Counties & Independent Cities that have always been a part of the State of Virginia.  If font is Blue then the county was renamed, dissolved or abolished and is now extinct.  If font is Red then it is an Independent City of Virginia.  There were 8 original Shires, later known as Counties, that were first created in Virginia.

COUNTY

YEAR

PARENT COUNTY

COUNTY SEAT

Accawmack/Accomacke

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

See Northampton

Accomac/Accomack

1663

Northampton-northern half

Accomac

Albemarle

1744

Goochland, Louisa

Charlottesville

Alexandria

1801

DC, Fairfax

See Arlington

Alexandria (City)

?

?

Independent City

Alleghany

1822

Bath, Botetourt, Monroe

Covington

Amelia

1734

Brunswick, Prince George

Amelia

Amherst

1761

Albemarle

Amherst

Appomattox

1845

Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Campbell

Appomattox

Arlington

1920

Renamed from Alexandria

Arlington

Augusta

1738

Orange

Staunton

Bath

1790

Augusta, Botetourt, Greenbrier

Warm Springs

Bedford

1753

Albemarle, Lunenburg

Bedford

Bland

1861

Giles, Tazewell, Wythe

Bland

Botetourt

1769

Augusta

Fincastle

Brunswick

1720

Prince George, Isle of Wight, Surry

Lawrenceville

Buchanan

1858

Tazewell, Russell

Grundy

Buckingham

1761

Albemarle

Buckingham

Campbell

1781

Bedford

Rustburg

Caroline

1728

Essex, King and Queen, King William

Bowling Green

Carroll

1842

Grayson

Hillsville

Charles City

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

Charles City

Charles River

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

See York

Charlotte

1764

Lunenburg

Charlotte

Chesapeake (City)

1963

South Norfolk City, Norfolk County

Independent City

Chesterfield

1749

Henrico

Chesterfield

Clarke

1836

Frederick

Berryville

Craig

1851

Botetourt, Montgomery, Roanoke, Giles, Monroe, Allegheny

New Castle

Culpeper

1748

Orange

Culpeper

Cumberland

1749

Goochland

Cumberland

Dickenson

1880

Buchanan, Russell, Wise

Clintwood

Dinwiddie

1752

Prince George

Dinwiddie

Dunmore

1772

Frederick

See Shenandoah

Elizabeth City

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

Hampton

Essex

1692

(Old) Rappahannock

Tappahannock

Fairfax

1742

Prince William

City of Fairfax

Fauquier

1759

Prince William

Warrenton

Fincastle

1772

Botetourt

See Montgomery

Floyd

1831

Montgomery

Floyd

Fluvanna

1777

Albemarle

Palmyra

Franklin

1785

Bedford, Henry, Patrick

Rocky Mount

Frederick

1738

Orange, Augusta

Winchester

Fredericksburg (City)

1721

Essex, King William, King and Queen

Independent City

Giles

1806

Montgomery, Tazewell, Wythe, and Monroe

Pearisburg

Gloucester

1651

York

Gloucester

Goochland

1727

Henrico

Goochland

Grayson

1793

Wythe

Independence

Greene

1838

Orange

Stanardsville

Greensville

1780

Brunswick, Sussex

Emporia

Halifax

1752

Lunenburg

Halifax

Hanover

1720

New Kent

Hanover

Henrico

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

Richmond

Henry

1777

Pittsylvania

Martinsville

Highland

1847

Bath, Pendleton (now WV)

Monterey

Isle of Wight

1637

Renamed from Warrosquyoake

Isle of Wight

James City

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

Williamsburg

King and Queen

1691

New Kent

King and Queen

King George

1721

Richmond, Westmoreland

King George

King William

1702

King and Queen

King William

Lancaster

1651

York, Northumberland

Lancaster

Lee

1793

Russell

Jonesville

Loudoun

1757

Fairfax

Leesburg

Louisa

1742

Hanover

Louisa

Lower Norfolk

1637

New Norfolk

See Norfolk

Lunenburg

1746

Brunswick

Lunenburg Courthouse

Madison

1793

Culpeper

Madison

Martinsville (City)

