Richmond ( ) is the
capital city
A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of the
U.S. commonwealth of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an
independent city
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
since 1871. The city's population in the
2020 United States census was 226,610, up from 204,214 in 2010,
making it Virginia's
fourth-most populous city. The
Richmond metropolitan area, with over 1.3 million residents, is the Commonwealth's
third-most populous.
Richmond is located at the
James River's fall line, west of
Williamsburg, east of
Charlottesville, east of
Lynchburg and south of
Washington, D.C. Surrounded by
Henrico and
Chesterfield counties, Richmond is at the intersection of
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
and
Interstate 64 and encircled by
Interstate 295,
Virginia State Route 150 and
Virginia State Route 288. Major suburbs include
Midlothian
Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
to the southwest, Chesterfield to the south,
Varina to the southeast,
Sandston to the east,
Glen Allen to the north and west,
Short Pump to the west, and
Mechanicsville to the northeast.
Richmond was an important village in the
Powhatan Confederacy and was briefly settled by English colonists from
Jamestown from 1609 to 1611. Founded in 1737, it replaced Williamsburg as the capital of the
Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780. During the
Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including
's "
Give me liberty or give me death!" speech in 1775 at
St. John's Church and the passage of the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
. During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, Richmond was the capital of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
.
The
Jackson Ward neighborhood is the city's traditional hub of
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
commerce and culture, once known as the "Black
Wall Street
Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...
of America" and the "
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
of
the South." At the beginning of the 20th century, Richmond had one of the world's first successful
electric streetcar systems.
Law, finance, and government primarily drive Richmond's economy. The
downtown area is home to federal, state, and local governmental agencies as well as notable legal and banking firms. The greater metropolitan area includes several
''Fortune'' 500 companies:
Performance Food Group,
Altria
Altria Group, Inc. (previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc. until 2003) is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and medical products in the treatment of illnesses ca ...
,
CarMax,
Dominion Energy,
Markel,
Owens and Minor,
Genworth Financial, and
ARKO Corp.
The city is one of about a dozen to have both
a U.S. Court of Appeals and
a Federal Reserve Bank.
History
Colonial era
After the first permanent English-speaking settlement was established at
Jamestown, Virginia
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent British colonization of the Americas, English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about southwest of present-day Willia ...
, in April 1607,
Captain Christopher Newport led explorers northwest up the
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
to an inhabited area in the
Powhatan Nation.
Richmond was Arrohattoc territory where Arrohateck village was located. However, as time progressed relations between the Arrohattocs and English colonists declined, and by 1609 the tribe was unwilling to trade with the settlers. As the population began to dwindle, the tribe declined and was last mentioned in a 1610 report by the visiting William Strachey. By 1611 the tribe's Henrico town was found to be deserted when Sir Thomas Dale went to use the land to found Henricus.
In 1611, the first European settlement in Central Virginia was established at
Henricus, where the
Falling Creek empties into the James River. In 1619, early
Virginia Company
The Virginia Company was an English trading company chartered by King James I on 10 April 1606 with the objective of colonizing the eastern coast of America. The coast was named Virginia, after Elizabeth I, and it stretched from present-day ...
settlers established the
Falling Creek Ironworks there.
Decades of conflicts between the Powhatan and the settlers followed, including the
Battle of Bloody Run, fought near Richmond in 1656, after tensions arose from an influx of
Manahoacs and
Nahyssans from the North. Nonetheless, the James Falls area saw more White settlement in the late 1600s and early 1700s.
In early 1737, planter
William Byrd II commissioned
Major William Mayo to lay out the original town grid, completed in April. Byrd named the city after the English town of
Richmond near (and now part of) London, because the view of the James River's bend at the fall line reminded him of his home at
Richmond Hill on the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
. In 1742, the settlement was incorporated as a town.
American Revolution
In 1775,
delivered his famous "
Give me liberty or give me death!" speech in Richmond's
St. John's Church, greatly influencing Virginia's participation in the
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates of twelve of the Thirteen Colonies held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia at the beginning of the American Revolution. The meeting was organized b ...
and the course of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
.
[Grafton, John.]
The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History: 1775–1864
." 2000, Courier Dover Publications, pp. 1–4. On April 18, 1780, the state capital was moved from
Williamsburg to Richmond, providing a more centralized location for Virginia's increasing western population and theoretically isolating the capital from a British attack from the coast.
[April dates in Virginia history]
."
Virginia Historical Society
.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007. In 1781,
Loyalist troops led by
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
led a
raid on Richmond and burnt it, leading Governor
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
to flee while the
Virginia militia, led by
Sampson Mathews, unsuccessfully defended the city.
Early United States
Richmond recovered quickly from the war, thriving within a year of its burning.
[Morrissey, Brendan.]
Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down
." Published 1997, Osprey Publishing, pp. 14–16. In 1786, the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was enacted, separating church and state and advancing the legal principle for
freedom of religion
Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
in the United States.
[Peterson, Merrill D.; Vaughan, Robert C. ]
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: Its Evolution and Consequences in American History
.'' Published 1988, Cambridge University Press. Retrieved on July 11, 2007. In 1788, the
Virginia State Capitol, designed by Jefferson and
Charles-Louis Clérisseau in the
Greek Revival style, was completed.
To bypass Richmond's rapids on the upper James River and provide a water route across the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
to the
Kanawha River, which flows westward into the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
and converges with the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
,
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
helped design the
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a partially built canal in Virginia intended to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast. Ultimately its towpath became the roadbed for ...
.
The canal started in
Westham and cut east to Richmond, facilitating the transfer of cargo from flat-bottomed
James River bateaux above the fall line to the ocean-faring ships below.
The canal boatmen legacy is represented by the figure in the center of the city flag.
Because of the canal and the
hydropower
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...
the falls generated, Richmond emerged as an important industrial center after the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
(1775–1783). It became home to some of the largest manufacturing facilities, including iron works and flour mills, in
the South and the country.
By 1850, Richmond was connected by the
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad to
Port Walthall, where ships carrying over 200 tons of cargo could connect to
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
or
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Passenger liners could reach
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
, through the
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
harbor. In the 19th century, Richmond was connected to the North by the
Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, later replaced by
CSXT.
The railroad also was used by some to escape
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
in the mid-19th century. In 1849,
Henry "Box" Brown had himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to abolitionists in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
through
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
's
President Street Station on the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, often used by the
Underground Railroad to assist escaping disguised slaves reach the free state of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
[Switala, William J.]
The Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania
." Published 2001, Stackpole Books. pp. 1–4.
American Civil War
Five days after the Confederate attack on
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...
, the Virginia legislature voted to secede from the United States and join the newly created
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
on April 17, 1861. The action became official in May, after the Confederacy promised to move its national capital to Richmond from
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...
.Richmond held local, state and national Confederate government offices, hospitals, a railroad hub, and one of the largest slave markets. It also had the largest Confederate arms factory, the
Tredegar Iron Works. The factory produced artillery and other munitions, including heavy
ordnance machinery and the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the
CSS ''Virginia'', the world's first
ironclad
An ironclad was a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by iron armour, steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or ince ...
ship used in war.
[Time-Life Books. '' The Blockade: Runners and Raiders ''. Published 1983, Time-Life, Inc. ] The
Confederate States Congress shared quarters in the Jefferson-designed
Virginia State Capitol with the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...
. The Confederacy's executive mansion, known as the "
White House of the Confederacy," was two blocks away on Clay Street.
Located about from the national capital in
Washington, D.C., Richmond was at the end of a long supply line and difficult to defend. For four years, its defense required the bulk of the
Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederacy's best troops and commanders. The Union army made Richmond a main target in the campaigns of 1862 and 1864–65. In late June and early July 1862, Union General-in-Chief
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...
threatened but failed to take Richmond in the
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...
of the
Peninsula campaign. Three years later, Richmond became indefensible in March 1865 after nearby
Petersburg fell and several remaining rail supply lines to the south and southwest were broken.

