What is the abbreviation for Virginia, and what region is it in?

Virginia's two-letter postal abbreviation is VA. The U.S. Census Bureau places it in the South region, in the South Atlantic division, and about 8.63 million people lived there in the 2020 census.

When did Virginia become a state, and what number state was it?

Virginia became the 10th state on June 25, 1788, when its convention ratified the U.S. Constitution by a vote of 89 to 79. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Who was Virginia named after?

Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, known as the "Virgin Queen." Sir Walter Raleigh, who sponsored the first English expeditions to the region in the 1580s, gave it the name with her approval.

Where was the first permanent English settlement in America?

Jamestown, founded on May 14, 1607, by the Virginia Company of London, was the first permanent English settlement in North America. In 1619 the House of Burgesses met there, the first elected legislative assembly in the English colonies, and that same year the first recorded enslaved Africans in English Virginia arrived at Point Comfort.

What is the capital of Virginia, and has it always been the capital?

Richmond has been the capital since 1780, when Governor Thomas Jefferson moved the government from Williamsburg, which had been the colonial capital since 1699 after Jamestown. Jefferson designed the Virginia State Capitol, which lawmakers began using in 1788. Richmond was also the capital of the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865.

What states border Virginia?

Virginia borders Maryland and Washington, D.C., to the north across the Potomac River, West Virginia and Kentucky to the west, and Tennessee and North Carolina to the south. Its eastern edge is Atlantic coastline and the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, including the Eastern Shore peninsula.

Why is Virginia called the Mother of Presidents?

Eight presidents were born in Virginia, more than in any other state: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.

What are Virginia's nickname, motto, and symbols?

Virginia is known as "The Old Dominion," a name tied to its status as England's oldest colony in America. Its motto is "Sic Semper Tyrannis," Latin for "Thus Always to Tyrants." Its state bird is the cardinal, and the dogwood is both its state flower and its state tree.

How many representatives and electoral votes does Virginia have?

Based on the 2020 census, Virginia has 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the same as before, which gives it 13 votes in the Electoral College.

State Guide10th StateEst. 1788

Virginia VA

"The Old Dominion"

America's birthplace. The first permanent English settlement. The first elected legislature in the Americas. The man who wrote “all men are created equal” owned more than 600 enslaved people. Eight presidents born here. The capital of the Confederacy. The first elected Black governor in American history. Virginia has been at the center of more pivotal American moments than any other state, and it is still navigating the contradictions it helped create.

State Debt - FY2024

$33.7 billion

Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.

Tax Revenue - FY2024

$37.6 billion

Total Virginia state tax collections in fiscal 2024, led by the individual income tax ($18B) and the general sales tax ($7.4B).

Borrowing

Virginia holds a AAA rating, and its constitution requires a statewide vote for full faith and credit debt, so most borrowing is done through appropriation-backed bonds issued by the Virginia Public Building Authority and the Virginia College Building Authority. All are sold to investors in the tax-exempt municipal market. The state reported about $1.3 billion in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.

1607

Year Jamestown was founded

8.8M

People (2025 est.)

Presidents born in Virginia

1619

Year democracy & slavery both took root

Virginia's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Hey there, Virginia. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you're choosing a U.S. senator and your member of the U.S. House, voting on three amendments to the state constitution, and deciding local races and questions.

This is a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and nationally it decides who controls Congress for the next two years. There's no governor's race; Virginia elected Gov. Abigail Spanberger in 2025.

Your House districts didn't change. In April, voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have let the General Assembly redraw the congressional map mid-decade; here's how redistricting works.

Key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each race. Facts first; the decision is yours.

Checked against official sources on October 6, 2026

Key Dates

Key Dates
Early in-person voting (offices open Oct. 18, 24, 25, and 31)	Friday, September 18 to Saturday, October 31, 5 p.m.
Deadline to register or apply for a mail ballot (after this, you can still register and vote a provisional ballot in person)	Friday, October 23, 5 p.m.
Election Day: polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; mail ballots must be postmarked by today	Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in Virginia

Check your registration, polling place, and sample ballot on the Department of Elections' Citizen Portal.

Any registered voter can vote early in person through October 31 at your local registrar's office or a satellite location; no reason needed.

Any voter can vote by mail. Apply by 5 p.m. on October 23, then return your ballot by mail, at a drop-off location, or to your registrar. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive by noon on the third day after it.

Missed the registration deadline? You can still register in person through Election Day and vote a provisional ballot. Bring an acceptable ID, such as a driver's license, passport, or voter confirmation card; if you don't have one, you can sign an ID statement.

Sources & Further Reading

…

Virginia's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Your House districts didn't change. In April, voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have let the General Assembly redraw the congressional map mid-decade; here's how redistricting works.

Key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each race. Facts first; the decision is yours.

Checked against official sources on October 6, 2026

Key Dates

Early in-person voting (offices open Oct. 18, 24, 25, and 31)

Friday, September 18 to Saturday, October 31, 5 p.m.

Deadline to register or apply for a mail ballot (after this, you can still register and vote a provisional ballot in person)

Friday, October 23, 5 p.m.

Election Day: polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; mail ballots must be postmarked by today

Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in Virginia

Check your registration, polling place, and sample ballot on the Department of Elections' Citizen Portal.

Any registered voter can vote early in person through October 31 at your local registrar's office or a satellite location; no reason needed.

Virginia's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Virginia

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Virginia's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Virginia

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading