Southside (Richmond, Virginia)
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The Southside of Richmond is an area of the Metropolitan Statistical Area surrounding
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
. It generally includes all portions of the City of Richmond that lie south of 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 ...
, and includes all of 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 ...
. Depending on context, the term "Southside of Richmond" can include some northern areas of adjacent
Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is a County (United States), county located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north an ...
in the
Richmond-Petersburg The Greater Richmond Region, also known as the Richmond metropolitan area or Central Virginia, is a region and metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Virginia, centered on Richmond. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines the area ...
region. With minor exceptions near Bon Air, VA, the Chippenham Parkway forms the border between Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond portions of Southside, with some news agencies using the term "South Richmond" to refer to the locations in Southside located in the city proper.


Definition

Since there is no one municipal organization that represents this specific region, the boundaries are loosely defined as being south of the James River and west 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 ...
(formerly Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike) with a southern border extending approximately to
Chester, Virginia Chester is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 23,414. History Chester's original "downtown" was a st ...
and extending west along Virginia State Route 288 beltway. Some portions of the Southside of Richmond closest to the downtown area north of the river are also considered part of
Downtown Richmond Downtown Richmond is the central business district of Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is generally defined as being bound by Belvidere Street to the west, I-95 to the north and east, and the James River to the south. The Fan district bo ...
.


North Chesterfield

SR 288. With minor exceptions, Chippenham Parkway (State Route 150) forms the border between the City of Richmond and the County of Chesterfield." width=445 height=450 zoom=11 latitude=37.46 longitude=-77.55> Several ZIP codes on the Southside have a preferred place name of "Richmond, Virginia" even though in some cases that land falls under the completely separate municipal authority of Chesterfield County. For example, the 23235 ZIP code (Bon Air) straddles the city-county boundary. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service approved Chesterfield County's request to refer to ZIP codes 23224, 23225, 23234, 23235, 23236 and 23237 as "North Chesterfield, VA," when they are in Chesterfield County, even though the Post Office's preferred place name for the entire ZIP code remains as "Richmond, Virginia." The rationale for this change was that some Chesterfield County residents were confused, and paying taxes to the City of Richmond given their street address included a Richmond ZIP code. Chesterfield residents in the 23235 ZIP code continue to have the option of using "Bon Air" as their preferred place name, although they can also use "North Chesterfield, Virginia 23235" or "Richmond, Virginia 23235."


History


Early settlements along the river

A primary feature defining the Southside of Richmond is the James River and the limited means to cross it to get to other parts of metro Richmond. The oldest bridge across the James River in Richmond was
Mayo Bridge Mayo's Bridge (also known as Richmond's 14th St. Bridge) is located in Richmond, Virginia. A four lane structure, it transports U.S. Route 360 across the James River. Signage identifies the bridge as "Mayo's Bridge". The bridge is in two sectio ...
(1788). Before that, commerce was limited to individual enterprises passing their goods in boats,
bateau A bateau or batteau is a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the fur trade. It was traditionally pointed at both ends but came in a wide variety of sizes. ...
, and ferries over the James River as well as to fixed port areas with tobacco inspection warehouses established north of the river at Shockoe's and south of the river at
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
.