On March 25, Confederate General
John B. Gordon's desperate attack on
Fort Stedman, east of Petersburg, failed. On April 1, Union Cavalry General
Philip Sheridan, assigned to interdict the Southside Railroad, met brigades commanded by Southern General
George Pickett at the
Five Forks Junction, defeated them, took thousands of prisoners, and advised Union General-in-Chief
Ulysses S. Grant to order a general advance. When the Union Sixth Corps broke through Confederate lines on the Boydton Plank Road south of Petersburg, Confederate casualties exceeded 5,000, about a tenth of Lee's defending army. Lee then informed President
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
that he intended to evacuate Richmond.
On April 2, 1865, the Confederate Army began Richmond's evacuation. Confederate President Davis and his cabinet, Confederate government archives, and its treasury's gold, left the city that night by train. Confederate officials burned documents and troops burned tobacco and other warehouses to deny the Union any spoils. In the early morning of April 3, Confederate troops exploded the city's gunpowder magazine, killing several paupers in a temporary Almshouse and a man on 2nd St. The concussion shattered windows all over the city. Later that day, General
Godfrey Weitzel, commander of the 25th Corps of the
United States Colored Troops, accepted Richmond's surrender from the mayor and a group of leading citizens who did not evacuate. Union troops eventually contained the fires, but about 25% of the city's buildings were destroyed.

On April 3, President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
visited Grant at Petersburg and took a launch up the
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
to Richmond on April 4. While Davis attempted to organize the Confederate government in
Danville, Lincoln met Confederate Assistant Secretary of War
John A. Campbell, handing him a note inviting Virginia's state legislature to end their rebellion. After Campbell spun the note to Confederate legislators as a possible end to the
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Proclamation had the eff ...
, Lincoln rescinded his offer and ordered General Weitzel to prevent the state legislature from meeting.
On April 6, Union forces killed, wounded, or captured 8,000 Confederate troops at
Sayler's Creek, southwest of Petersburg. The Confederate Army continued a general retreat southwestward, and General Lee continued to reject General Grant's surrender entreaties until Sheridan's infantry and cavalry encircled the shrinking
Army of Northern Virginia and cut off its ability to retreat further on April 8. Lee surrendered his remaining approximately 10,000 troops the following morning at
Appomattox Court House, meeting Grant at the McLean Home.
Davis was captured on May 10 near
Irwinville, Georgia and taken back to Virginia, where he was imprisoned two years at
Fort Monroe until freed on bail.
Postbellum

A decade after the Civil War, Richmond resumed its position as a major urban center of economic productivity with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s, with railroads becoming the dominant shipping method. Richmond became a major railroad crossroads,
[Dunaway, Wayland F.]
History of the James River and Kanawha Company
." Published 1922, Columbia University. Retrieved on July 11, 2007. showcasing the world's first triple railroad crossing. Tobacco warehousing and processing continued to play a central economic role, advanced by the world's first cigarette-rolling machine that
of
Roanoke invented between 1880 and 1881.
Lewis Ginter was the founder of
Allen & Ginter which was at the time one of the world's largest tobacco companies. He would devote his philanthropy to Richmond and was quoted saying "I am for Richmond, first and last." He built the
Jefferson Hotel and suburbs north of Richmond which would go on to be the model for much of the country.
Another important contributor to Richmond's resurgence was the
Richmond Union Passenger Railway, a
trolley system developed by electric power pioneer
Frank J. Sprague. The system opened its first Richmond line in 1888, using an overhead wire and a trolley pole to connect to the current and electric motors on the car's trucks.
[Harwood, Jr., Herbert H. ]
Baltimore Streetcars: The Postwar Years
.'' Published 2003, Johns Hopkins University Press, p. vii. The success led to electric streetcar lines rapidly spreading to other cities.
[Smil, Vaclav. '' Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867–1914 and Their Lasting Impact .'' Published 2005, Oxford University Press, p. 94. ] A post-World War II transition to buses from streetcars began in May 1947 and was completed on November 25, 1949.
20th century
By the beginning of the 20th century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in , making it the most densely populated city in the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...
.
[Gibson, Campbell.]
Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990
at WebCite (July 10, 2007).." ''United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
'', June 1998. Retrieved on July 11, 2007. In the 1900 Census, Richmond's population was 62.1% white and 37.9% black.
Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving African-American business community, and the city's historic
Jackson Ward became known as the "Wall Street of Black America." In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financier
Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, served as its president, and was the first black female bank president in the United States.
Charles Thaddeus Russell was Richmond's first black architect, and he designed the bank's office.
Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company and is the country's oldest surviving African-American bank.
[Felder, Deborah G.]
''A Century of Women: The Most Influential Events in Twentieth-Century Women's History''
, 1999, Citadel Press, p. 338. Another prominent African-American from this time was
John Mitchell Jr., a newspaper editor, civil rights activist, and politician.
In 1910, the former city of
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
consolidated with Richmond, and in 1914 the city annexed Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park in
Henrico County.
[Chesson, Michael B.]
Richmond After the War, 1865 to 1890
." Published 1981, Virginia State Library, p. 177. In May 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the
Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank.
Several major performing arts venues were constructed during the 1920s, including what are now the Landmark Theatre, Byrd Theatre, and Carpenter Theatre. The city's first radio station,
WRVA, began broadcasting in 1925.
WTVR-TV (CBS 6), Richmond's first television station, was also the first TV station south of Washington, D.C.
[Tyler-McGraw, Marie.]
At the Falls: Richmond, Virginia, and Its People
." Published 1994, UNC Press, p. 257.
Between 1963 and 1965, there was a "downtown boom" that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings. In 1968,
Virginia Commonwealth University was created by the merger of the
Medical College of Virginia and the
Richmond Professional Institute.
[About VCU]
." '' Virginia Commonwealth University.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007.
On January 1, 1970, Richmond's borders expanded south by and its population increased by 47,000 after several years of court cases in which
Chesterfield County unsuccessfully fought annexation.
[City of Richmond v. United States, 422 U.S. 358]
." 1975. ''United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007.
In 1995, a multimillion-dollar
flood wall was completed, protecting the city's low-lying areas from the oft-rising James River. Consequently, the River District businesses grew rapidly, bolstered by the creation of a Canal Walk along the city's former industrial canals.
["." ''.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007.][The Canal Walk]
"
Richmond.com
'' July 31, 2009. Retrieved on January 20, 2010. Today the area is home to much of Richmond's entertainment, dining, and nightlife activity.
In 1996, racial tensions grew amid controversy about adding the statue of African American Richmond native and tennis star
Arthur Ashe to the series of statues of Confederate figures on
Monument Avenue.
[Edds, Margaret; Little, Robert. "Why Richmond voted to Honor Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue. The Final, Compelling Argument for Supporters: A Street Reserved for Confederate Generals had no Place in this City." '']The Virginian-Pilot
''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Hampton Roads, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virgi ...
.'' July 19, 1995. After several months of controversy, Ashe's bronze statue was finally completed on July 10, 1996.
[Staff Writer.]
Arthur Ashe Statue Set Up in Richmond at Last
." ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
.'' July 5, 1996. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.
21st century
By the beginning of the 21st century, the population of the greater
Richmond metropolitan area had reached approximately 1,100,000, although the population of the city itself had declined to less than 200,000. On November 2, 2004, former Virginia governor
L. Douglas Wilder was elected as the city's first directly elected mayor in over 60 years.
Most of the statues honoring Confederate leaders such as the
Robert E. Lee monument on
Monument Avenue were removed during or after the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
in June 2020 following the
killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer
Derek M. Chauvin. The city removed the last Confederate statue, honoring Confederate General
General A. P. Hill, on December 12, 2022. The
only statue remaining on Monument Avenue is of Arthur Ashe, the pioneering Black tennis player. The
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20 ...
monument in Jackson Ward was untouched during the protests and remained in place.
