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Virginia Genealogy Counties and independent cities* — Virginia genealogy with city* vs. county clerks, LVA free stacks, and research guides

Virginia Beach* Genealogy

* Independent city (not a county). Series and offices differ from the surrounding county of the same name.

Edited by Avery J. Parker · Virginia Genealogy · Last reviewed June 23, 2026 · Continuously operated research hub (1997-origin site)

  • Formed 1963
  • Parent county / earlier Princess Anne County (historic)
  • County seat Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach* is a Virginia independent city—a separate recording jurisdiction from surrounding counties (Princess Anne (historic), Norfolk area).

Modern independent city absorbing former Princess Anne County (1963). Always match the year of the event to the correct city or county office.

Start catalogs at Library of Virginia.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

9 places — view all town pages

Virginia Beach county seat Oceanfront Kempsville Pungo Great Neck Town Center Sandbridge Lynnhaven Princess Anne

History notes

Virginia’s independent cities keep their own deed, will, and court series for many periods. A family “in Virginia Beach” may appear in city books while rural kin remain in the adjacent county.

Method: (1) fix the year, (2) decide city vs. county, (3) search both if the line crosses the line, (4) use LVA chancery and microfilm guides when local indexes are thin.

Newspapers

Title-by-title year ranges below are digitized holdings listed below (digitized issues), not always the full publication span. Open each title to confirm gaps. Mastheads and successors change often.

  • Virginia Beach / regional newspapers
    Virginia Beach · Varies
    Search Virginia Chronicle and Chronicling America for local and regional titles covering Virginia Beach (independent city). Confirm each title’s run dates before assuming continuous coverage.

Statewide newspapers guide · newspaper portals · Chronicling America

Structured transcriptions

Searchable tables with book/page and microfilm-style citations for Virginia Beach County. Rows are finding aids from published public abstracts—verify every line against film or the original before citing as evidence.

  • Virginia Beach* finding-aid batch (plus parity)
    20 searchable rows · Finding-aid practice / plus parity; verify on Library of Virginia film for Virginia Beach.
    Grantor Grantee Year Book:page
    PartyA01, Example PartyB01, Example 1750 A:3
    PartyA02, Example PartyB02, Example 1757 B:6
    PartyA03, Example PartyB03, Example 1764 C:9
    PartyA04, Example PartyB04, Example 1771 —
    PartyA05, Example 1778 —
    PartyA06, Example PartyB06, Example 1785 F:18

    Open full table & search

All transcription collections

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Virginia Beach cemeteries & churchyards
    Virginia Beach
    Start with published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—pair stones with obituaries and church books.
    Find a Grave

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

  • Virginia Beach public library / local history desk
    library · Virginia Beach
    Start with the independent city public library local history desk or Virginia room for Virginia Beach*. Hours and catalog portals change—verify before visiting. Pair with Library of Virginia catalogs and Virginia Chronicle for newspapers.
  • Virginia Beach historical / genealogical societies
    society · Virginia Beach
    Search for active historical and genealogical societies serving Virginia Beach (independent city). Names and websites change; VAGenWeb and Library of Virginia society lists are good discovery points.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Primary state repository for historical and genealogical research.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Cornerstone state repository — patents, chancery, newspapers, manuscripts, and genealogy research rooms.
  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    other · Online
    Published encyclopedia / historical essays useful for place and context research.
  • Virginia Memory
    archive · Online
    Digitized collections from the Library of Virginia and partners.
  • Virginia Chronicle
    other · Online
    Historic Virginia newspapers digitized via LVA.
  • Virginia Chronicle / Chronicling America
    other · Online
    Historic newspaper directory and digitizations for Virginia titles.

Full societies & libraries directory

Courthouse & contacts

Virginia Beach Circuit Court / city records offices. Confirm which series are city-held vs. at Library of Virginia. Neighbors: Princess Anne (historic), Norfolk area.

If not found here, try…

Virginia brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. When a deed, probate, or vital is missing here, try the parent district for the event year and neighboring counties for kin who lived across the line—not a substitute for later statewide birth/death registration.

  • Formed 1963
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Princess Anne County (historic) — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.

What to do next

Stay in Virginia Beach County only after the event year matches this courthouse. Otherwise open parents first.

Start here guide Free PDF checklist Cheatsheet bundle This week in Virginia Beach history

Sources & further reading

Formation, place-names, and series notes on this hub will cite standard Virginia references. Always verify at the repository—fires and thin series vary by book and decade.

  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    State encyclopedia / published historical essays — search for Virginia Beach County topics.
  • County formation & boundaries
    Virginia county formation and independent-city research — verify in Library of Virginia guides (this county formed 1963). See also the counties & formation guide when published.
  • Place-names & communities
    Virginia place-names, former communities, and watercourses (local histories + GNIS).
  • Library of Virginia
    Primary repository for county records, microfilm, catalogs, and research guides.
  • Virginia Chronicle / Chronicling America
    Historic newspaper directory and digitizations — confirm title runs before citing continuous coverage.
  • Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
    National newspaper directory + selected digitized pages.
  • FamilySearch Wiki · VAGenWeb
    Volunteer and wiki bibliographies—cross-check dates against archives and local inventories.

Prefer the state archives, published formation tables, and encyclopedia articles over anonymous web mirrors.