Richmond, Virginia

Richmond
State capitaland independent city
Downtownskyline along the James River St. John's Episcopal Church Monument Avenue Main Street Station Virginia State Capitol Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): "RVA", [1]"River City" [2] [failed verification]
Motto(s): Latin: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars)
Interactive map of Richmond
Richmond Location within Virginia Show map of Virginia Richmond Location within the contiguous United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates:37°32′27″N77°26′12″W / 37.54083°N 77.43667°W /37.54083; -77.43667
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Named for	Richmond, London
Government
•Mayor	Levar Stoney(D)
Area [3]
• City	62.57 sq mi (162.05 km2)
• Land	59.92 sq mi (155.20 km2)
• Water	2.65 sq mi (6.85 km2)
Elevation [4]	213 ft (65 m)
Population ( 2020)
• City	226,610
• Rank	100thin the United States 4thin Virginia
• Density	3,782/sq mi (1,484.75/km2)
•Urban	1,059,150 (US: 44th)
• Urban density	2,067.3/sq mi (798.2/km2)
•Metro	1,339,182 (US: 44th)
Demonym	Richmonder
GDP [5]
• Richmond (MSA)	$93.615 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP Codes	23173, 23218–23242, 23249–23250, 23255, 23260–23261, 23269, 23273–23274, 23276, 23278–23279, 23282, 23284–23286, 23288–23295, 23297–23298
Area codes	804 and 686
FIPS code	51-67000[6]
GNISfeature ID	1499957[4]
Website	rva.gov
Nomenclature evolution Prior to 1071 –Richemont: a town in Normandy, France. 1071 to 1501 –Richmond: a castle town in Yorkshire, UK. 1501 to 1742 –Richmond, a palace town in London, UK. 1742 to present – Richmond, Virginia.

Richmond(/ˈrɪtʃmənd/RITCH-mənd) is thecapital cityof theCommonwealthofVirginiain the United States. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been anindependent citysince 1871. The city's population in the 2020 census was 226,610, up from 204,214 in 2010,^[7]making it Virginia'sfourth-most populous city.^[8]TheRichmond metropolitan area, with over 1.3 million residents, is the Commonwealth'sthird-most populous.

Richmond is located at theJames River's fall line, 44 mi (71 km) west ofWilliamsburg, 66 mi (106 km) east ofCharlottesville, 91 mi (146 km) east ofLynchburgand 92 mi (148 km) south ofWashington, D.C.Surrounded byHenricoandChesterfieldcounties, Richmond is at the intersection ofInterstate 95andInterstate 64and encircled byInterstate 295,Virginia State Route 150andVirginia State Route 288. Major suburbs includeMidlothianto the southwest, Chesterfield to the south,Varinato the southeast,Sandstonto the east,Glen Allento the north and west,Short Pumpto the west, andMechanicsvilleto the northeast.^[9][10]

Richmond was an important village in thePowhatan Confederacyand was briefly settled by English colonists fromJamestownfrom 1609 to 1611.^[11][12]Founded in 1737, it replaced Williamsburg as the capital of theColony and Dominion of Virginiain 1780. During theRevolutionary Warperiod, several notable events occurred in the city, includingPatrick Henry's "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech in 1775 atSt. John's Churchand the passage of theVirginia Statute for Religious Freedomwritten byThomas Jefferson. During theAmerican Civil War, Richmond was the capital of theConfederate States of America.

TheJackson Wardneighborhood is the city's traditional hub ofAfrican Americancommerce and culture, once known as the "Black Wall Street of America" and the "Harlem of the South."^[13]At the beginning of the 20th century, Richmond had one of the world's first successful electricstreetcarsystems.

Law, finance, and government primarily drive Richmond's economy. Thedowntown areais home to federal, state, and local governmental agencies as well as notable legal and banking firms. The greater metropolitan area includes severalFortune500companies:Performance Food Group,Altria,CarMax,Dominion Energy,Markel,Owens and Minor,Genworth Financial, andARKO Corp.^[14][15][16]The city is home to theU.S. Court of Appealsfor the 4th Circuit and aFederal Reserve Bank(one of 13such courtsand one of 12such banks). It is the home of the influential Music/Art groupGWAR.