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, a prominent American preservationist, chemical engineer and archivist, died at his home in Richmond on May 25, 2025 at the age of 96. He was the last surviving grandson of the tenth U.S. president,
John Tyler
John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president of the United States, vice president in 1841. He was elected ...
.
Geography
Richmond is located at (37.538, −77.462). According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (4.3%) is water.
The city is in the
Piedmont region of Virginia, at the James River's highest navigable point. The Piedmont region is characterized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, flat
Tidewater region and the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...
. Significant bodies of water in the region include the
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
, the
Appomattox River, and the
Chickahominy River.
Richmond-Petersburg is the
44th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States, and includes the independent cities of Richmond,
Colonial Heights,
Hopewell, and
Petersburg, and the counties of
Charles City,
Chesterfield,
Dinwiddie,
Goochland,
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
,
Henrico,
New Kent,
Powhatan, and
Prince George.
[The Richmond-Petersburg MSA at a Glance]
."
Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
.'' January 2006. Retrieved on July 12, 2007. On July 1, 2009, the Richmond—Petersburg
MSA's population was 1,258,251.
Richmond is located north of
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458 with a majority bla ...
, southeast of
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...
, northwest of
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
, south of
Washington, D.C., and northeast of
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
.
Cityscape

Richmond's original street grid, laid out in 1737, included the area between what are now Broad, 17th, and 25th Streets and the James River. Modern
Downtown Richmond is slightly farther west, on the slopes of Shockoe Hill. Nearby neighborhoods include
Shockoe Bottom, the historically significant and low-lying area between Shockoe Hill and
Church Hill, and Monroe Ward, which contains the
Jefferson Hotel. Richmond's East End includes neighborhoods like the rapidly gentrifying
Church Hill, home to
St. John's Church, poorer areas like
Fulton, Union Hill, and Fairmont, and public housing projects like
Mosby Court, Whitcomb Court, Fairfield Court, and Creighton Court closer to
Interstate 64.
The area between Belvidere Street,
Interstate 195,
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
, and the river, which includes
Virginia Commonwealth University, is socioeconomically and architecturally diverse. North of Broad Street, the Carver and Newtowne West neighborhoods are demographically similar to neighboring
Jackson Ward.Carver has seen some gentrification due to its proximity to VCU. The affluent area between the
Boulevard, Main Street, Broad Street, and VCU, known as the
Fan, is home to
Monument Avenue, an outstanding collection of
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...
, and many students. West of the Boulevard is the Museum District, which contains the
Virginia Historical Society and the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. South of the
Downtown Expressway are
Byrd Park,
Maymont,
Hollywood Cemetery, the predominantly black working-class Randolph neighborhood, and white working-class
Oregon Hill. Cary Street between Interstate 195 and the
Boulevard is a popular commercial area called
Carytown.
Richmond's Northside is home to numerous listed historic districts. Neighborhoods such as
Chestnut Hill-Plateau and Barton Heights began to be developed at the end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the city's outskirts and commute downtown. Other prominent Northside neighborhoods include Azalea, Barton Heights, Bellevue, Chamberlayne, Ginter Park, Highland Park, and Rosedale.
Farther west is the affluent, suburban
West End. Windsor Farms is among its best-known sections. The West End also includes middle- to low-income neighborhoods, such as Laurel, Farmington, and the areas around the Regency Mall. More affluent areas include Glen Allen, Short Pump, and the areas of Tuckahoe away from Regency Mall, all north and northwest of the city. The
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...
and the
Country Club of Virginia are located on this side of town near the Richmond-Henrico border.
The portion of the city south of the James River is known as the Southside. Southside neighborhoods range from the affluent and middle-class suburban Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Southampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Hills, Hobby Hill, and Woodland Heights to the impoverished
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and Blackwell areas, the Hillside Court housing projects, and the ailing Jefferson Davis Highway commercial corridor. Other Southside neighborhoods include Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. Much of Southside developed a suburban character as part of
Chesterfield County before being annexed by Richmond, most notably in 1970.
Climate
Richmond has a
humid subtropical (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Cfa'') or
oceanic (
Trewartha: ''Doak'') climate, with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.
The mountains to the west act as a partial barrier to outbreaks of cold, continental air in winter. Arctic air is delayed long enough to be modified and further warmed as it subsides in its approach to Richmond. The open waters of the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
and Atlantic Ocean contribute to the humid summers and cool winters. The coldest weather normally occurs from late December to early February, and the January daily mean temperature is , with an average of 6.0 days with highs at or below the freezing mark.
Richmond's Downtown and areas south and east of downtown are in USDA
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
s 7b. Surrounding suburbs and areas to the north and west of Downtown are in Hardiness Zone 7a.
Temperatures seldom fall below , with the most recent subzero reading on January 7, 2018, when the temperature reached .
The July daily mean temperature is , and high temperatures reach or exceed approximately 43 days a year; temperatures are not uncommon but do not occur every year.
Extremes in temperature have ranged from on January 19, 1940, to on August 6, 1918. The record cold maximum is , set on
February 11 and 12, 1899. The record warm minimum is , set on July 12, 2011.
The warmest months recorded were July 2020 and August 1900, both averaging 82.9 °F (28.3 °C). The coldest, January 1940, averaged 24.2 °F (-4.3 °C).
Precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...
is rather uniformly distributed throughout the year. Dry periods lasting several weeks sometimes occur, especially in autumn, when long periods of pleasant, mild weather are most common. There is considerable variability in total monthly precipitation amounts from year to year, so no one month can be depended to be normal. Snow has been recorded during seven of the 12 months. Falls of or more within 24 hours occur once a year on average.
Annual snowfall is usually moderate, averaging per season.
Snow typically remains on the ground for only one or two days, but it remained for 16 days in 2010 (January 30 to February 14). Ice storms (freezing rain or glaze) are not uncommon, but they are seldom severe enough to cause considerable damage.
The
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
reaches tidewater at Richmond, where flooding may occur in any month of the year, most frequently in March and least in July.
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
and
tropical storms have been responsible for most flooding during the summer and early fall months. Hurricanes passing near Richmond have produced record rainfalls. In 1955, three hurricanes, including
Hurricane Connie and
Hurricane Diane, which brought heavy rains five days apart, produced record rainfall in a six-week period. In 2004, the downtown area suffered extensive flood damage after the remnants of
Hurricane Gaston dumped up to of rain.
Damaging storms occur mainly from snow and
freezing rain in winter, and from hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms in other seasons. Damage can come from wind, flooding, rain, or a combination of the three.
Tornadoes are infrequent, but some notable ones have been observed in the Richmond area.
Downtown Richmond averages 84 days of nighttime frost annually. Nighttime frost is more common in areas north and west of Downtown and less common south and east of downtown. From 1981 to 2010, the average first temperature at or below freezing was on October 30 and the average last one on April 10.
Demographics
Richmond's population is approximately 226,000. As an independent city, Richmond is surrounded by
Henrico County, which has a population of about 334,000. The
Greater Richmond region has an estimated population of about 1.3 million.
As of the
2010 United States census, there were 204,214 people living in the city. 50.6% were
Black or African American, 40.8%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.3%
Asian, 0.3%
Native American, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.6% of some other race and 2.3%
of two or more races. 6.3% were
Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
As of the census
of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 92,282 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 57.2%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 38.3%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 1.3%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.5% from
other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 84,549 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,121, and the median income for a family was $38,348. Males had a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 17.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.
