State of Virginia

State of Virginia
LadyofHats with additional editing by 痛 and Patrickneil / Charles Keck · Public domain · source
Name	Virginia
Nickname	"Old Dominion", "Mother of Presidents"
Capital	Richmond
Largest city	Virginia Beach
Admission order	10th
Admission date	June 25, 1788
Area total sq mi	42,775
Population	8,631,393 (2020)

Contents

State of Virginia is one of the original thirteen Thirteen Colonies and a U.S. state on the Atlantic coast with deep colonial roots connected to Jamestown, Virginia, Plymouth Colony, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Its history links early English settlement at Jamestown Colony and the Pocahontas narrative to Revolutionary centers such as Yorktown, the constitutional work at the Constitutional Convention (1787), and Civil War battles including Battle of Bull Run and Battle of Fredericksburg. The state intersects national developments from the Transcontinental Railroad era and Reconstruction to 20th-century federal projects like the Manhattan Project influences in nearby regions and modern technology corridors around Northern Virginia and Arlington County.

History

Virginia's colonial era centers on Jamestown, Virginia, the Virginia Company, the House of Burgesses, and figures such as John Smith, Pocahontas, and Sir Walter Raleigh, leading into the Revolutionary period featuring Patrick Henry, George Mason, and the Battle of Yorktown. In the early republic Virginia produced presidents including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe and was pivotal at the Constitutional Convention (1787) and in debates involving the Federalist Party and Anti-Federalists. Antebellum Virginia participated in the Missouri Compromise and economic patterns tied to tobacco plantations and enslaved labor, culminating in secession and central Civil War conflicts like the Battle of Gettysburg campaigns and engagements at Appomattox Court House where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. Reconstruction involved actors such as Frederick Douglass and federal legislation including the Reconstruction Acts and the Fifteenth Amendment, while 20th-century transformations included participation in World Wars with contributions from bases like Naval Station Norfolk and later suburban and federal growth tied to agencies like the Department of Defense and contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

Virginia spans from the Atlantic shoreline at Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay through the Tidewater and Piedmont to the Appalachian ranges including the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, containing peaks such as Mount Rogers and passes like Cumberland Gap linked historically to migration trails including the Great Wagon Road. Coastal features involve the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel and barrier islands related to ecosystems studied in programs at Virginia Institute of Marine Science and protected areas like Shenandoah National Park, Colonial National Historical Park, and Assateague Island National Seashore. The state experiences a humid subtropical climate influenced by the Gulf Stream, Atlantic hurricane season impacts, nor'easters noted in Norfolk, and winter storms affecting highlands near Roanoke, shaping land use in counties such as Fairfax County and Albemarle County.

Virginia's population centers include Northern Virginia, Richmond (city), Hampton Roads, and Roanoke (city) with demographic trends shaped by migration linked to federal employment in the Pentagon, technology expansion around Reston, Virginia, and military installations such as Naval Station Norfolk and Langley Air Force Base. Historical populations reflect Indigenous peoples including the Powhatan Confederacy, colonial settlers from England, and later migrations of African Americans during the Great Migration and postwar influxes of immigrants from El Salvador, India, South Korea, and Ukraine. Cultural demography intersects institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University, demographic studies at the U.S. Census Bureau, and religious communities tied to churches such as Bruton Parish Church and synagogues in Alexandria, Virginia.

Virginia's economy combines federal contracting centered in Arlington County and Fairfax County with shipping at Port of Virginia, agriculture historically based on tobacco and now including poultry and wine production in areas near Shenandoah Valley, and technology sectors concentrated in Tysons Corner and around companies such as Amazon (company), Microsoft, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One Financial Corporation, and Amazon Web Services facilities in NOVA. The state hosts research entities like NASA Langley Research Center, Virginia Tech, and University of Virginia tech transfer, while finance and defense contracting link to firms including General Dynamics and Raytheon Technologies; tourism relies on sites like Monticello, Mount Vernon, and Colonial Williamsburg.

Virginia's political landscape includes the Virginia General Assembly, the oldest continuous law-making body tracing to the House of Burgesses, and statewide offices such as the Governor of Virginia, with local jurisdictions like Richmond (city) and Norfolk (city) operating under municipal charters. Political history features figures like Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Woodrow Wilson, and contemporary leaders from parties like the Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States), and periodic pivots observed in elections for the United States Senate and seats in the United States House of Representatives representing districts including Virginia's 1st congressional district and Virginia's 10th congressional district. Legal institutions include the Supreme Court of Virginia and notable legislation such as state constitutional amendments debated alongside national developments like the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Higher education includes flagship institutions such as University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, College of William & Mary, George Mason University, and James Madison University, with research centers like the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and cooperative extension through Virginia Cooperative Extension. Public K–12 oversight links to the Virginia Department of Education and school divisions in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and Arlington Public Schools, while private and parochial systems include Washington and Lee University and Liberty University. Historic educational legacies trace to Thomas Jefferson's founding of the University of Virginia and colonial-era institutions such as The College of William & Mary.

Cultural landmarks include Mount Vernon, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and music traditions from Shenandoah Valley folk to Richmond (city). The state hosts festivals like the Virginia Wine Month events and sporting franchises and venues tied to teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with college athletics at Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies. Transportation infrastructure comprises the I-95 corridor, I-64, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel, rail service by Amtrak at stations including Richmond Main Street Station, international air travel via Washington Dulles International Airport and Norfolk International Airport, and maritime commerce through the Port of Virginia and naval logistics at Naval Station Norfolk.