About Virginia Counties
Virginia, the thirty-fifth largest and the twelfth most populous state of the US was named after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth I, who was considered as ‘Virgin Queen.’ The American state, which is located along the South Atlantic Ocean is also referred to as the “Old Dominioni.” Virginia is also known as the Mother of Presidents, since Virginia is the birthplace of the eight US presidents.
Virginia Map
Richmond is the capital of Virginia; whereas Virginia Beach is the largest and the most populous city of Virginia. The state is carved by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Chesapeake Bay. Also, most rivers, including the James, York, Potomac, and Rappahannock flow through the Bay.
Geologically and geographically, the state is divided in the regions of Ridge and Valley, Cumberland Plateau, Tidewater, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Mountains. Virginia is bounded by the states of Washington, D.C. and Maryland to the east and north; the Atlantic Ocean also lies to the state’s east. States Tennessee and North Carolina are to the south of Virginia, Kentucky lies towards the west and West Virginia to the west and north. The total area of the state is 42,774 sq. miles.
Virginia Counties
Virginia is divided into 95 counties along with 38 independent cities. These counties and cities are administered similarly. Some of the notable counties are the Fairfax County (also the most-populated), Loudoun County (also the fastest developing), Arlington County, Amelia County, Augusta County, Dickenson County, and others.
Amelia County
The Amelia County, with the county seat as Amelia, is spread over an area of 359 sq. miles. It was founded in 1735. The County was named after the Princess Amelia of Britain and has Rennie Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Church, and Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park as its major places to visit.
Augusta County
The Augusta County founded in 1738 and covering an area of 971 sq. miles with the county seat as Staunton is also a prominent county of Virginia. The Shenandoah Valley is the main attraction of the place. Grand Caverns, Skyline Drive, and the Staunton National Cemetery are the other major attractions of the county.
Loudoun County
The Loudoun County, with the county seat being Leesburg, is the fastest developing county of Virginia. It was founded in 1757. The county is well-known for its historic villages, vineyard tours, battlefields sites, and the famous mansions. The notable places of the area are Morven Park, Frying Pan Park, The Marshall House, Furnace Mountains, and The National Conference Center.
Arlington County
Arlington County of Virginia, with the county seat as Arlington was founded in 1801 and is the smallest county in the entire US. However, being close to Washington D.C., Arlington is rather an important region since it headquarters many government agencies and departments of the US like the Department of Defense (DoD), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Also, Washington National Airport is situated in this county.
Dickenson County
The Dickenson County was founded in 1880. With an area of 334 sq. miles and the county seat being Clintwood, Dickenson is famous for Flannagan Dam, Breaks Interstate Park, Ralph Stanley Museum, Trammel Kids Park, Jettie Baker Center, and many others.
Independent Cities
The independent cities in the US are the ones, which do not belong to any particular county. Richmond, the capital of Virginia, Fairfax, and Virginia Beach are the independent and rather important cities of the state.
Richmond
Virginia Museum, Downtown Richmond, Children’s Museum Belle Isle, Richmond Canal Walk, Holocaust Museum, Ford’s Theatre, Virginia House, and Fort Harrison, etc. are the attractions of this amazing city.
Fairfax
Patroit Center, National Firearms Museum, Lake Accotink, Burke Lake, and Battlefield Park are the destinations to watch out for in the city of Fairfax.
Virginia
Virginia Beach, another independent city of Virginia, is the most populous city of the state, a resort city, whose name is also registered in the Guinness Book for having the lengthiest pleasure beach all across the world. The city, which attracts jillions of tourists from all over the world also boasts of a robust night life. Military Aviation Museum, Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, Neptune’s park, Cirquesa Dreamquest, etc. are some of the excellent places to visit.
Colleges and Universities
William & Mary is the oldest university of the state; whereas Liberty University is the largest. There exist several other top-notch universities and colleges in Virginia. University of Virginia, Norfolk State University, University of Richmond, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Community College, George Mason University, Hampden Sydney College, and Reynolds community College are the few prominent universities and colleges of the state.
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