Crime
Richmond experienced a spike in overall crime, particularly in the
murder rate, during the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s, when it was consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.
Since the late 2000s, various forms of crime have significantly decreased in the city.
Its major crime rate, including violent and property crimes, decreased 47 percent between 2004 and 2009 to its lowest level in more than a quarter of a century.
In 2008, Richmond had fallen to 49th on a
Morgan Quitno Press ranking of the most dangerous cities in the United States, and the city recorded its lowest homicide rate since 1971.
By 2012, Richmond was no longer in the top 200.
In recent years, Richmond, like other cities, has had a slight increase in homicides, although violent and other forms of crime remain below the national average.
Religion
In 1786, the Virginia General Assembly adopted the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, wrote in 1779. The
First Freedom Center now commemorates the site.
Richmond has several historic churches, including several prominent Anglican/Episcopal ones from before the Revolutionary War,
Monumental Church,
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and
St. John's Episcopal Church. Methodists and Baptists built subsequent early Richmond churches. The first,
First Baptist Church of Richmond, was established in 1780. The First Presbyterian Church, organized on June 18, 1812, was the city's first
Reformed church. The
Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, founded February 5, 1845, where
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
worshiped, was Richmond's first
Gothic building and
gas-lit church.
St. Peter's Church, dedicated May 25, 1834, was the first Catholic church. The
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, dedicated 72 years later, is the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond's
mother church
Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral church, or ...
.
The
first Jewish congregation in Richmond, and the sixth in the United States, was Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalom. By 1822, Beth Shalom members worshipped in Virginia's first synagog. Eventually, the congregation merged with its offshoot,
Congregation Beth Ahabah. Richmond has two Orthodox Synagogues, Keneseth Beth Israel and Chabad of Virginia. An Orthodox
Yeshivah K–12 school system, Rudlin Torah Academy, includes a post high-school program. The city also is home to two Conservative synagogs, Beth El and Or Atid; and two Reform synagogs, Beth Ahabah and Or Ami. Other Jewish charitable, educational, and social service institutions serving Richmond include the Weinstein Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, and the
Richmond Jewish Foundation.
Immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
brought their religions to Richmond and built churches. Germans formed
St. John's German Evangelical church in 1843. Greeks held Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral's first worship service in 1917 in a rented room at 309 North 7th Street. The cathedral relocated to 30 Malvern Avenue in 1960. It is one of two Eastern Orthodox churches in Richmond and home to the annual Richmond Greek Festival.
There are seven
masjids in the Greater Richmond area, with three more in construction to accommodate the growing Muslim population. The first was Masjid Bilal. In the 1950s, Muslims from the East End organized under Nation of Islam (NOI), meeting in Temple No. 24 on North Avenue. After the 1975 NOI split, Muslims who joined mainstream Islam started meeting at Shabaaz Restaurant on Nine Mile Road. By 1976, the Muslims met in a rented church they unsuccessfully tried to buy. Ultimately, the congregation bought an old grocery store on Chimbarazoo Boulevard, where Masjid Bilal is now located. Initially called "Masjid Muhammad No. 24," it was given its current name in 1990. The next masjid was the Islamic Center of Virginia, ICVA, established in 1973 as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. After successful fundraising, ICVA bought land on Buford Road and began constructing the new masjid in the early 1980s. The other five masjids in the Richmond area are Islamic Center of Richmond (ICR) in the West End; Masjid Umm Barakah on 2nd Street, Downtown; Islamic Society of Greater Richmond (ISGR) in the West End end; Masjidullah in the north side; and Masjid Ar-Rahman in the East End.
Seminaries in Richmond include
Virginia Union University's school of theology,
Union Presbyterian Seminary
Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, offering graduate theological education in multiple modalities: in-person, hybrid, and online.
History
As a result of efforts underta ...
, and the
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. The McCollough Theological Seminary of the
United House of Prayer For All People is in the
Church Hill neighborhood.
Bishops sitting in Richmond include those of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the denomination's largest; the Richmond Area of the United Methodist Church (Virginia Annual Conference), the second largest and one of the oldest in the nation. The Presbytery of the James—Presbyterian Church (USA) – also is in the Richmond area.
The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond was canonically erected by
Pope Pius VII on July 11, 1820, and today has 235,816 members in 146 parishes. The city of Richmond is
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is home to the current bishop, Most Reverend
Barry C. Knestout, appointed by
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
on December 15, 2017.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
has three stakes, or organizational units of multiple congregations, in the greater Richmond area. At year-end 2017, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 95,379 members in 200 congregations in 22 stakes
across Virginia). In April 2018, church president
Russell M. Nelson announced a new
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
to be built in Virginia. The church's first temple in the state is in Glen Allen, northwest of Richmond.
Economy
Richmond's strategic location on the
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
at the rocky
fall line separating Virginia's
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
and
Tidewater regions made it a natural development point for commerce. For centuries and three modes of transportation—boats, with the Great Turning Basin; railroad, with the world's only
triple crossing of rail lines; and cars, with two intersecting major interstates—the downtown has always been a natural hub.
Law and finance have long been driving forces in the economy. Richmond is home to the Virginia Supreme Court; one of the four courts in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; one of the four divisions of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; and the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...
, one of thirteen such
appeals courts. Richmond is headquarters to some large law firms:
Hunton Andrews Kurth,
McGuireWoods, and
Williams Mullen.
Troutman Sanders, which merged with Richmond-based Mays & Valentine LLP in 2001, also has a significant presence.
The city also is home to the
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, one of twelve such
banks, with many large financial and other companies having significant offices, like
Genworth Financial,
Capital One,
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is an American tobacco company. They are a division of the American tobacco corporation Altria Group. It has been the leading cigarette manufacturer in the U.S. since the late 20th century. Its major brands include Marlboro, Vi ...
, and several banks and brokerages.
Since the 1960s, Richmond has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and related businesses. One of the most notable Richmond-based agencies,
The Martin Agency, was founded in 1965 and employs 500. With local advertising agency support,
VCU's graduate advertising school (VCU Brandcenter) has consistently ranked as the best graduate advertising program in the country.
Richmond is home to the rapidly developing Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, which opened in 1995 as a biotechnology and pharmaceutical incubator. Located adjacent to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus of
Virginia Commonwealth University, the park has over of research, laboratory, and office space for a diverse tenant mix of companies, research institutes, government laboratories, and non-profit organizations. The
United Network for Organ Sharing
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit scientific and educational organization that administers the only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) in the United States, established () by th ...
, which maintains the nation's
organ transplant
Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ (anatomy), organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or org ...
waiting list, occupies one building in the park.
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is an American tobacco company. They are a division of the American tobacco corporation Altria Group. It has been the leading cigarette manufacturer in the U.S. since the late 20th century. Its major brands include Marlboro, Vi ...
opened a $350 million research and development facility in the park in 2007. Once fully developed, park officials expect the site to employ roughly 3,000 scientists, technicians and engineers.
Richmond's revitalized downtown includes the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Convention Center, and expansion on both
VCU campuses. A new performing arts center,
Richmond CenterStage, opened on September 12, 2009.
[Ruggieri, Melissa.]
Richmond CenterStage opens its doors Saturday
" '' Richmond Times-Dispatch.'' September 9, 2009. Retrieved on January 20, 2010. The complex included a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store.
Craft beer,
cider
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
, and
liquor
Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...
production is also growing in the River City, with twelve micro-breweries in the city. The oldest is Legend Brewery, founded in 1994. Two cideries, Buskey Cider and Blue Bee Cider, are located in the popular beverage neighborhood of
Scott's Addition, which has nine breweries, one
meadery, and one distillery. Richmond's three
distilleries are Reservoir Distillery, founded in 2010; Belle Isle Craft Spirits, started in 2013; and James River Distillery, established in 2014.