1600s: Conflicts between English settlements and Native tribes

When the English arrived, there were two main groups of natives occupying Central Virginia, separated by the
Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...
of the James: (1) the Manakins controlled the southern
Virginia Piedmont The Piedmont region of Virginia is a part of the greater Piedmont physiographic region which stretches from the falls of the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James Rivers to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The region runs across the middle of the state fr ...
west of the fall line from
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
to 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 ...
; and (2) the
Powhatan Confederacy Powhatan people () are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia. Their Powha ...
(led by
leader Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...
named Wahunsonacock) who controlled land in the Richmond area below the Fall Line towards the Virginia Tidewater region. The earliest European settlement in the Central Virginia area was in 1611 at
Henricus The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around the original English settlement at James ...
, 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 struggling to establish viable moneymaking industries established the
Falling Creek Ironworks Falling Creek Ironworks was the first iron production facility in North America. It was established by the Virginia Company of London in Henrico City (Virginia Company), Henrico Cittie (sic) on Falling Creek (James River tributary), Falling Cre ...
. Between 1622 and 1646, a series of generational
Anglo-Powhatan Wars The AngloPowhatan Wars were three wars fought between settlers of the Colony of Virginia and the Powhatan People of Tsenacommacah in the early 17th century. The first war started in 1609 and ended in a peace settlement in 1614. The second war l ...
resulted in the death of
Opchanacanough Opechancanough ( ; – ) was a sachem (or paramount chief) of the Powhatan Confederacy in present-day Virginia from 1618 until his death. He had been a leader in the confederacy formed by his older brother Powhatan, from whom he inherited ...
and the established boundaries on the Powhatan Confederacy. After
Bacon's Rebellion Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion by Virginia settlers that took place from 1676 to 1677. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon against Colonial Governor William Berkeley, after Berkeley refused Bacon's request to drive Native American India ...
in 1676,
Cockacoeske Cockacoeske (pronounced Coke a cow ski) (also spelled ''Cockacoeskie'') () was a 17th-century leader of the Pamunkey tribe in what is now the U.S. state of Virginia. During her thirty-year reign, she worked with the English colony of Virginia, tryi ...
signed the
Treaty of 1677 The Treaty of 1677 (also known as the Treaty Between Virginia And The Indians 1677 or Treaty of Middle Plantation) was signed in Virginia on May 28, 1677, between the English Crown and representatives from Native American tribes in Virginia, in ...
, and several central Virginia tribes accepted their de facto position as subjects of the British Crown, and gave up their remaining claims to their ancestral land, in return for protection from the remaining hostile tribes and a guarantee of a limited amount of reserved land. The Powhatan Confederacy effectively ended. By 1699, the Manakins/Monacans had abandoned their settlements, and English freely settled land claims in the entire Richmond area. In part to serve as a buffer, the English allotted a large portion of land for French Huguenot refugees to settle in the old Manakin village on the south side of the James River.


1700s: Warwick and River Commerce

After completing prominent construction jobs at the state capitol in Williamsburg, Henry Cary built Ampthill plantation in 1730 near Warwick. From 1750 to 1781, his son
Archibald Archibald may refer to: People and characters *Archibald (name), a masculine given name and a surname *Archibald (musician) (1916–1973), American R&B pianist * Archibald, a character from the animated TV show ''Archibald the Koala'' Other uses ...
operated
Falling Creek Ironworks Falling Creek Ironworks was the first iron production facility in North America. It was established by the Virginia Company of London in Henrico City (Virginia Company), Henrico Cittie (sic) on Falling Creek (James River tributary), Falling Cre ...
at Warwick. Owing to port traffic, Warwick Road became a major thoroughfare through Southside for the next two centuries, especially as it enabled passage around the falls at the James. On the part of the James River west of the Fall Line, the descendants of the 1700 Huguenot refugee settlement in
Manakintown Powhatan County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033. Its county seat is Powhatan. Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region. The James River forms the coun ...
began to intermingle with the English and settle across Powhatan and western Chesterfield county. They established family coal mining enterprises such as
Black Heath Black Heath was a house and coal mine located near the present day Midlothian, Virginia, Midlothian area of Chesterfield County, Virginia. The Black Heath coal mining enterprises were operated intermittently from the early 1780s until 1939 and wer ...
. One of these Huguenot descendants,
Abraham Salle Abraham Salle (1670–ca. 1719) was a French Huguenots, Huguenot who emigrated to Colonial Virginia. He was the progenitor of the Salle family in the United States. He was a successful merchant and served in the militia and was a justice of Henrico ...
, built Salisbury Plantation and, in 1777, sold it to the Randolph Family who lived across the river at Tuckahoe and used Salisbury as a hunting grounds. Patrick Henry rented Salisbury and lived there with his family during his second term as governor in 1786.