After the first permanent English-speaking settlement was established atJamestown, Virginia, in April 1607,Captain Christopher Newportled explorers northwest up theJames Riverto an inhabited area in thePowhatanNation.^[17]Richmond was Arrohattoc territory where Arrohateck village was located. However, as time progressed relations between the Arrohattocs and English colonists declined, and by 1609 the tribe was unwilling to trade with the settlers. As the population began to dwindle, the tribe declined and was last mentioned in a 1610 report by the visiting William Strachey. By 1611 the tribe's Henrico town was found to be deserted when Sir Thomas Dale went to use the land to found Henricus.^[18]

In 1611, the first European settlement in Central Virginia was established atHenricus, where theFalling Creekempties into the James River. In 1619, earlyVirginia Companysettlers established theFalling Creek Ironworksthere.Decades of conflictsbetween the Powhatan and the settlers followed, including theBattle of Bloody Run, fought near Richmond in 1656, after tensions arose from an influx ofManahoacsandNahyssansfrom the North. Nonetheless, the James Falls area saw more White settlement in the late 1600s and early 1700s.^[19]

In early 1737, planterWilliam Byrd IIcommissionedMajor William Mayoto lay out the original town grid, completed in April. Byrd named the city after the English town ofRichmondnear (and now part of) London, because the view of the James River's bend at the fall line was similar to that of theRiver ThamesfromRichmond Hill, named afterHenry VII's ancestral home inRichmond, North Yorkshire.^[20]In 1742, the settlement was incorporated as a town.^[21]

In 1775,Patrick Henrydelivered his famous "Give me liberty, or give me death" speech in Richmond'sSt. John's Church, greatly influencing Virginia's participation in theFirst Continental Congressand the course of theAmerican Revolution.^[22]On April 18, 1780, the state capital was moved fromWilliamsburgto Richmond, providing a more centralized location for Virginia's increasing western population and theoretically isolating the capital from a British attack from the coast.^[23]In 1781,Loyalist troopsled byBenedict Arnoldled araid on Richmondand burnt it, leading GovernorThomas Jeffersonto flee while theVirginia militia, led bySampson Mathews, unsuccessfully defended the city.^[24]

Richmond recovered quickly from the war, thriving within a year of its burning.^[25]In 1786, theVirginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was enacted, separating church and state and advancing the legal principle forfreedom of religionin the United States.^[26]In 1788, theVirginia State Capitol, designed by Jefferson andCharles-Louis Clérisseauin theGreek Revival style, was completed.

To bypass Richmond's rapids on the upper James River and provide a water route across theAppalachian Mountainsto theKanawha River, which flows westward into theOhio Riverand converges with theMississippi River,George Washingtonhelped design theJames River and Kanawha Canal.^[27]The canal started inWesthamand cut east to Richmond, facilitating the transfer of cargo from flat-bottomedJames River bateauxabove the fall line to the ocean-faring ships below.^[27]The canal boatmen legacy is represented by the figure in the center of the city flag.^[28]

Because of the canal and thehydropowerthe falls generated, Richmond emerged as an important industrial center after theAmerican Revolutionary War(1775–1783). It became home to some of the largest manufacturing facilities, including iron works and flour mills, inthe Southand the country.

By 1850, Richmond was connected by theRichmond and Petersburg RailroadtoPort Walthall, where ships carrying over 200 tons of cargo could connect toBaltimoreorPhiladelphia. Passenger liners could reachNorfolk, Virginia, through theHampton Roadsharbor.^[29]In the 19th century, Richmond was connected to the North by theRichmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, later replaced byCSXT.

The railroad also was used by some to escape slavery in the mid-19th century. In 1849,Henry "Box" Brownfamously had himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to abolitionists inPhiladelphiathroughBaltimore'sPresident Street Stationon thePhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, often used by theUnderground Railroadto assist escaping disguised slaves reach the free state ofPennsylvania.^[30]

Five days after the Confederate attack onFort Sumter, the Virginia legislature voted to secede from the United States and join the newly createdConfederate States of Americaon April 17, 1861. The action became official in May, after the Confederacy promised to move its national capital to Richmond fromMontgomery, Alabama.