1873

Henry

Independent City

Mathews

1791

Gloucester

Mathews

Mecklenburg

1765

Lunenburg

Boydton

Middlesex

1673

Lancaster

Saluda

Montgomery

1777

Fincastle

Christiansburg

Nansemond (City)

1972

Nansemond County, City of Suffolk

Independent City

Nansimum/Nansemond

1645

Upper Norfolk County

See City of Suffolk & City of Nansemond

Nelson

1808

Amherst

Lovingston

New Kent

1654

York, James City

New Kent

New Norfolk

1636

Elizabeth City

See UpperNorfolk  & Lower Norfolk

Newport News (City)

1886

Elizabeth City, Warwick

Independent City

Norfolk

1691

Lower Norfolk County

Originally Portsmouth

Norfolk (City)

1846

Norfolk County

Independent City

Northampton

1643

Renamed from Accawmack

Eastville

Northumberland

1645

Chickacoan Indian District

Heathsville

Nottoway

1789

Amelia

Nottaway

Orange

1734

Spotsylvania

Orange

Page

1831

Rockingham, Shenandoah

Luray

Patrick

1790

Henry

Stuart

Petersburg (City)

1850

Dinwiddie, Prince George, Chesterfield

Independent City

Pittsylvania

1766

Halifax

Chatham

Poquoson (City)

1952

York

Independent City

Portsmouth (City)

1858

Norfolk County

Independent City

Powhatan

1777

Cumberland, Chesterfield

Powhatan

Prince Edward

1753

Amelia

Farmville

Prince George

1703

Charles City

Prince George

Prince William

1730

King George, Stafford

Manassas

Princess Anne

1691

Lower Norfolk County

See Virginia Beach

Pulaski

1839

Montgomery, Wythe

Pulaski

Rappahannock

1833

Culpeper

Washington

(Old) Rappahannock

1656

Lancaster

See Essex & Richmond

Richmond City

1782

Henrico

Independent City

Richmond

1692

(Old) Rappahannock

Warsaw

Roanoke

1838

Botetourt

Salem

Roanoke (City)

1874

Roanoke

Independent City

Rockbridge

1778

Augusta, Botetourt

Lexington

Rockingham

1778

Augusta

Harrisonburg

Russell

1786

Washington

Lebanon

Salem (City)

1836

Roanoke

Independent City

Scott

1814

Lee, Russell, Washington

Gate City

Shenandoah

1778

Previously called Dunmore County

Woodstock

Smyth

1832

Washington, Wythe

Marion

Southampton

1749

Isle of Wight, Nansemond

Courtland

Spotsylvania

1721

Essex, King William, King and Queen

Spotsylvania

Stafford

1664

Westmoreland

Stafford

Suffolk (City) Extinct

?

Nansemond County

See Nansemond City

Surry

1652

James City

Surry

Sussex

1753

Surry

Sussex

Tazewell

1800

Russell, Wythe, Washington

Tazewell

Upper Norfolk

1637

New Norfolk

See Nansemond Co.

Virginia Beach (City)

1963

Princess Anne County

Independent City

Warren

1836

Frederick, Shenandoah

Front Royal

Warrosquyoake

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

See Isle of Wight

Warwick

1643

Renamed from Warwick River County

See Newport News

Warwick River

1634

One of the 8 original “Shires”

See Warwick

Washington

1777

Fincastle

Abingdon

Westmoreland

1653

Northumberland

Montross

Wise

1856

Lee, Russell, Scott

Wise

Wythe

1790

Montgomery

Wytheville

York

1643

Renamed from Charles River County

Yorktown

Former County of Virginia that was ceded in 1783 to Congressional Control.

COUNTY

YEAR

PARENT COUNTY

COUNTY SEAT

Illinois

1778

Augusta                           

See State of Illinois

Former County of Virginia that was recognized as being within Pennsylvania boundaries in 1785 and was thus ceded.

COUNTY

YEAR

PARENT COUNTY

COUNTY SEAT

Yohogania

1776

Augusta (West Augusta District)

See State of PA

Former Counties of Virginia that are now all a part of the State of Kentucky.  They were ceded to Federal Control in 1789 and Kentucky later gained statehood in 1792.