Early 1800s: The Rise of Manchester and Rail Lines to the Coal Mines

After the port of Warwick was destroyed 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 ...
in the Revolutionary War, Warwick Road continued in use, but the port of Manchester took over Warwick's role as a major port. Further, water navigation to estates above the falls of the James River was enabled by the 1790 opening of 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 ...
that stretched from
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
to Westham, Virginia on the north side of the river and paralleling the James for . In 1804, Virginia built the precursor to the Midlothian Turnpike from the port of Manchester headed westward to the mouth of the Falling Creek to access the coal mines at Midlothian. This enabled industrial sites such as the
Black Heath Black Heath was a house and coal mine located near the present day Midlothian, Virginia, Midlothian area of Chesterfield County, Virginia. The Black Heath coal mining enterprises were operated intermittently from the early 1780s until 1939 and wer ...
coal mines and
Bellona Arsenal Bellona Arsenal was a 19th-century United States Army post in Chesterfield County, Virginia, above the fall line of the James River west of Richmond, Virginia. Ruins of a powder magazine and other buildings are still standing. The site is listed ...
to ship goods down the James river without having to go through Warwick. Rail enabled the rapid export of coal from the coal mines in western Chesterfield County. The Clover Hill Railroad Company was chartered in 1841 by the Virginia General Assembly, enabling the Clover Hill Railroad to open in 1845 between
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
and the
Clover Hill Pits The Clover Hill Pits are a number of coal shafts and mines that operated in the Southside area of Richmond, Virginia, from 1837 until around 1883. History In 1837, coal was found after a heavy rain at Clover Hill Plantation, in Chesterfield Coun ...
near Winterpock.


Late 1800s: Development along the rail lines

During the Civil War, the Confederacy was generally able to keep the Union troops west of the
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad moved passengers and goods between Richmond and Petersburg from 1838 to 1898. It survived the American Civil War and eventually merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900. History The Richmond and P ...
, with the main exception being the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Until the end of the war,
Drewry's Bluff Drewry's Bluff is located in northeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the United States. It was the site of Confederate Fort Darling during the American Civil War. It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain Augustus H. Drewry ...
prevented the Union army from accessing Richmond over water. While the Clover Hill Railroad went bankrupt in 1877, it was reconstituted in 1881 as the Brighthope Railway and operated until World War I when it was disassembled and sent to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
for the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
effort. The 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 ...
rose to prominence through its 1831
Chesterfield Railroad The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was a long mule-and-gravity powered line that connected the Midlothian coal mines with wharves that were located at the head of navigation on the James River just below t ...
and its 1853 successor the
Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...
. Suburban rail stations along the R&D led to development in Granite, Virginia (a mining quarry whose post office opened in 1872), Bon Air (the resort colony established 1877), Robious and
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 ...
. These stops became industrial and residential centers in otherwise rural areas that often moved people and goods through Manchester and Richmond. Manchester also benefited from being a station along the North-South
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad moved passengers and goods between Richmond and Petersburg from 1838 to 1898. It survived the American Civil War and eventually merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900. History The Richmond and P ...
. Manchester briefly served as the seat of Chesterfield County after the Civil War, from 1870 to 1876. In 1874, Manchester voted to become 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 ...
. In 1876, the Chesterfield County seat was moved to Chesterfield Courthouse.


1900s: Development and Annexation in the Automobile Era

Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, paralleling it approximately 1 mile to the east." width=200 height=800 zoom=12 latitude=37.44 longitude=-77.43/>


1910 Annexation of Manchester

From its founding in 1750s to the late 19th century, Chesterfield County had been the municipal authority for all of what is today considered Southside. Manchester became an independent city in 1876 and then in 1910, Manchester agreed to be annexed by the City of Richmond. During annexation negotiation, Manchester demanded the condition that a free bridge be built to allow Manchesterians access to Richmond. This became known as the Manchester Bridge. Soon, as the automobile era began, other bridges were built to include Westham Bridge (1911), the Nickel Bridge (1925—a toll bridge) and the Lee Bridge (1933—also a toll bridge).


