Research Virginia counties and independent cities*

Virginia’s dual system — counties and independent cities* — is the most common place researchers lose records. This site models both, with Library of Virginia free stacks, research guides, dated history anchors, and moderated surname queries. Start with the year, then the correct clerk (city* vs. county).

Start researching Counties & cities* Independent cities* guide Post a surname query

95Counties

38Cities*

305Articles

40Resources

Start with a county or city

Virginia has 95 counties plus independent cities (marked *). Each hub includes history notes, a record matrix, towns, neighbors, and research starting points—built for jurisdiction-first genealogy.

Accomack Albemarle Alexandria* Alleghany Amelia Amherst Appomattox Arlington Augusta Bath Bedford Bedford City* Bland Botetourt Bristol* Brunswick Buchanan Buckingham Buena Vista* Campbell Caroline Carroll Charles City Charlotte Charlottesville* Chesapeake* Chesterfield Clarke Colonial Heights* Covington* Craig Culpeper Cumberland Danville* Dickenson Dinwiddie Emporia* Essex Fairfax Fairfax City* Falls Church* Fauquier Floyd Fluvanna Franklin Franklin City* Frederick Fredericksburg* Galax* Giles Gloucester Goochland Grayson Greene Greensville Halifax Hampton* Hanover Harrisonburg* Henrico Henry Highland Hopewell* Isle of Wight James City King and Queen King George King William Lancaster Lee Lexington* Loudoun Louisa Lunenburg Lynchburg* Madison Manassas* Manassas Park* Martinsville* Mathews Mecklenburg Middlesex Montgomery Nelson New Kent Newport News* Norfolk* Northampton Northumberland Norton* Nottoway Orange Page Patrick Petersburg* Pittsylvania Portsmouth* Powhatan Prince Edward Prince George Prince William Pulaski Radford* Rappahannock Richmond Richmond* Roanoke Roanoke* Rockbridge Rockingham Russell Salem* Scott Shenandoah Smyth Southampton Spotsylvania Stafford Staunton* Suffolk* Surry Sussex Tazewell Virginia Beach* Warren Washington Waynesboro* Westmoreland Williamsburg* Winchester* Wise Wythe York

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Featured resources

Library of Virginia
Cornerstone free stacks for Virginia film, chancery, and research guides.
Virginia Chronicle
Historic newspapers; confirm title start/end years before citing continuity.
VAGenWeb
Volunteer county pages and abstracts — verify every cite on film.
FamilySearch — Virginia wiki
Catalog paths and research outline for Virginia series.
Encyclopedia Virginia
Topic and place context only — not a substitute for clerk volumes.
LVA Chancery Records Index
Relationship-rich equity causes across city* and county lines.
Virginia Untold (LVA)
African American narrative and document collections at LVA.
LVA Land Office Patents & Grants
Colonial and early republic land grant research paths.

More resources →

Explore next

Recently reviewed counties

Accomack Aug 3
Albemarle Aug 2
Alleghany Aug 2
Alexandria* Aug 1
Amelia Aug 1
Appomattox Aug 1
Amherst Jul 31
Arlington Jul 31

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This week November 2–8, 2026

This week in Virginia history

1864 Sun Nov 8

Presidential election in wartime VA
Occupation zones affect who holds local civil offices that create records.

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On this day November 2

This day in Virginia history

1621
Early company government experiments (nearby: November 1)
Virginia Company era institutions still frame early paper survival.
1777
Articles of Confederation era (Virginia context) (nearby: November 1)
Inter-state government experiments affect claims and military paper.

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