Richmond is attracting film and television industry attention. Several high-profile films have been shot in the metro region, including the major 2012 motion picture ''
Lincoln,'' for which
Daniel Day-Lewis won his third Oscar; ''
Killing Kennedy'' with
Rob Lowe, 2013, airing on the
National Geographic Channel; and ''
Turn'', starring
Jamie Bell and airing on
AMC. Richmond was the main filming location for the
PBS drama series ''Mercy Street'', which premiered in Winter 2016. Several organizations, including the Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Production Alliance, and events, like the Richmond International Film Festival and French Film Festival, continue to draw film and media professionals to the region.
Corporations

Greater Richmond was named the third-best city for business by
MarketWatch
''MarketWatch'' is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's.''
...
in September 2007, ranking behind Minneapolis and Denver and above Boston. The area is home to six
''Fortune'' 500 companies: electric utility
Dominion Energy;
CarMax;
Owens & Minor;
Genworth Financial;
MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco Corporation was an American Packaging and labeling, packaging company based in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. It had approximately 23,000 employees. In February 2006, it moved its corporate headquarters to Richmond. In March ...
/
WestRock; and
Altria Group.
Dominion Energy is the only headquartered in the city of Richmond. The others are located in neighboring
Henrico and
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
counties. In February 2006,
MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco Corporation was an American Packaging and labeling, packaging company based in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. It had approximately 23,000 employees. In February 2006, it moved its corporate headquarters to Richmond. In March ...
announced a 2008 move from
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...
, to Richmond with assistance from the Greater Richmond Partnership,
a regional economic development organization that also helped locate
Aditya Birla Minacs,
Amazon.com,
and
Honeywell International to the region. In 2008, Altria moved its corporate HQ from New York City to Henrico County. In July 2015, MeadWestvaco merged with Georgia-based Rock-Tenn Company creating
WestRock Company.

Other
Fortune 500
The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...
companies without headquarters but with a significant presence in the Richmond area include
SunTrust Banks (based in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
),
Capital One (officially based in
McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population of the community was 50,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is ...
, but founded in and with its operations center and most employees in the Richmond area), and medical and pharmaceutical giant
McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation is a publicly traded American company that distributes Medication, pharmaceuticals and provides health information technology, Medical device, medical supplies, and Health administration, health management tools. The company ...
(based in Las Colinas, Texas).
Thermo Fisher Scientific came to the Richmond area in December 2021 when it acquired the contract research organization
PPD. Capital One and Philip Morris USA are two of the largest private Richmond-area employers.
DuPont
Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to:
People
* Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...
maintains a production facility in South Richmond known as the Spruance Plant.
UPS Freight, the less-than-truckload division of
United Parcel Service has its corporate headquarters in Richmond.
Other companies based in Richmond include engineering specialists
CTI Consultants; chemical company
NewMarket;
Brink's
The Brink's Company is an American Automated cash handling, cash handling company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Its operations include cash-in-transit, ATM replenishment & maintenance, and cash management & payment services, such as va ...
, the security and armored car company;
Estes Express Lines, a freight carrier;
Universal Corporation, a tobacco merchant;
Cavalier Telephone, now Windstream, a telephone, internet, and digital television provider formed in Richmond in 1998;
Cherry Bekaert & Holland, a top 30 accounting firm serving the
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...
; the law firm of
McGuireWoods;
Elephant Insurance, an insurance company subsidiary of
Admiral Group; and
Media General, a company specializing in broadcast media.
Poverty
As of 2016, 24.8% of Richmond residents live below the
federal poverty line, the second-highest among the 30 largest cities and counties in Virginia. An
Annie E. Casey Foundation report issued in 2016 also determined that Richmond had a
child poverty rate of 39%, more than double Virginia's overall rate. As of 2016, Richmond had the second-highest rate of
eviction
Eviction is the removal of a Tenement (law), tenant from leasehold estate, rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosure, foreclosed by a mortgagee (often ...
filings and judgments of any American city with a population of 100,000 or more (in states where complete data was available). Some Richmond neighborhoods, such as the
Creighton Court public-housing complex, have high concentrations of poverty.
Arts and culture
Museums and monuments
Several of the city's large general museums are located on or near Arthur Ashe Boulevard, in what is referred to as the Museum District. The
Virginia Historical Society and the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts are on the Boulevard. Nearby is the
Science Museum of Virginia, housed on Broad Street in the
neoclassical former 1919 Broad Street Union Station. Immediately adjacent is the
Children's Museum of Richmond, and two blocks away is the
Virginia Center for Architecture. Downtown has the
Library of Virginia and the
Valentine Richmond History Center. The city also has the
Virginia Holocaust Museum and the
Old Dominion Railway Museum.
Richmond is home to several American Civil War museums and battlefields. The
Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitors Center and the
American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar are near the riverfront, both housed in the former buildings of the
Tredegar Iron Works, where much of the South's war ordnance was produced. In
Court End, near the
Virginia State Capitol, is the
Museum of the Confederacy and the Davis Mansion, also known as the Confederacy's White House. Both feature a wide variety of objects and material from the era. The temporary home of
General Robert E. Lee still stands Downtown on Franklin Street.
The
history of slavery
The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and Slavery and religion, religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, a ...
and
emancipation
Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...
are increasingly being represented in the city. There is a former slave trail along the river that leads to Ancarrow's Boat Ramp and Historic Site, which has been developed with interpretive signage. In 2007, the Reconciliation Statue was placed in Shockoe Bottom, with corresponding statues installed in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and
Benin
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
representing points in the
Triangle Trade
Triangular trade or triangle trade is trade between three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come. It has been used to offset t ...
.

Other historical points of interest include
St. John's Church, the site of
's famous "
Give me liberty or give me death!" speech, and the
Edgar Allan Poe Museum features many of his writings and other artifacts of his life, particularly when he lived in the city as a child, student, and successful writer. The
John Marshall
John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...
House, home of the former
Chief Justice of the United States
The chief justice of the United States is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States and is the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. federal judiciary. Appointments Clause, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution g ...
, is also Downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life.
Hollywood Cemetery is where two
U.S. Presidents and many Civil War officers and soldiers are buried.
Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives collects, preserves, and exhibits materials that focus on Jewish history and culture specifically connected to Richmond.
The
Virginia Washington monument was designed by
Thomas Crawford and completed under the supervision of
Randolph Rogers after Crawford's death. It became the second
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a ...
of
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
to be unveiled in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
(following the
one in
Union Square,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, unveiled in 1856). It was not completed until 1869. Located also near Byrd Park is the famous
World War I Memorial Carillon, a 56-bell
carillon
A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a musical keyboard, keyboard and consists of at least 23 bells. The bells are Bellfounding, cast in Bell metal, bronze, hung in fixed suspension, and Musical tuning, tu ...
tower. Dedicated in 1956, the
Virginia War Memorial is located on Belvedere overlooking the river and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, the
Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, the
War in Afghanistan, and the
Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
.
Agecroft Hall is a
Tudor manor house and estate located on the James River in the
Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond. The manor house was built in the late 15th century and was originally located in the
Agecroft area of
Pendlebury, in the
historic county of
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
Visual and performing arts

Musicians of note associated with Richmond include
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...
,
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean (brand), Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV comm ...
,
Agents of Good Roots,
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...
,
Alabama Thunderpussy,
Avail,
Broadside,
Carbon Leaf
Carbon Leaf is a quintet from Richmond, Virginia, known for their alt-country, Celtic rock, Celtic, and folk rock, folk-infused indie rock. Though some of the band members have changed through the years, Carbon Leaf has been consistently creat ...