Richmond held local, state and national Confederate government offices, hospitals, a railroad hub, and one of the largest slave markets. It also had the largest Confederate arms factory, theTredegar Iron Works. The factory produced artillery and other munitions, including heavyordnancemachinery and the 723 tons of armor plating that covered theCSSVirginia, the world's firstironcladship used in war.^[31]TheConfederate States Congressshared quarters in the Jefferson-designedVirginia State Capitolwith theVirginia General Assembly. The Confederacy's executive mansion, known as the "White House of the Confederacy," was two blocks away on Clay Street.

Located about 100 mi (160 km) from the national capital inWashington, D.C., Richmond was at the end of a long supply line and difficult to defend. For four years, its defense required the bulk of theArmy of Northern Virginiaand the Confederacy's best troops and commanders.^[32]The Union army made Richmond a main target in the campaigns of 1862 and 1864–65. In late June and early July 1862, Union General-in-ChiefGeorge B. McClellanthreatened but failed to take Richmond in theSeven Days Battlesof thePeninsula campaign. Three years later, Richmond became indefensible in March 1865 after nearbyPetersburgfell and several remaining rail supply lines to the south and southwest were broken.

On March 25, Confederate GeneralJohn B. Gordon's desperate attack onFort Stedman, east of Petersburg, failed. On April 1, Union Cavalry GeneralPhilip Sheridan, assigned to interdict the Southside Railroad, met brigades commanded by Southern GeneralGeorge Pickettat theFive ForksJunction, defeated them, took thousands of prisoners, and advised Union General-in-ChiefUlysses S. Grantto order a general advance. When the Union Sixth Corps broke through Confederate lines on the Boydton Plank Road south of Petersburg, Confederate casualties exceeded 5,000, about a tenth of Lee's defending army. Lee then informed PresidentJefferson Davisthat he intended to evacuate Richmond.^[33]

On April 2, 1865, the Confederate Army began Richmond's evacuation. Confederate President Davis and his cabinet, Confederate government archives, and its treasury's gold, left the city that night by train. Confederate officials burned documents and troops burned tobacco and other warehouses to deny the Union any spoils. In the early morning of April 3, Confederate troops exploded the city's gunpowder magazine, killing several paupers in a temporary Almshouse and igniting raging fires.^[34]Later that day, GeneralGodfrey Weitzel, commander of the 25th Corps of theUnited States Colored Troops, accepted Richmond's surrender from the mayor and a group of leading citizens who did not evacuate.^[35][36]Union troops eventually contained the fires, but about 25% of the city's buildings were destroyed.^[37]

On April 3, PresidentAbraham Lincolnvisited Grant at Petersburg and took a launch up theJames Riverto Richmond on April 4. While Davis attempted to organize the Confederate government inDanville, Lincoln met Confederate Assistant Secretary of WarJohn A. Campbell, handing him a note inviting Virginia's state legislature to end their rebellion. After Campbell spun the note to Confederate legislators as a possible end to theEmancipation Proclamation, Lincoln rescinded his offer and ordered General Weitzel to prevent the state legislature from meeting.

On April 6, Union forces killed, wounded, or captured 8,000 Confederate troops atSayler's Creek, southwest of Petersburg. The Confederate Army continued a general retreat southwestward, and General Lee continued to reject General Grant's surrender entreaties until Sheridan's infantry and cavalry encircled the shrinkingArmy of Northern Virginiaand cut off its ability to retreat further on April 8. Lee surrendered his remaining approximately 10,000 troops the following morning atAppomattox Court House, meeting Grant at the McLean Home.^[38]

Davis was captured on May 10 nearIrwinville, Georgiaand taken back to Virginia, where he was imprisoned two years atFort Monroeuntil freed on bail.^[39]

A decade after the Civil War, Richmond resumed its position as a major urban center of economic productivity with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s, with railroads becoming the dominant shipping method. Richmond became a major railroad crossroads,^[40]showcasing the world's first triple railroad crossing. Tobacco warehousing and processing continued to play a central economic role, advanced by the world's first cigarette-rolling machine thatJames Albert BonsackofRoanokeinvented between 1880 and 1881.

