This list of county and city government links is limited to government-maintained websites. If you know of a Virginia county that has an official government web site but is not linked, or if the link is in error, please send us an email so we may edit our database. Virginia State Government is located in Richmond.
Virginia Independent City Repositories and Records
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. There are currently 39 independent cities in the Commonwealth.
| Independent City Government |
Year Established |
Year Incorporated (Town) |
Year Incorporated (Independent City) |
County / Cities Formed from |
| Alexandria City | 1749 | 1779 | 1852 / 1870 | Alexandria County |
| Bedford City (aka Liberty) |
1782 | 1839 | 1969 | Bedford County |
| Bristol City (aka Goodson) |
1850 | 1856 | 1890 | Washington County |
| Buena Vista City | - | 1890 | 1892 | Rockbridge County |
| Charlottesville City | 1762 | 1801 | 1888 | Albemarle County |
| Chesapeake City | - | - | 1963 | Norfolk County and the former city of South Norfolk |
| Colonial Heights City | 1910 | 1926 | 1948 | Chesterfield County |
| Covington City | 1818 | 1833 | 1953 | Alleghany County |
| Danville City | 1793 | 1830 | 1890 | Pittsylvania County |
| Emporia City, VA | 1887 | 1892 | 1967 | Greensville County |
| Fairfax City (aka Providence) |
1805 | 1874 | 1961 | Fairfax County |
| Falls Church City | 1850 | 1875 | 1948 | Fairfax County |
| Franklin City | 1830s | 1876 | 1961 | Southampton County |
| Fredericksburg City | 1728 | 1782 | 1879 | Spotsylvania County |
| Galax City ( aka Bonaparte) |
- | 1906 | 1954 | Grayson County and Carroll County |
| Hampton City | 1680 | 1849, 1852 & 1887 | 1908 | Elizabeth City County |
| Harrisonburg City | 1780 | 1849 | 1916 | Rockingham County |
| Hopewell City (aka City Point) |
1613 | - | 1916 | Prince George County |
| Lexington City | 1778 | 1874 | 1965 | Rockbridge County |
| Lynchburg City | 1786 | 1805 | 1852 | Campbell County |
| Manassas City | 1852 | 1874 | 1975 | Prince William County |
| Manassas Park City | 1955 | 1957 | 1975 | Prince William County |
| Martinsville City | 1791 | 1873 | 1928 | Henry County |
| Newport News City | 1880 | - | 1896 | Warwick County |
| Norfolk City | 1680 | 1736 | 1845 | Norfolk County |
| Norton City (aka Prince’s Flats) |
- | 1894 | 1954 | Wise County |
| Petersburg City | 1748 | 1784 | 1850 | Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield counties |
| Poquoson City | 1885 | 1952 | 1976 | York County |
| Portsmouth City | 1752 | 1836 | 1858 | Norfolk County |
| Radford City (aka Lovely Mount, English Ferry, Ingles’s Ferry, Central Depot, and Central City) |
1885 | 1887 | 1892 | Montgomery County |
| Richmond City | 1742 | 1782 | 1842 | Henrico and Chesterfield Counties |
| Roanoke City (aka Big Lick) |
1852 | 1874 | 1884 | Roanoke County |
| Salem City | 1806 | 1836 | 1968 | Roanoke County |
| South Boston City | 1796 | 1884 | 1960 | Halifax County |
| Staunton City | 1761 | 1801 | 1871 | Augusta County |
| Suffolk City | 1742 | 1808 | 1910 | Nansemond County |
| Virginia Beach City | - | 1906 | 1952 | Princess Anne County |
| Waynesboro City | 1801 | 1834 | 1948 | Augusta County |
| Williamsburg City (aka Middle Plantation) |
1633 / 1699 | 1722 | 1884 | James City and York Counties |
| Winchester City (aka Opequon) |
1752 | 1779 | 1874 | Frederick County |
Virginia Town and Community Government Websites
Click on the Virginia Town links below to visit their official city government web sites.
