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. ...
. Definitions of the bounds of the West End vary, it may include only the western part of the city of Richmond or extend as far as western
Henrico County
Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico Coun ...
. As there is no one municipal organization that represents this specific region, the boundaries are loosely defined as being north 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 ...
, west of I-195, and south of Broad Street. Historically, the Richmond neighborhoods of the Fan and the Museum District were a part of the West End. A primary conduit through the West End is
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at Interstate 70, I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61, US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern ter ...
.
Geographic description
This section is arranged by exits off Interstate 64. In previous decades, the term "The West End" generally referred to the western area of the city itself. However, in recent years, the urbanized area has expanded residentially and commercially into
Henrico County
Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico Coun ...
, and new developments in the western portion of the city and county in combination are now also considered to be part of "The West End."
A common tool of differentiation used locally is to refer to the westernmost part (generally beginning at the Richmond-Henrico Line going west to Short Pump) as "The Far West End," and to refer to the section closer to and within the city limits as "The Near West End" or "Westhampton."
In addition to Richmond, Virginia addresses, the West End includes the
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
Anthem
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...
Broad and Glenside
*183C - U.S. 250 West - Broad St./Glenside Dr. North
*183B - U.S. 250 East - Broad St
*183A - Glenside Dr. South
*
Genworth
Genworth Financial, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is an American financial services company. It provides life insurance, long-term care insurance, mortgage insurance, and annuities.
History
The firm was founded as The Life Insurance Comp ...
and
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 ...
*
Chinatown
Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
at Horsepen Road
Parham Road
*181B - Parham Rd. North
*181A - Parham Rd. South
Gaskins Road and Innsbrook
*Exit 180B - Gaskins Rd. North
*Exit 180A - Gaskins Rd. South
*Former
Circuit City
Circuit City Corporation, Inc., formerly Circuit City Stores, Inc., is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered th ...
corporate headquarters
Short Pump
*Exit 178B - U.S. 250 East - Richmond
*Exit 178A - U.S. 250 West - Short Pump
*
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 ...
I-295 and Nuckols Road
* Wyndham, a major residential development
*Henrico County
landfill
A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...
Parks and recreation
*Cheswick Park
*Deep Run Park
*Echo Lake
*Short Pump
*Springfield
* Dogwood Park
* Bandy Field Nature Park
* Twin Hickory Park
Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico County Public Schools is a Virginia school division that operates as an independent branch of the Henrico County, Virginia county government and administers State school, public schools in the county. Henrico County Public Schools has f ...
Johnson Elementary School
Southlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County, Texas, Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. Southlake is a suburb of Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas/Fo ...
Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico County Public Schools is a Virginia school division that operates as an independent branch of the Henrico County, Virginia county government and administers State school, public schools in the county. Henrico County Public Schools has f ...
Brookland Middle School
Brookland may refer to:
England
* Brookland, Kent, England
United States
(by state)
* Brookland, Arkansas
* Brookland (Washington, D.C.), a neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
*Brooklyn, New York, sometimes known as "Brookland" before the current s ...
Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico County Public Schools is a Virginia school division that operates as an independent branch of the Henrico County, Virginia county government and administers State school, public schools in the county. Henrico County Public Schools has f ...
**
Glen Allen High School
Glen Allen High School, established in 2010, is a public school located in Henrico County, Virginia. The mascot of GAHS is the Jaguar, and the school's current principal is Reginald Davenport. Glen Allen is the 16th best high school in Virginia, ...
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 ...
*
Strayer University
Strayer University is a private for-profit university headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College and later became Strayer College, before being granted university status in 1998.
Strayer University ...
West End Campus
*
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
Culture
Museums
*
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, United States, which opened in 1936. The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the supp ...
*
Virginia Historical Society
The Virginia Museum of History and Culture founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history. It is a private, ...
*
Virginia House
Virginia House is a manor house on a hillside overlooking the James River in the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, United States.
The house was constructed from the materials of the 16th-century Priory Park, Warwick, Priory Hou ...
, a historic house museum operated by the Virginia Historical Society
* Wilton House Museum
Theater and entertainment
* Byrd Theatre
* Agecroft Hall
*The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen
*Innsbrook After Hours, an annual summer series concert
Commerce
The principal non-interstate east-west commercial corridors are located along Broad Street ( U.S. Highway 250) and Patterson Avenue (
State Route 6
Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries:
International
* AH6 (highway), Asian Highway 6
* European route E6
* European route E006
Albania
* :de:Nationalstraße 6 (Albanien), National Road SH6
Argentina
* P ...
) each of which extends from the Richmond City Limits westerly through Henrico County into Goochland County. There are many restaurants, businesses and shopping centers, mostly located along or near the three major thoroughfares (Broad Street road and Patterson Avenue runs east-west, Parham runs north-south ). Several major clusters include:
*Willow Lawn Shopping Center just west of city limits at Broad Street and Staples Mill Road. One of the first large shopping centers when first opened in the late 1950s, Willow Lawn has been substantially reconfigured and rebuilt to a semi-
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 ...
configuration, and includes major stores, small shops, and a food court
*"The Village" shopping center at Three Chopt and Patterson (near 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 ...
)
*Westhampton historic commercial district extending from the Patterson and Libbie intersection to the Libbie and Grove shopping district, where one can find cafés and upscale clothing boutiques
*Regency Square Mall and Westbury Shopping Center -- This area includes many locally-owned and chain restaurants.This area is adjacent to
Douglas S. Freeman High School
Douglas S. Freeman High School is a public high school located in the West End of Henrico County, Virginia. It is operated by Henrico County Public Schools.
History
Part of Henrico County Public Schools,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 ...
lifestyle center
A lifestyle center (American English), or lifestyle centre (Commonwealth English), is an open-air shopping center which aims to create a "pedestrian-friendly, town-like atmosphere with sidewalks, landscaping, ambient lighting, and park benches. ...
") opened in 2003 on Broad Street, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of I-64 Exit 178A/B.
business park
A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...
that opened in 1982 and houses several Fortune 500 companies * West Creek Business Park, originally developed for a
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was founded by brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin in 1928 and had been named Motorola since 1947. Many of Motorola's products had been ...
plant that never materialized West Creek is now home to the
CarMax
CarMax, Inc. is a used vehicle retailer based in the United States. It operates two business segments: CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance. The company began as a side business of Circuit City Corporation, Inc., opening its first loc ...
Home Office and
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company founded on July 21, 1994, and specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, with operations primarily in the ...
. It is also a popular place for weekend bikers.
Other
*The Country Club of Virginia. Churches, schools, and houses surround this development at the corner of Three Chopt and River Road. Long ago, this area was the town of Rio Vista, Virginia.
* Grove Avenue Baptist Church, at the highest point in the Richmond-Metropolitan are *The Rotary Club of West Richmond. A service organization which meets in Richmond's West End