Another important contributor to Richmond's resurgence was theRichmond Union Passenger Railway, atrolley systemdeveloped by electric power pioneerFrank J. Sprague. The system opened its first Richmond line in 1888, using an overhead wire and a trolley pole to connect to the current and electric motors on the car's trucks.^[41]The success led to electric streetcar lines rapidly spreading to other cities.^[42]A post-World War II transition to buses from streetcars began in May 1947 and was completed on November 25, 1949.^[43]

By the beginning of the 20th century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in 5 sq mi (13 km²), making it the most densely populated city in theSouthern United States.^[44]In the 1900 Census, Richmond's population was 62.1% white and 37.9% black.^[45]Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving African-American business community, and the city's historicJackson Wardbecame known as the "Wall Street of Black America." In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financierMaggie L. Walkerchartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, served as its president, and was the first black female bank president in the United States.^[46]Charles Thaddeus Russellwas Richmond's first black architect, and he designed the bank's office.^[47]Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company and is the country's oldest surviving African-American bank.^[46]Another prominent African-American from this time wasJohn Mitchell Jr., a newspaper editor, civil rights activist, and politician.

In 1910, the former city ofManchesterconsolidated with Richmond, and in 1914 the city annexed Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park inHenrico County.^[48]In May 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of theFifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Several major performing arts venues were constructed during the 1920s, including what are now the Landmark Theatre, Byrd Theatre, and Carpenter Theatre. The city's first radio station,WRVA, began broadcasting in 1925.WTVR-TV(CBS 6), Richmond's first television station, was also the first TV station south of Washington, D.C.^[49]

Between 1963 and 1965, there was a "downtown boom" that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings. In 1968,Virginia Commonwealth Universitywas created by the merger of theMedical College of Virginiaand theRichmond Professional Institute.^[50]

On January 1, 1970, Richmond's borders expanded south by 27 sq mi (70 km²) and its population increased by 47,000 after several years of court cases in whichChesterfield Countyunsuccessfully fought annexation.^[51]

In 1995, a multimillion-dollarflood wallwas completed, protecting the city's low-lying areas from the oft-rising James River. Consequently, the River District businesses grew rapidly, bolstered by the creation of a Canal Walk along the city's former industrial canals.^[52][53]Today the area is home to much of Richmond's entertainment, dining, and nightlife activity.

In 1996, racial tensions grew amid controversy about adding the statue of African American Richmond native and tennis starArthur Asheto the series of statues of Confederate generals onMonument Avenue.^[54]After several months of controversy, Ashe's bronze statue was finally completed on July 10, 1996.^[55]

Richmond is located at37°32′N77°28′W / 37.533°N 77.467°W /37.533; -77.467(37.538, −77.462). According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62 sq mi (160 km²), of which 60 sq mi (160 km²) is land and 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km²) (4.3%) is water.^[56]The city is in thePiedmont region of Virginia, at the James River's highest navigable point. The Piedmont region is characterized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, flatTidewaterregion and theBlue Ridge Mountains. Significant bodies of water in the region include theJames River, theAppomattox River, and theChickahominy River.

TheRichmond-PetersburgMetropolitan Statistical Area(MSA), the44th largestin the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond,Colonial Heights,Hopewell, andPetersburg, and the counties ofCharles City,Chesterfield,Dinwiddie,Goochland,Hanover,Henrico,New Kent,Powhatan, andPrince George.^[57]On July 1, 2009, the Richmond—PetersburgMSA's population was 1,258,251.

Richmond is located 21.69 mi (34.91 km) north ofPetersburg, Virginia, 66.1 mi (106.4 km) southeast ofCharlottesville, Virginia, 79.24 mi (127.52 km) northwest ofNorfolk, Virginia, 96.87 mi (155.90 km) south ofWashington, D.C., and 138.72 mi (223.25 km) northeast ofRaleigh, North Carolina.

Richmond's original street grid, laid out in 1737, included the area between what are now Broad, 17th, and 25th Streets and the James River. ModernDowntown Richmondis slightly farther west, on the slopes of Shockoe Hill. Nearby neighborhoods includeShockoe Bottom, the historically significant and low-lying area between Shockoe Hill andChurch Hill, and Monroe Ward, which contains theJefferson Hotel. Richmond's East End includes neighborhoods like the rapidly gentrifyingChurch Hill, home toSt. John's Church, poorer areas likeFulton, Union Hill, and Fairmont, and public housing projects likeMosby Court, Whitcomb Court, Fairfield Court, and Creighton Court closer toInterstate 64.^[58]