Automobile-based Development and 1942 Annexation of Jeff Davis Corridor

In 1922, Chesterfield annexed the
Henricus The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around the original English settlement at James ...
site from Henrico County. In 1927, after a decade of road improvements, the
Jefferson Davis Highway The Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway, was a transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Arlington County, Virginia, and extended south and west to San Diego, Cali ...
officially opened as a major automobile thoroughfare. These auto corridors attracted development. The DuPont Spruance plant opened in 1929 along the Jefferson Davis Highway and manufactured
rayon Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose fiber, cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has t ...
, Cordura , and
cellophane Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane is highly permeable to water vapour, but may be coate ...
on the former site of the Ampthill Plantation. Inter-state traffic along Jefferson Davis Highway and its James River toll bridge led to Belt Boulevard by 1933 that bypassed downtown and directed some traffic to the Nickel Bridge. This easier automobile access spurred development in Southside. By 1940, a
Works Projects Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to c ...
guide to Virginia announced "South of Richmond U.S. 1 is lined with tourist cabins, garages, and lunchrooms swathed in neon lights that at night convert the road as far as Petersburg into a glittering midway." During annexations in 1914 and 1942, Richmond appropriated more and more land from Chesterfield County to include
Westover Hills Westover Hills is a town in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. In 2000, Westover Hills was the wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income and the 12th highest-income place in the United Stat ...
and Forest Hill to the west, and The Port of Richmond (Built 1940) to the south.


Postwar growth: Bellwood, Southside Plaza, I-95 and Chippenham Pkwy

After WWII, Southside experienced a decade of massive growth. A large military supply center had been built for WWII in 1942 on the Bellwood property. The Bellwood Drive-In opened outside the city limits along the Jeff Davis corridor in 1948 and billed itself as the "largest and finest"
drive-in theater A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, c ...
in the South. The Southside Plaza opened up in 1957-58 outside the city limits on Belt Boulevard in what was then Chesterfield County. In 1958, after three years of construction, the limited access
Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike The Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike was a controlled-access toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, United States. After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersb ...
tollway opened between Richmond and Petersburg. The Chippenham Parkway was built in 1967 and connected much of Southside from the Midlothian Turnpike to the Defense Supply Center, Richmond. Prior to the construction of I-95, the Route 1/Jefferson Davis Highway corridor was the county’s main thoroughfare. I-95 and Chippenham Pkwy siphoned traffic off both the Jeff Davis Corridor and the Belt Boulevard.


1970 Annexation of Midlo Tpke out to Chippenham Pkwy

During another annexation in 1970, Richmond took an additional 23 square miles from Chesterfield County all the way out to the Chippenham Parkway. The racial motivations behind this expansion led to a Supreme Court case City of Richmond v. United States and a moratorium on further annexations. As a part of the negotiations over the precise annexation, much of Bon Air to the west and the Ampthill property to the south (owned by DuPont) remained in Chesterfield County.


Powhite Parkway and Powhite Parkway Extension to outer beltway (288)

Chesterfield Mall Chesterfield Mall was a shopping mall in Chesterfield, Missouri, Chesterfield, Missouri, at the intersection of Interstate 64 (Missouri), Interstate 64/U.S. Route 40 in Missouri, U.S. Routes 40-U.S. Route 61 (Missouri), 61 and Clarkson R ...
(C) in 1978. In 1988 the Powhite Parkway Extension opened, enabling fast travel from the Chippenham Parkway out to the new Virginia State Route 288. The Stony Point Fashion Park (D) was built in 2003. " width=550 height=300 zoom=12 latitude=37.52 longitude=-77.53> The Powhite Parkway opened in 1973, connecting downtown to the Chippenham Parkway. With newfound highway access, the Southside suburban population continued to explode. New
shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
s were built outside the city limits (Cloverleaf Mall in 1972 and Chesterfield Mall in 1978) as well as Brandermill residential development in 1977 along the Swift Creek Reservoir. Plans were drawn up to create a Powhite Parkway Extension that would extend the road from Chippenham out to Virginia State Route 288, which was completed in 1988. In 1973,
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 cigarette manufacturing plant along I-95 at Commerce Road. The McGuire VA Hospital opened in 1983.


