Start Here: Researching Virginia Ancestors
A practical path from “I have a name and a place” to records that actually exist in Virginia.
Virginia research rewards people who respect jurisdiction over time. Counties were carved repeatedly from colonial shires and parent counties; independent cities keep separate series from surrounding counties of the same name; burned courthouses push you to neighbors, churches, newspapers, and state collections. Use this path:
- Identify the place in time — not only the modern county or city. Use the Counties & formation guide. On this site, independent cities are marked with an asterisk (*).
- Work home sources first — Bibles, obituaries, photos, DNA matches, family stories with dates.
- Census every decade the family should appear — see Census guide.
- Land + probate — deeds and estates create the longest paper trails. See Land and Probate.
- Vital events — statewide registration is uneven; use churches, newspapers, bonds, and delayed records. See Vital records.
- Open the jurisdiction hub — all 95 counties plus independent cities.
- Widen the circle — neighboring counties/cities, military service, migration corridors (Great Wagon Road, Tidewater ports, mountain gaps), and specialized African American / Indigenous guides when relevant.
Bookmark the Library of Virginia, Virginia Memory, and the FamilySearch Virginia Wiki as permanent companions to this site.