,
Cannabis Corpse,
Cracker,
D'Angelo,
Denali
Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
,
Down to Nothing,
Engine Down,
Four Walls Falling,
Iron Reagan,
Lamb of God
Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
,
Lil Ugly Mane
Travis Miller (born May 13, 1984), best known professionally as Lil Ugly Mane, is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. Noted for his diverse style, introspective lyrics, and various side projects, Miller's work spans a wid ...
,
Municipal Waste,
Nettspend,
Black Kray,
Nickelus F,
River City High,
Sparklehorse,
Strike Anywhere
Strike Anywhere is an American punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is ch ...
,
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
, Eric Stanley (violinist), Eric Stanley, Bad Omens, Gwar and Fighting Gravity (band), Fighting Gravity.
Murals
With the Richmond Mural Project (RMP), sponsored by RVA Mag and Art Whino, and 2013's RVA Street Art Festival, the city quickly gained more than 100 murals created by international mural artists, such as Aryz, Roa, Ron English, and Natalia Rak. While the RMP focused on international talent, the RVA Street Art Festival, led by long-time local mural artist Ed Trask, focused mainly on regional artists, although it was responsible for PoseMSK, Jeff Soto, and Mark Jenkins (artist), Mark Jenkins. After some criticism, the RMP included its first local artist, Nils Westergard, who already was on the international circuit, and then another, Jacob Eveland. The two festivals were unrelated, and the RMP is now defunct. The RVA Street Art Festival occurs as funding permits. In response to the George Floyd protests of the summer of 2020, local artist Hamilton Glass spearheaded the Mending Walls Project, featuring walls by pairs of local artists.
Professional performing companies
From their earliest days, Virginia and Richmond welcomed live theatrical performances. Lewis Hallam staged early Shakespeare productions in Williamsburg, and Richmond became a prominent colonial and early 19th century performance place for celebrated American and English actors, like William Macready, Edwin Forrest, and the Booth family. In the 20th century, Richmond had many amateur troupes and regular touring professional productions. The city's principal performing arts groups include the Virginia Repertory Theatre, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Triangle Players, Richmond Symphony, and Virginia Opera.
Other venues and companies include:
* Altria Theater, the city-owned opera house
* The Byrd Theatre in
Carytown, a 1920s movie palace that features second-run movies and hosts the French Film Festival
* Leslie Cheek Theater at the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
* Dogwood Dell, an amphitheater in
Byrd Park
* National Theater (Richmond, Virginia), National Theater
* Richmond CenterStage, Dominion Energy Center, which includes the Carpenter Theater
* School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community
* Virginia Credit Union Live!
Commercial art galleries include Metro Space Gallery and Gallery 5 in a newly designated arts district. Not-for-profit galleries include Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1708 Gallery, and Artspace.
In 2008, a new Gay Community Center opened on the city's north side. It hosts meetings of many kinds and includes a large art gallery space.
Literary arts
Richmond has long been a hub for literature and writers. Edgar Allan Poe grew up in the city, and the city's oldest stone house is a museum to his life and works. ''The Southern Literary Messenger'', which included his writing, is one of many notable publications started in Richmond. Other noteworthy authors who have called Richmond home include Pulitzer-winning Ellen Glasgow, controversial figure James Branch Cabell, Meg Medina, Dean King, David L. Robbins (Virginia writer), David L. Robbins, and MacArthur Fellow Paule Marshall. Tom Wolfe was born in Richmond, as was ''Breaking Bad'' creator Vince Gilligan. David Baldacci graduated from
Virginia Commonwealth University, where the creative writing faculty has included Marshall, Claudia Emerson, Kathleen Graber, T. R. Hummer, Dave Smith (poet), Dave Smith, David Wojahn, and Susann Cokal. Notable graduates include Sheri Reynolds, Jon Pineda, Anna Journey and Joshua Poteat.
Architecture
Richmond is home to many significant structures, including some designed by notable architects. The city contains diverse styles and has excellent examples of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, Egyptian Revival, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Modernist, International, and Postmodern architecture.
Many of Richmond's historic properties are documented in books and 1970s-era black and white photographs by John G. Zehmer, an architectural historian and preservationist.
The 1865 Evacuation Fire destroyed about 25% of Richmond's early buildings. Fewer remain due to redevelopment and construction occurring since Reconstruction era of the United States, Reconstruction. Nonetheless, Richmond has many historically significant buildings and districts. From the colonial period, there are the Patteson-Schutte House and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia), both built before 1750.
Architectural classicism is represented in all city districts, particularly Downtown and in the Fan and the Museum District. Several notable classical architects have designed buildings in Richmond.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
and
Charles-Louis Clérisseau designed the Virginia State Capitol in 1785. It is the second-oldest U.S. statehouse in continuous use (Maryland's is the oldest), and the first U.S. government building built in the Neoclassical architecture, neo-classical style, setting the trend for other state houses and federal buildings, including the White House and United States Capitol, The Capitol in Washington, D.C.
[Jefferson & The Capital Of Virginia]
." An Exhibition at the Library of Virginia; January 7 – June 15, 2002. Retrieved on January 20, 2010. Robert Mills designed
Monumental Church on Broad Street, abutted by the 1845 Egyptian Building, one of the few Egyptian Revival buildings in the U.S.
The firm of John Russell Pope designed Broad Street Station (Richmond), Broad Street Station, or Union Station, in the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style, and it now is home to the
Science Museum of Virginia. The firm also designed Branch House on
Monument Avenue as a Tudor private residence, which now is the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design. Wilson, Harris, and Richards designed Main Street Station (Richmond), Main Street Station, now used for its intended purpose. The classically trained Beaux-Arts architects, Carrère and Hastings, designed both the Jefferson Hotel and the Commonwealth Club. Ralph Adams Cram, renowned for the Princeton University Chapel and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, designed many buildings at the
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...
, including Jeter and Ryland Halls.
Richmond's position as a center of iron production helped to fuel the popularity of its cast-iron architecture. The city is home to a unique collection of cast iron porches, balconies, fences, and finials, second only to New Orleans in cast-iron concentration. At the height of production in the 1890s, 25 foundries operated in Richmond, employing nearly 3,500 metal workers. This number is seven times the number of general construction workers employed at the time, illustrating the importance of iron exports to the city. Porches and fences in urban neighborhoods, such as Jackson Ward, Church Hill, and Monroe Ward, are particularly elaborate, often featuring ornate iron casts never replicated outside of Richmond. In some cases, casts were made for a single residential or commercial application.
Richmond is home to several notable buildings designed by modernist masters. Minoru Yamasaki designed the Federal Reserve Building, which dominates the downtown skyline. The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, home to Gordon Bunshaft, designed the
Library of Virginia and the General Assembly Offices at the Eighth and Main Building. Philip Johnson designed the WRVA Building. Richard Neutra designed Rice House (Richmond, Virginia), Rice House, a residence on a private James River Island, is Richmond's only true International Style home. Famed early modern architect and member of the Harvard Five, Landis Gores, designed the W.G. Harris residence in Richmond. Steven Holl designed the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, Richmond, Institute for Contemporary Art, opened in 2018. Other notable architects that have worked in the Richmond area include Rick Mather and I.M. Pei.
Richmond's urban residential neighborhoods, largely single use town homes with mixed full retail/dining establishments, are keys to the city's character. The Fan, the Museum District, Jackson Ward, Carver, Carytown, Oregon Hill, and Church Hill are districts anchored by large streets, such as Franklin Street, Cary Street, the Boulevard, and Monument Avenue. The city's recent population growth mainly has been concentrated in these areas.
Historic districts
Richmond's City Code provides for the creation of old and historic districts to "recognize and protect the historic, architectural, cultural, and artistic heritage of the City". Pursuant to that authority, the city has designated 45 districts. Most districts also are listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register ("VLR") and the National Register of Historic Places ("NRHP").