1988-2004: New bridges connect West End and Southside

Before 1988, the main way to get from the Southside to the West End was via the
Huguenot Bridge Huguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now the James River Line of CSX Transportation), the James River a ...
or by crossing the James River inside the Richmond city limits. This led to a minor rivalry in the 1980s where the West End had a bumper sticker that said "West End -- For Members Only" and the Southside had a bumper sticker that said "South of the James -- By Invitation Only." This separation began to change as road infrastructure improved. In 1988, Southside was connected to Parham Road in the west end via a Chippenham extension and the new Edward E. Willey Bridge. In 1992, the state removed toll-booths on the I-95
Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike The Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike was a controlled-access toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, United States. After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersb ...
. In 1996, state leaders announced that the Chippenham Parkeway would be extended eastward in a bridge across the James river to enable faster access to
Interstate 295 (Virginia) Interstate 295 (I-295) is a highway which runs eastward and northward bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the US state of Virginia. The southern terminus is an interchange with I-95 southeast of Petersburg. I-295 then has ...
and the
Richmond International Airport Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Richmond, the capital of the ...
. The bridge and limited access toll highway opened in 2002 as
Virginia State Route 895 State Route 895 (SR 895), also known as the Pocahontas Parkway and Pocahontas 895, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Virginia. It connects the junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with In ...
, aka the "Pocahontas Parkway."


Southside developments 2000 to present

In 2004, 288 was extended northwards from Brandermill through
Powhatan Powhatan people () are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia. Their Powh ...
and Goochland Counties, to cross the river at the World War II Veterans Memorial Bridge (Virginia) and complete the beltway around Richmond. This led to residential developments along a swath across Chesterfield County such as ''The Grove'' near Midlothian Mines Park, ''Winterfield'', as well as a commercial development called ''Westchester Commons'' at Midlothian Turnpike and 288. Developments near Route 288 bridge include the ''Tarrington'' housing development near James River High School and the widening of the Robious Road Corridor. Closer in towards Richmond, the Stony Point Fashion Park opened in 2003 (the same year as a similar outdoor mall concept called
Short Pump Town Center Short Pump Town Center is an open-air shopping mall located in the Short Pump census-designated place (CDP) of unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia on West Broad Street (U.S. Route 250), approximately west of I-64, exit 178A/B. Short Pump T ...
opened in the West End of Richmond). Along the James River, Forest Hill Avenue has seen its own renaissance as some residents have preferred to stay in the city rather than move to the suburbs. Phenomena such as the South of the James
farmer's market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
attract crowds every weekend in Forest Hill Park. Farther west along the I-95 / Route 1 Corridor, city and county officials have contemplated how to revive the Jefferson Davis Corridor. While economically challenged, it has a robust immigrant population, particularly Latino. As Manchester has seen recent influx of historic tax credits used to redevelop old properties, the historically black Swansboro and Blackwell neighborhoods are now the subject of fierce debates about
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
.


Unincorporated towns and neighborhoods

* Adams Park * Beaufont * Bellemeade * Belmont Woods * Belt Center * Blackwell * Bon Air * British Camp Farms * Broad Rock * Brookbury * Brookhaven Farms * Cedarhurst * Cherry Gardens * Chippenham Forest * Cofer * Cottrell Farms * Cullenwood * Davee Gardens * Deerbourne * Elkhardt * Fawnbrook * Forest Hill / Gravel Hill * Forest Hill Park * Forest Hill Terrace * Forest View *
Granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
* Hickory Hill * Hillside Court * Hioaks * Huguenot * Jahnke * Jeff Davis * Old Town Manchester * Maury * McGuire * McGuire Manor * Meadowbrook *
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 ...
* Murchies Mill * Northrop * Oak Grove * Oxford * Piney Knolls * Pocoshock * Powhite Park * Reedy Creek * Reservoir Heights * South Garden * Southampton * Southwood * Springhill * Stony Point * Stratford Hills * Swansboro * Swansboro West * Swanson * Walmsley * Warwick * Westlake Hills * Westover * Westover Hills * Westover Hills West * Willow Oaks * Windsor * Woodhaven * Woodland Heights * Worthington