The area between Belvidere Street,Interstate 195,Interstate 95, and the river, which includesVirginia Commonwealth University, is socioeconomically and architecturally diverse. North of Broad Street, the Carver and Newtowne West neighborhoods are demographically similar to neighboringJackson Ward.Carver has seen some gentrification due to its proximity to VCU. The affluent area between theBoulevard, Main Street, Broad Street, and VCU, known as theFan, is home toMonument Avenue, an outstanding collection ofVictorian architecture, and many students. West of the Boulevard is the Museum District, which contains theVirginia Historical Societyand theVirginia Museum of Fine Arts. South of theDowntown ExpresswayareByrd Park,Maymont,Hollywood Cemetery, the predominantly black working-class Randolph neighborhood, and white working-classOregon Hill. Cary Street between Interstate 195 and theBoulevardis a popular commercial area calledCarytown.^[58]

Richmond's Northside is home to numerous listed historic districts.^[59]Neighborhoods such asChestnut Hill-Plateauand Barton Heights began to be developed at the end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the city's outskirts and commute downtown. Other prominent Northside neighborhoods include Azalea, Barton Heights, Bellevue, Chamberlayne, Ginter Park, Highland Park, and Rosedale.^[58]

Farther west is the affluent, suburbanWest End. Windsor Farms is among its best-known sections. The West End also includes middle- to low-income neighborhoods, such as Laurel, Farmington, and the areas around the Regency Mall. More affluent areas include Glen Allen, Short Pump, and the areas of Tuckahoe away from Regency Mall, all north and northwest of the city. TheUniversity of Richmondand theCountry Club of Virginiaare located on this side of town near the Richmond-Henrico border.^[58]

The portion of the city south of the James River is known as the Southside. Southside neighborhoods range from the affluent and middle-class suburban Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Southampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Hills, Hobby Hill, and Woodland Heights to the impoverishedManchesterand Blackwell areas, the Hillside Court housing projects, and the ailing Jefferson Davis Highway commercial corridor. Other Southside neighborhoods include Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. Much of Southside developed a suburban character as part ofChesterfield Countybefore being annexed by Richmond, most notably in 1970.^[58]

Richmond has ahumid subtropical(Köppen:Cfa) oroceanic(Trewartha:Do) climate, with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.^[60][61]The mountains to the westact as a partial barrier to outbreaks of cold, continental air in winter. Arctic air is delayed long enough to be modified and further warmed as it subsides in its approach to Richmond. The open waters of theChesapeake Bayand Atlantic Ocean contribute to the humid summers and cool winters. The coldest weather normally occurs from late December to early February, and the January daily mean temperature is 37.9 °F (3.3 °C), with an average of 6.0 days with highs at or below the freezing mark.^[62]Richmond's Downtown and areas south and east of downtown are in USDAHardiness zones7b. Surrounding suburbs and areas to the north and west of Downtown are in Hardiness Zone 7a.^[63]Temperatures seldom fall below 0 °F (−18 °C), with the most recent subzero reading on January 7, 2018, when the temperature reached −3 °F (−19 °C).^[62]The July daily mean temperature is 79.3 °F (26.3 °C), and high temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) approximately 43 days a year; 100 °F (38 °C) temperatures are not uncommon but do not occur every year.^[64]Extremes in temperature have ranged from −12 °F (−24 °C) on January 19, 1940, to 107 °F (42 °C) on August 6, 1918.^[a]The record cold maximum is 11 °F (−12 °C), set onFebruary 11 and 12, 1899. The record warm minimum is 81 °F (27 °C), set on July 12, 2011.^[62]The warmest months recorded were July 2020 and August 1900, both averaging 82.9°F (28.3 °C). The coldest, January 1940, averaged 24.2 °F (-4.3 °C).^[64]

Precipitationis rather uniformly distributed throughout the year. Dry periods lasting several weeks sometimes occur, especially in autumn, when long periods of pleasant, mild weather are most common. There is considerable variability in total monthly precipitation amounts from year to year, so no one month can be depended to be normal. Snow has been recorded during seven of the 12 months. Falls of 4 in (10 cm) or more within 24 hours occur once a year on average.^[62]Annual snowfall is usually moderate, averaging 10.5 in (27 cm) per season.^[62][66]Snow typically remains on the ground for only one or two days, but it remained for 16 days in 2010 (January 30 to February 14). Ice storms (freezing rain or glaze) are not uncommon, but they are seldom severe enough to cause considerable damage.