Fifteen districts represent broad sections of the city:

The remaining thirty districts are limited to an individual building or group of buildings throughout the city:
Food
Richmond has been recognized in recent years as a "foodie city", particularly for its modern renditions of traditional cuisine of the Southern United States, Southern cuisine.
The city also claims the invention of the sailor sandwich, which includes pastrami, knockwurst, Swiss cheese (North America), Swiss cheese and mustard (condiment), mustard on rye bread.
Richmond is where Drink can#History, canned beer was first made commercially available in 1935.
Sports

Richmond does not have a major league professional sports team. Since 2013, however, the Washington Commanders of the National Football League have held their Training camp (National Football League), summer training camp in the city.
The city has several minor league sports franchises, including the Richmond Kickers of USL League One and the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Class AA Double-A Northeast of Minor League Baseball, a San Francisco Giants affiliate.
The Kickers began playing in Richmond in 1993, making them the oldest continually operated professional club in the United States. The club now plays home matches at City Stadium (Richmond), City Stadium. In 2018, the Richmond Kickers left the USL to be founders in Division 3 Soccer. The Squirrels opened their first season at The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia), The Diamond on April 15, 2010. From 1966 through 2008, the city was home to the Richmond Braves, a Triple-A (baseball), AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball, until the franchise relocated to Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia.
Richmond is home to the Richmond Black Widows, the city's first women's football team, founded in 2015 by Sarah Schkeeper. The team is in the Women's Football Alliance, which preseason begins in January and regular season in April.
A significant city sports venue is the 6,000-seat Arthur Ashe Athletic Center, a multi-purpose arena named for tennis great and Richmond resident
Arthur Ashe. This facility hosts local sporting events, concerts, and other activities. Tennis is popular in Richmond. In 2010, the United States Tennis Association named Richmond the third "Best Tennis Town", after Charleston, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia.
Richmond hosted the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, which had cyclists from 76 countries and an estimated beneficial $158.1 million economic impact on the Greater Richmond Region from event staging and visitor spending. The championship course was the first real-world location to be recreated within the indoor cycle training application, Zwift. The application has subsequently added two other Union Cycliste Internationale, UCI world championships courses, Innsbruck from 2018 and Harrogate from 2019.
The city is home to the Richmond Spiders football, University of Richmond football team, who most notably won the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, 2008 NCAA Division I FCS National Championship. The team plays its home games at Robins Stadium.
Richmond also has seen recent men's and women's college basketball success in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Richmond Spiders play at the Robins Center and the VCU Rams play at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
Parks and recreation
The city operates one of the country's oldest municipal park systems. In 1851, the City Council voted to acquire , now known as Monroe Park. Monroe Park is adjacent to the
Virginia Commonwealth University campus, and is one of over 40 parks totaling more than .

Other city parks include Joseph Bryan Park Azalea Garden, Forest Hill Park (former site of the Forest Hill Amusement Park), and Chimborazo Park (site of the National Battlefield Headquarters).
James River
Several of the city's parks are along the James River, many of which are a part of the James River Parks System, which offers bike trails, hiking and nature trails, and many scenic overlooks. The trails are used for the Xterra East Championship running and mountain biking courses of the off-road triathlon.
Parks exist on two major islands in the James River, Belle Isle (Virginia), Belle Isle and Brown's Island. Belle Isle, a former Powhatan fishing village, colonial-era horse race track, and Civil War prison camp, is the larger of the two. It contains many bike trails and a small cliff used for rock climbing instruction. The island still has many remnants of the Civil War prison camp, including an arms storage room and a gun emplacement used to quell prisoner riots. Brown's Island is smaller and a popular venue for many spring and summer free outdoor concerts and festivals, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series and the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.
Richmond is the only city in the United States with International scale of river difficulty, Class IV rapids running through it.
Two other major city parks along the river are
Byrd Park and
Maymont, located near the Fan District. Byrd Park features a running track, with exercise stops, a public dog park, and a number of small lakes for small boats, as well as two monuments, Buddha house and an amphitheater. The Carillon, World War I Memorial Carillon, built in 1926, features prominently in the park. Maymont, adjacent to Byrd Park, is a Victorian architecture, Victorian estate with a museum, formal gardens, native wildlife exhibits, nature center, carriage collection, and Children's Farm, children's farm.
Government
Richmond city government consists of a city council with representatives from nine districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor serving as head of the executive branch. Citizens in each of the nine districts elect one council representative each to serve a four-year term. Beginning with the November 2008 election Council terms was lengthened to four years. The city council elects from among its members one member to serve as Council President and one to serve as Council Vice President. The city council meets at City Hall, located at 900 E. Broad St., 2nd Floor, on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, except August.
In 1977, a federal district court ruled in favor of Curtis Holt Jr. who had claimed the council's existing election process — an at large voting system — was racially biased. The verdict required the city to rebuild its council into nine distinct wards. Within the year the city council switched from majority white to majority black, reflecting the city's populace. This new city council elected Richmond's first black mayor, Henry L. Marsh.
Richmond's government changed in 2004 from a council-manager form of government with a mayor elected by and from the council to an at-large, popularly elected mayor. Unlike most major cities, in order to be elected, a mayoral candidate must win a plurality of the vote in five of the city's nine council districts. If no one crosses that threshold, a runoff is held between the two top finishers in the first round. This was implemented as a compromise in order to address concerns that better-organized and wealthier white voters could have undue influence. In a landslide election, incumbent mayor Rudy McCollum was defeated by Douglas Wilder, L. Douglas Wilder, who previously served Virginia as the first elected African American governor in the United States since Reconstruction era of the United States, Reconstruction. Levar Stoney served as Mayor from 2016 to 2024. Dr. Danny Avula was sworn is as mayor on December 31, 2024.
The mayor is not a part of the Richmond City Council.
, the Richmond City Council consisted of:
* Andrew S. Benton, 1st District (West End)
* Katherine L. Jordan, 2nd District (North Central), Council Vice President
* Kenya J. Gibson, 3rd District (Northside)
* Sarah M.A. Abubaker, 4th District (Southwest)
* Stephanie A. Lynch, 5th District (Central)
* Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District (Gateway),
* Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District (East End), Council President
* Reva M. Trammell, 8th District (Southside)
* Nicole Jones, 9th District (South Central)
Education
Public schools
The City of Richmond operates 28 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, serving a total student population of 24,000.
The city has one Governor's School, the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies. In 2008, it was named one of Newsweek magazine's 18 "public elite" high schools,
and rated 16 of America's best high schools in 2012.
Richmond's public school district also runs one of Virginia's four public charter schools, the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, founded in 2010.
The 2020 class had an on-time graduation rate of 71.6%, at least 20 percentage points behind most other school divisions, making it the worst in the state.
Private schools
As of 2008, there were 36 private schools serving grades one or higher in the City of Richmond.
Some of these schools include: Banner Christian School; St. Bridget School; Brook Road Academy; Collegiate School (Richmond, Virginia), Collegiate School; Grace Christian School; Grove Christian School; Guardian Christian Academy; St. Christopher's School, Richmond, St. Christopher's School; St. Catherine's School, Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine's School; Southside Baptist Christian School; Northstar Academy (Richmond, Virginia), Northstar Academy; The Steward School; Trinity Episcopal High School, Trinity Episcopal School; The New Community School; and Veritas School.
The city's only Catholic high school is Cristo Rey Richmond High School, after Benedictine College Preparatory and Saint Gertrude High School, St. Gertrude High School relocated to a combined campus in Goochland, Virginia, Goochland.
Colleges and universities
The Richmond area has many major institutions of higher education, including
Virginia Commonwealth University (public),
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...