Industrial and commercial sites

* Defense Supply Center, Richmond (DSCR) *
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 ...
manufacturing center * Overnite Transportation (recently bought out by
United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializi ...
) * Deepwater Terminal (Port of Richmond) * Chippenham Johnston Willis (CJW) Medical Center


Commercial districts

* Stonebridge Shopping Center (formerly Cloverleaf Mall) and Spring Rock Green (Formerly Beaufont Plaza) * Old Manchester * Hull Street Corridor * Midlothian Turnpike *
Westover Hills Westover Hills is a town in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. In 2000, Westover Hills was the wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income and the 12th highest-income place in the United Stat ...
* Stratford Hills * Stony Point Fashion Park * The Arboretum * Bellwood flea market * Bermuda Square * Sycamore Square * Oxbridge Square * Chesterfield Meadows


Parks and recreation

*
James River Park System The James River Parks System (also known as James River Park or simply JRPS) is a municipal park in Richmond, Virginia. It consists of multiple sections along the James River between the Huguenot Memorial Bridge in the west to a half mile (0. ...
* Forest Hill Park * Canoe Run Park * Powhite Park


Transportation


Major streets and roads

*
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 ...
(formerly Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike) *
Jefferson Davis Highway The Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway, was a transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Arlington County, Virginia, and extended south and west to San Diego, Cali ...
(
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...
and
U.S. Route 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic states. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware, at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida, at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, ...
) * Forest Hill Avenue (short portion is
U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...
) * Semmes Avenue (
U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...
) * Belt Boulevard ( State Route 161) * Iron Bridge Road ( State Route 10) * Broad Rock Road ( State Route 10) * Huguenot Road ( State Route 147) * Courthouse Road (State Route 653) * Hull Street ( U.S. Route 360) * Midlothian Turnpike (
U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...
) * Chippenham Parkway ( State Route 150) * Pocahontas Parkway ( State Route 895) * Powhite Parkway ( State Route 76) * State Route 288


Bridges over James River

* James River Bridge (
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 ...
) *
Mayo Bridge Mayo's Bridge (also known as Richmond's 14th St. Bridge) is located in Richmond, Virginia. A four lane structure, it transports U.S. Route 360 across the James River. Signage identifies the bridge as "Mayo's Bridge". The bridge is in two sectio ...
( U.S. Route 360) * Manchester Bridge (
U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...
) * Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge (
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...
and
U.S. Route 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic states. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware, at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida, at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, ...
) *
Boulevard Bridge Boulevard Bridge in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia is a toll bridge which carries State Route 161 across the James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confl ...
( State Route 161) * Powhite Parkway James River Bridge ( State Route 76) * Huguenot Memorial Bridge ( State Route 147) * Edward E. Willey Bridge ( State Route 150) * World War II Veterans Memorial Bridge ( State Route 288)


See also

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Neighborhoods of Richmond, Virginia The Greater Richmond, Virginia area has many neighborhoods and districts. Description of the Richmond Metro Region from a quadrant perspective The Greater Richmond area extends beyond the city limits into nearby counties. Descriptions of Rich ...
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Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
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Manchester, Virginia Manchester is a former independent city in Virginia in the United States. Prior to receiving independent status, it served as the county seat of Chesterfield County, between 1870 and 1876. Today, it is a part of the city of Richmond, Virginia. ...
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Chesterfield Railroad The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was a long mule-and-gravity powered line that connected the Midlothian coal mines with wharves that were located at the head of navigation on the James River just below t ...
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Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...
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Richmond and Petersburg Railroad The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad moved passengers and goods between Richmond and Petersburg from 1838 to 1898. It survived the American Civil War and eventually merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900. History The Richmond and P ...


References

{{coord, 37.4756, -77.460, type:city_globe:earth_region:US-VA, display=title Neighborhoods in Richmond, Virginia