TheJames Riverreaches tidewater at Richmond, where flooding may occur in any month of the year, most frequently in March and least in July.Hurricanesandtropical stormshave been responsible for most flooding during the summer and early fall months. Hurricanes passing near Richmond have produced record rainfalls. In 1955, three hurricanes, includingHurricane ConnieandHurricane Diane, which brought heavy rains five days apart, produced record rainfall in a six-week period. In 2004, the downtown area suffered extensive flood damage after the remnants ofHurricane Gastondumped up to 12 in (300 mm) of rain.^[67]

Damaging storms occur mainly from snow andfreezing rainin winter, and from hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms in other seasons. Damage can come from wind, flooding, rain, or a combination of the three.Tornadoesare infrequent, but some notable ones have been observed in the Richmond area.

Downtown Richmond averages 84 days of nighttime frost annually. Nighttime frost is more common in areas north and west of Downtown and less common south and east of downtown.^[68]From 1981 to 2010, the average first temperature at or below freezing was on October 30 and the average last one on April 10.^[69]

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricatorand on MediaWiki.org.

See or editraw graph data.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	3,761		—
1800	5,737		52.5%
1810	9,735		69.7%
1820	12,067		24.0%
1830	16,060		33.1%
1840	20,153		25.5%
1850	27,570		36.8%
1860	37,910		37.5%
1870	51,038		34.6%
1880	63,600		24.6%
1890	81,388		28.0%
1900	85,050		4.5%
1910	127,628		50.1%
1920	171,667		34.5%
1930	182,929		6.6%
1940	193,042		5.5%
1950	230,310		19.3%
1960	219,958		−4.5%
1970	249,621		13.5%
1980	219,214		−12.2%
1990	203,056		−7.4%
2000	197,790		−2.6%
2010	204,214		3.2%
2020	226,610		11.0%
2022 (est.)	229,395		1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[73] 1790–1960[74]1900–1990[75] 1990–2000[76] 2010–2020[77]

Richmond's population is approximately 226,000. As an independent city, Richmond is surrounded byHenrico County, which has a population of about 334,000. TheGreater Richmond regionhas an estimated population of about 1.3 million.

Richmond, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[78]	Pop 2010[79]	Pop 2020[80]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White(NH)	74,506	79,813	95,220	37.67%	39.08%	42.02%
Black or African American(NH)	112,455	102,264	90,490	56.86%	50.08%	39.93%
Native AmericanorAlaska Native(NH)	460	514	440	0.23%	0.25%	0.19%
Asian(NH)	2,437	4,679	6,199	1.23%	2.29%	2.74%
Pacific Islander(NH)	66	93	69	0.03%	0.05%	0.03%
Some Other Race (NH)	319	367	1,378	0.16%	0.18%	0.61%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial(NH)	2,473	3,681	9,067	1.25%	1.80%	4.00%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)	5,074	12,803	23,747	2.57%	6.27%	10.48%
Total	197,790	204,214	226,610	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the2010 United States census, there were 204,214 people living in the city. 50.6% wereBlack or African American, 40.8%White, 2.3%Asian, 0.3%Native American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.6% of some other race and 2.3%of two or more races. 6.3% wereHispanic or Latino(of any race).^[83]

As of the census^[84]of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families living in the city. The population density was 3,292.6/sq mi (1,271.3/km²). There were 92,282 housing units at an average density of 1,536.2/sq mi (593.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.2%African American, 38.3%White, 0.2%Native American, 1.3%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 1.5% fromother races, and 1.5% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 84,549 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,121, and the median income for a family was $38,348. Males had a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 17.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Richmond experienced a spike in overall crime, particularly in themurder rate, during the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s, when it was consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.^{[85][86][87][88]}

Since the late 2000s, various forms of crime have significantly decreased in the city.^[89]Its major crime rate, including violent and property crimes, decreased 47 percent between 2004 and 2009 to its lowest level in more than a quarter of a century.^[90]In 2008, Richmond had fallen to 49th on aMorgan Quitno Pressranking of the most dangerous cities in the United States, and the city recorded its lowest homicide rate since 1971.^[91][92]By 2012, Richmond was no longer in the top 200.^[93]

In recent years, Richmond, like other cities, has had a slight increase in homicides, although violent and other forms of crime remain below the national average.^[94][95]

In 1786, the Virginia General Assembly adopted theVirginia Statute for Religious Freedom, whichThomas Jefferson, wrote in 1779. TheFirst Freedom Centernow commemorates the site.