(private),
Virginia Union University (private), South University–Richmond (private, for-profit), Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education (private), and the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond (BTSR—private). Several community colleges are in the metro area, including J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Brightpoint Community College (
Chesterfield County). Several technical colleges are in Richmond, including ITT Technical Institute, ECPI College of Technology, and Centura College. The same is true of vocational colleges, including Fortis College and Bryant Stratton College.
Virginia State University is located about south of Richmond, in Ettrick, Virginia, Ettrick, just outside
Petersburg. Randolph-Macon College is located about north of Richmond, in Ashland, Virginia, Ashland.
Media
The ''
Richmond Times-Dispatch,'' owned by Lee Enterprises, Lee Enterprises, Inc., is the local daily newspaper, with a Sunday circulation of 120,000. ''Style Weekly,'' an online alternative local publication owned by VPM Media Corporation, covers popular culture, arts, and entertainment. RVA Magazine is the city's only independent art music and culture publication. Originally a quarterly, it now is a monthly. The ''Richmond Free Press'' and the ''Voice'' cover the news from an African-American perspective.
Infrastructure
Transportation

The Greater Richmond area is served by the Richmond International Airport , located in
Sandston, southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Richmond International is served by ten passenger and four cargo airlines, with over 200 daily flights providing non-stop service to major domestic destinations and connecting flights to worldwide destinations. A record 4.8 million passengers used Richmond International Airport in 2023, breaking the previous record of 4.4 million in 2019.
Richmond is a major hub for intercity bus company Greyhound Lines, which has its terminal at 2910 N Boulevard. Multiple daily runs connect directly with Washington, D.C., New York, Raleigh, and elsewhere. Direct trips to New York take approximately 7.5 hours. Discount carrier Megabus (North America), Megabus provides curbside service from Main Street Station. Direct service is available to Washington, D.C.,
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte, Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh,
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Connections to Megabus-served cities, such as New York, are made from Washington, D.C.
The Greater Richmond Transit of Richmond, Virginia, Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) provides transit (transportation), transit and paratransit bus service in Richmond and
Henrico and
Chesterfield counties. The GRTC, however, serves only small parts of the suburban counties. The far West End, Innsbrook and Short Pump, and almost all of Chesterfield County have no public transportation, despite dense housing, retail, and office development. According to a 2008 GRTC operations analysis report, a majority of GRTC riders use their services because they do not have available alternatives, such as a private vehicle.
In 2014, U.S. Department of Transportation granted Richmond and the surrounding metropolitan area a roughly $25 million grant for the GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit system, which opened in June 2018, running along Broad Street from Willow Lawn to Landing.
The Richmond area has two railroad stations served by Amtrak. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. The region's main station, Richmond Staples Mill Road (Amtrak station), Staples Mill Road Station, is located just outside the city on a major north–south freight line that receives service to and from all points south, including Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina, Durham, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte, Savannah, Georgia, Savannah, Newport News, Virginia, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk and Florida. The historic Main Street Station (Richmond), Main Street Station, renovated in 2004, is the only railway station in the City of Richmond. As of 2010, it only receives trains headed to and from Newport News due to track layout.
Richmond also benefits from an excellent interstate highway position, lying at the junction of east–west
Interstate 64 and north–south
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
, two of the most heavily traveled highways in the state. As the state capital, Richmond has great state highway access.
Major highways
*
*
* (Beltline Expy)
*
* (Brook Rd, Azelea Ave, Chamberlayne Ave, Belvedere St, Cowardin Ave, Jefferson Davis Hwy)
* (Staples Mill Rd, Broad St)
*
* (Broad Street (Richmond, Virginia), Broad Street)
* (Chamberlayne Ave, Belvedere St, Cowardin Ave, Jefferson Davis Hwy)
* (Hull St Rd; Hull St; N 14th St; joins US 60 Main St; WB 17th St [Oliver Hill Way], EB W 18th St; Mechanicsville Tnpk)
* (E Main St; N 25th St)
* (Kensington Ave, Patterson Ave)
* (Broad Rock Blvd)
*
*
* (Connector to VA-195)
* (Cary St [EB after I-195], W Main St [WB after I-195], Cary St Rd, River Rd, Huguenot Rd [S of the James River])
*
* (Hermitage Rd, The Boulevard, Park Dr, Blanton Ave, Westover Hills Blvd, Belt Blvd, Bells Rd)
* (toll route) (Downtown Expy)
* (Malvern Ave, Westwood Ave, Saunders Ave, W Laburnum Ave)
* (Entrance to the Grounds of the Virginia Commonwealth University)
*
Utilities
Dominion Energy supplies the Richmond Metro area's Electric power, electricity. Headquartered in Richmond, it is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states. Electricity for the Richmond area is primarily produced at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station, Surry Nuclear Generating Station, and a coal-fired station in Chester, Virginia. These three plants provide a total of 4,453 megawatts of power. Several other natural gas plants provide extra power during peak demands, including facilities in Chester, Virginia, Chester, and Surry, Virginia, Surry, and two in Richmond, Gravel Neck and Darbytown.
Richmond's Department of Public Utilities provides the Richmond Metro area's natural gas, including portions of
Henrico and
Chesterfield counties. It also supplies water to the city and surrounding area through wholesale contracts with
Henrico,
Chesterfield, and
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
counties. The DPU is one of Virginia's largest water producers, providing water to approximately 500,000 people, including 62,000 city customers, through a distribution system of water mains, pumping stations, storage facilities, and a modern plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons daily from the
James River
The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
.
The wastewater treatment plant is on the James River's south bank. It can treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day of sanitary sewage and stormwater before returning it to the river. The wastewater utility also operates and maintains of sanitary sewer and pumping stations, of intercepting sewer lines, and the Shockoe Retention Basin, a 44-million-gallon stormwater reservoir used during heavy rains.
Sister cities
Richmond's Sister city, sister cities are:
* London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom
* Saitama (city), Saitama, Japan
* Ségou, Mali
* Windhoek, Namibia
* Zhengzhou, China
* Olsztyn, Poland
See also
* Culture of Virginia
* Richmond Police Department (Virginia), Richmond Police Department
* Richmond Public Library (United States), Richmond Public Library
* USS Richmond, USS ''Richmond'', 3 ships
* :People from Richmond, Virginia
Notes
References
Further reading
* Ash, Stephen V. ''Rebel Richmond: Life and Death in the Confederate Capital'' (UNC Press, 2019).
* Bill, Alfred Hoyt. ''The Beleaguered City: Richmond, 1861–1865'' (1946).
* Calcutt, Rebecca Barbour. ''Richmond's Wartime Hospitals'' (Pelican Publishing, 2005).
* Chesson, Michael B. ''Richmond after the war, 1865–1890'' (Virginia State Library, 1981).
*
* Furgurson, Ernest B. ''Ashes of glory: Richmond at war'' (1996).
* Hoffman, Steven J. ''Race, Class and Power in the Building of Richmond, 1870-1920'' (McFarland, 2004).
* Mustian, Thomas F. ''Facts and Legends of Richmond Area Streets.'' (Richmond, VA: Dementi Milestone Publishing, 2007).
* Thomas, Emory M. ''The Confederate State of Richmond: A Biography of the Capital'' (LSU Press, 1998).
* Trammell, Jack. ''The Richmond Slave Trade: The Economic Backbone of the Old Dominion'' (The History Press, 2012).
* Wright, Mike. ''City Under Siege: Richmond in the Civil War'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 1995)
External links
*
ChamberRVA the regional chamber of commerce for Greater Richmond
Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' travel itinerary
{{Authority control
Richmond, Virginia,
Cities in Virginia
Greater Richmond Region
Populated places on the James River (Virginia)
Populated places established in 1737
1737 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies
Capitals of former nations
Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Virginia
State capitals in the United States