Virginia

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Virginia state flag

The cardinal is the state bird of Virginia.

The flowering dogwood is the state flower of Virginia.

Virginia counties

Blue Ridge Mountains

Physical features of Virginia

United States: The Upper South

For Students

Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia

Virginia summary

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Virginia: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Snowy roads lead to hundreds of Virginia and North Carolina crashes as Arctic air brings record cold • Feb. 20, 2025, 1:26 PM ET (AP)

Winter-weary East Coast hit with another storm as temperatures plunge elsewhere • Feb. 19, 2025, 10:02 PM ET (AP)

Arctic air sweeping south over Plains shatters record temperatures in North Dakota • Feb. 18, 2025, 7:52 PM ET (AP)

Flagg has 17 points and 14 rebounds as No. 3 Duke beats Virginia 80-62 • Feb. 17, 2025, 10:54 PM ET (AP)

At least 9 people are dead, including 8 in Kentucky, in latest blast of winter weather • Feb. 16, 2025, 8:43 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Old Dominion State
Capital	Richmond
Population¹	(2020) 8,631,393; (2023 est.) 8,715,698
Governor	Glenn Youngkin (Republican)
Date Of Admission	June 25, 1788²
U.S. Senators	Tim Kaine (Democrat) • Mark R. Warner (Democrat)
State Nickname	Mother of Presidents • The Old Dominion
State Motto	"Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus Always to Tyrants)"
State Bird	northern cardinal
State Flower	flowering dogwood
State Song	“Sweet Virginia Breeze” • “Our Great Virginia”
Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives	11 (of 435)
Time Zone	Eastern (GMT − 5 hours)
Total Area (Sq Km)	110,787
Total Area (Sq Mi)	42,775
¹Excluding military abroad.²Original state; date shown is that of ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Photos and Videos

Virginia state flag

The cardinal is the state bird of Virginia.

The flowering dogwood is the state flower of Virginia.

Virginia counties

Blue Ridge Mountains

Physical features of Virginia

United States: The Upper South

What was life like in colonial America?

Learn about John D. Rockefeller's historic-preservation of early American history at Williamsburg

How a historical interpreter connects to the past at colonial Williamsburg

Learn about Civil War battle-ridden Virginia, home of top generals and the Confederate capital, and the state's split with West Virginia

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