Richmond has several historic churches, including several prominent Anglican/Episcopal ones from before the Revolutionary War,Monumental Church,St. Paul's Episcopal Church, andSt. John's Episcopal Church. Methodists and Baptists built subsequent early Richmond churches. The first,First Baptist Church of Richmond, was established in 1780. The First Presbyterian Church, organized on June 18, 1812, was the city's firstReformed church. TheSecond Presbyterian Church of Richmond, founded February 5, 1845, whereStonewall Jacksonworshiped, was Richmond's firstGothicbuilding andgas-litchurch.^[96]St. Peter's Church, dedicated May 25, 1834, was the first Catholic church.^[97]TheCathedral of the Sacred Heart, dedicated 72 years later, is theRoman Catholic Diocese of Richmond'smother church.^[98]

Thefirst Jewish congregationin Richmond, and the sixth in the United States, was Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalom. By 1822, Beth Shalom members worshipped in Virginia's first synagogue. Eventually, the congregation merged with its offshoot,Congregation Beth Ahabah. Richmond has two Orthodox Synagogues, Keneseth Beth Israel and Chabad of Virginia.^[99]An OrthodoxYeshivahK–12 school system, Rudlin Torah Academy, includes a post high-school program. The city also is home to two Conservative synagogues, Beth El and Or Atid; and two Reform synagogues, Beth Ahabah and Or Ami. Other Jewish charitable, educational, and social service institutions serving Richmond include the Weinstein Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, and theRichmond Jewish Foundation.

Immigrantsbrought their religions to Richmond and built churches. Germans formedSt. John's German Evangelical churchin 1843. Greeks held Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral's first worship service in 1917 in a rented room at 309 North 7th Street. The cathedral relocated to 30 Malvern Avenue in 1960. It is one of two Eastern Orthodox churches in Richmond and home to the annual Richmond Greek Festival.^[100]

There are sevenmasjidsin the Greater Richmond area, with three more in construction^{[101][102][103]}to accommodate the growing Muslim population. The first was Masjid Bilal.^[104][105]In the 1950s, Muslims from the East End organized under Nation of Islam (NOI), meeting in Temple No. 24 on North Avenue. After the 1975 NOI split, Muslims who joined mainstream Islam started meeting at Shabaaz Restaurant on Nine Mile Road. By 1976, the Muslims met in a rented church they unsuccessfully tried to buy. Ultimately, the congregation bought an old grocery store on Chimbarazoo Boulevard, where Masjid Bilal is now located. Initially called "Masjid Muhammad No. 24," it was given its current name in 1990. The next masjid was the Islamic Center of Virginia, ICVA,^[106]established in 1973 as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. After successful fundraising, ICVA bought land on Buford Road and began constructing the new masjid in the early 1980s. The other five masjids in the Richmond area are Islamic Center of Richmond (ICR)^[107]in the West End; Masjid Umm Barakah^[108]on 2nd Street, Downtown; Islamic Society of Greater Richmond (ISGR) in the West End end; Masjidullah^[109]in the north side; and Masjid Ar-Rahman^[110]in the East End.

Some 6,000 Indian families resided in the Richmond region as of 2011.Hinduismis actively practiced at several temples and cultural centers. The two best known are the Cultural Center of India (CCI), off Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield County, and the Hindu Center of Virginia, in Henrico County, which won national acclaim as Virginia's firstLEED certifiedreligious facility.

Seminariesin Richmond includeVirginia Union University's school of theology,Union Presbyterian Seminary, and theBaptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. TheMcCollough Theological Seminaryof theUnited House of Prayer For All Peopleis in theChurch Hillneighborhood.

Bishops sitting in Richmond include those of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the denomination's largest; the Richmond Area of the United Methodist Church (Virginia Annual Conference), the second largest and one of the oldest in the nation. The Presbytery of the James—Presbyterian Church (USA) – also is in the Richmond area.

