city by an act of the General Assembly in 1952. It was greatly enlarged in 1963 by consolidation with Princess Anne County, which thereby became extinct. Its area is 248 square miles. The population is 425,257 according to the 2000 census.
City of Waynesboro, P.O. Box 910,
Waynesboro, VA 22980; Telephone: (540) 942-6616
The City of Waynesboro, in Augusta County, was named for Anthony Wayne, an American general during the Revolution. James Flack and Samuel Estill laid out the town in 1797. Waynesborough, as it was first known, was established as a town in 1801 and incorporated as a town in 1834. It was consolidated with Basic City in 1923 and became a city by an act of the General Assembly in 1948. Its area is 15 square miles. The population is 19,520 according to the 2000 census.
City of Williamsburg, P.O. Box 3045,
Williamsburg, VA 23187-3045; Telephone: (757) 229-2552
The City of Williamsburg, in James City and York Counties, was established by the General Assembly as Middle Plantation in 1633. After the capitol building at Jamestown burned in 1698, the assembly decided to move the capital of the colony to Middle Plantation, which was renamed Williamsburg in 1699 in honor of William III. Williamsburg was established in 1699 and declared a "city Incorporate" in 1722, although its actual status was that of a borough. It served as the capital of Virginia from 1699 until 1780. Williamsburg was incorporated as a city in 1884. Its area is 9 square miles. The population is 11,998 according to the 2000 census.
Williamsburg Area Historical Society,
285 Neck-O-Land Rd.,
Williamsburg, VA 23185,
(757) 229-2158
City of Winchester, 5 N. Kent St.,
Winchester, VA 22601;Telephone: (540) 667-5770
The City of Winchester, in Frederick County, was first known as Opequon, then as Frederick's Town (or Fredericktown), and, finally, upon establishment as a town in 1752, as Winchester. According to tradition, one of the town's founders, James Wood, named the town in honor of his birthplace in England. Winchester was incorporated as a town in 1779 and as a city in 1874. It was enlarged by annexation from Frederick County in 1970. Its area is 9 square miles. The population is 23,585 according to the 2000 census.