COUNTY

YEAR

PARENT COUNTY

COUNTY SEAT

Bourbon

1786

Fayette County, Virginia

Paris

Fayette

1780

Kentucky County, Virginia

Lexington

Jefferson

1780

Kentucky County, Virginia

Louisville

Kentucky

1777

Fincastle County, Virginia

(Dissolved)

Lincoln

1780

Kentucky County, Virginia

Stanford

Madison

1786

Lincoln County, Virginia

Richmond

Mason

1789

Bourbon County, Virginia

Maysville

Mercer

1786

Lincoln County, Virginia

Harrodsburg

Nelson

1785

Jefferson County, Virginia

Bardstown

Woodford

1788

Fayette County, Virginia

Versailles

Former Counties of Virginia that are now all a part of the State of West Virginia.  West Virginia ceded from Virginia and was admitted to the Union as a State in 1863.

COUNTY

YEAR

PARENT COUNTY

COUNTY SEAT

Barbour

1843

Harrison, Lewis, Randolph

Philippi

Berkeley

1772

Frederick

Martinsburg

Boone

1847

Cabell, Kanawha, Logan

Madison

Braxton

1836

Kanawha, Lewis, Nicholas, Randolph

Sutton

Brooke

1796

Ohio

Wellsburg

Cabell

1809

Kanawha

Huntington

Calhoun

1856

Gilmer

Grantsville

Clay

1858

Braxton, Kanawha, Nicholas

Clay

Doddridge

1845

Harrison, Lewis, Ritchie, Tyler

West Union

Fayette

1831

Greenbrier, Kanawha, Logan, Nicholas

Fayetteville

Gilmer

1845

Kanawha, Lewis

Glenville

Greenbrier

1778

Botetourt, Montgomery

Lewisburg

Hampshire

1754

Augusta, Frederick

Romney

Hancock

1848

Brooke

New Cumberland

Hardy

1786

Hampshire

Moorefield

Harrison

1784

Monongalia, Ohio, Randolph

Clarksburg

Jackson

1831

Kanawha, Mason, Wood

Ripley

Jefferson

1801

Berkeley

Charles Town

Kanawha

1789

Greenbrier, Montgomery

Charleston

Lewis

1816

Harrison, Randolph

Weston

Logan

1824

Cabell, Giles, Kanawha, Tazewell

Logan

McDowell

1858

Tazewell

Welch

Marion

1842

Harrison, Monongalia

Fairmont

Marshall

1835

Ohio

Moundsville

Mason

1804

Kanawha

Point Pleasant

Mercer

1837

Giles, Tazewell

Princeton

Monongalia

1776

West Augusta District (was partially ceded to PA)

Morgantown

Monroe

1799

Botetourt, Greenbrier

Union

Morgan

1820

Berkeley, Hampshire

Berkeley Springs

Nicholas

1818

Greenbrier, Kanawha, Randolph

Summersville

Ohio

1776

Augusta

Wheeling

Pendleton

1788

Augusta, Hardy, Rockingham

Franklin

Pleasants

1851

Richie, Tyler, Wood

Saint Marys

Pocahontas

1821

Bath, Greenbrier, Pendleton, Randolph

Marlinton

Preston

1818

Monongalia, Randolph

Kingwood

Putnam

1848

Cabell, Kanawha, Mason

Winfield

Raleigh

1850

Fayette

Beckley

Randolph

1787

Harrison

Elkins

Ritchie

1843

Harrison, Lewis, Wood

Harrisville

Roane

1856

Gilmer, Jackson, Kanawha

Spencer

Taylor

1844

Barbour, Harrison, Marion

Grafton

Tucker

1856

Randolph

Parsons

Tyler

1814

Ohio

Middlebourne

Upshur

1851

Barbour, Lewis, Randolph

Buckhannon

Wayne

1842

Cabell

Wayne

Webster

1860

Braxton, Nicholas, Randolph

Webster Springs

Wetzel

1846

Tyler

New Martinsville

Wirt

1848

Jackson, Wood

Elizabeth

Wood

1798

Harrison, Kanawha

Parkersburg

Wyoming

1850

Logan

Pineville