Virginia is the 35th-largest state in the union by size, with a total area of 42,775 square miles (mi²). A southeastern state that connects the Atlantic coast with the Appalachian mountains, Virginia goes by several colorful state nicknames, including "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of Presidents."
As of 2023, Virginia's population was 8,820,504, the 12th-largest in the United States, making up 2.61% of the national population.
The capital of Virginia is Richmond, whose base population is 233,330 and whose metropolitan area is almost 1.3 million. However, Virginia also has four cities with larger populations, led by Virginia Beach (465,914), Chesapeake (257,585), and Arlington (247,949). One of the original 13 colonies, Virginia is also one of the states that seceded during the Civil War.
Virginia, one of the original 13 colonies and the birthplace of four of the first five U.S. presidents, joined the Union in June 1788. 1792, Virginia controlled 15.9% of all electoral votes, the largest concentration in U.S. history. Due to secession, the Commonwealth did not participate in the 1864 and 1868 elections. From the post-Civil War Reconstruction period through 1948, Virginians almost always joined the Democratic Party in elections. However, from 1952 through 2004, Virginia was reliably Republican (except for the landslide of Lyndon Johnson over Barry Goldwater in 1964). What changed? In the early 1950s, Virginia politics was controlled by Democratic Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr., and his political machine. For the 1952 cycle, Byrd announced he would not endorse a candidate, saying, "Silence is Golden." People knew this meant it would be okay to vote for the Republican Dwight Eisenhower.
Shifting demographics, including more rapid population growth around Washington, D.C., made the state a more competitive battleground beginning in the 1990s. However, this didn't put Democrats over the top until 2008. Three elections later, the state wasn't seriously in play for the GOP. Joe Biden won by ten points over Donald Trump in 2020.
Virginia has 11 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Richmond-Petersburg are the most populous. The capital, Richmond, and its metropolitan area have a population of nearly 1.3 million, but Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the state. The most populated counties in Virginia are Fairfax and Prince William counties, with respective populations of 1,148,433 and 463,023
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this state's local governments consist of 95 counties, 228 cities, towns, villages, and 193 special districts. There are 38 independent cities in the state.
The median age among Virginia's population is approximately 37.8. Regarding the ratio of sexes in the state, 50.8% are females, and 49.2% are males.
Regarding preferred religions across the state, Christian-based faiths lead with 73% of the population, non-Christian faiths at 6%, and non-affiliated residents at 20%.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Virginia was:
White: 64.95%
Black or African American: 19.01%
Asian: 6.74%
Two or more races: 5.86%
Other race: 3.09%
Native American: 0.28%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
Muslims are under 300,000,
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