TheRoman Catholic Diocese of Richmondwas canonically erected byPope Pius VIIon July 11, 1820, and today has 235,816 members in 146 parishes.^[111]The city of Richmond isCathedral of the Sacred Heartis home to the current bishop, Most ReverendBarry C. Knestout, appointed byPope Francison December 15, 2017.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintshas three stakes, or organizational units of multiple congregations, in the greater Richmond area. At year-end 2017, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 95,379 members in 200 congregations in 22 stakesacross Virginia).^[112]In April 2018, church presidentRussell M. Nelsonannounced a newtempleto be built in Virginia. The church's first temple in the state is in Glen Allen, northwest of Richmond.^[113]

Richmond's strategic location on theJames Riverat the rockyfall lineseparating Virginia'sPiedmontandTidewater regionsmade it a natural development point for commerce. For centuries and three modes of transportation — boats, with the Great Turning Basin; railroad, with the world's onlytriple crossingof rail lines; and cars, with two intersecting major interstates— the downtown has always been a natural hub.

Law and finance have long been driving forces in the economy.^[114]Richmond is home to the Virginia Supreme Court; one of the four courts in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; one of the four divisions of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia;^[115]and theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, one of thirteen suchappeals courts. Richmond is headquarters to some large law firms:Hunton Andrews Kurth,McGuireWoods, andWilliams Mullen.Troutman Sanders, which merged with Richmond-based Mays & Valentine LLP in 2001, also has a significant presence.

The city also is home to theFederal Reserve Bank of Richmond, one of twelve suchbanks, with many large financial and other companies having significant offices, likeGenworth Financial,Capital One,Philip Morris USA, and several banks and brokerages.

Since the 1960s, Richmond has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and related businesses. One of the most notable Richmond-based agencies,The Martin Agency, was founded in 1965 and employs 500. With local advertising agency support,VCU's graduate advertising school (VCU Brandcenter) has consistently ranked as the best graduate advertising program in the country.^[116]

Richmond is home to the rapidly developing Virginia BioTechnology Research Park,^[117]which opened in 1995 as a biotechnology and pharmaceutical incubator. Located adjacent to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus ofVirginia Commonwealth University, the park has over 575,000 sq ft (53,400 m²) of research, laboratory, and office space for a diverse tenant mix of companies, research institutes, government laboratories, and non-profit organizations. TheUnited Network for Organ Sharing, which maintains the nation'sorgan transplantwaiting list, occupies one building in the park.Philip Morris USAopened a $350 million research and development facility in the park in 2007. Once fully developed^{[clarification needed]}, park officials expect the site to employ roughly 3,000 scientists, technicians and engineers.

Richmond's revitalized downtown includes the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Convention Center, and expansion on bothVCUcampuses. A new performing arts center,Richmond CenterStage,^[118]opened on September 12, 2009.^[119]The complex included a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store.^[120]

Craft beer,cider, andliquorproduction is also growing in the River City, with twelve micro-breweries in the city. The oldest is Legend Brewery, founded in 1994. Two cideries, Buskey Cider and Blue Bee Cider, are located in the popular beverage neighborhood ofScott's Addition,^[121]which has nine breweries, onemeadery, and one distillery.^[122]Richmond's threedistilleriesare Reservoir Distillery, founded in 2010; Belle Isle Craft Spirits, started in 2013; and James River Distillery, established in 2014.

Richmond is attracting film and television industry attention. Several high-profile films have been shot in the metro region, including the major motion pictureLincoln,for whichDaniel Day-Lewiswon his third Oscar;Killing KennedywithRob Lowe, airing on theNational Geographic Channel; andTurn, starringJamie Belland airing onAMC. Richmond was the main filming location for thePBSdrama seriesMercy Street, which premiered in Winter 2016. Several organizations, including the Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Production Alliance, and events, like the Richmond International Film Festival and French Film Festival, continue to draw film and media professionals to the region.

Greater Richmond was named the third-best city for business byMarketWatchin September 2007, ranking behind Minneapolis and Denver and above Boston. The area is home to sixFortune 500companies: electric utilityDominion Energy;CarMax;Owens & Minor;Genworth Financial;MeadWestvaco/WestRock; andAltria Group.^[14]Dominion Energy is the only headquartered in the city of Richmond. The others are located in neighboringHenricoandHanovercounties.^[123]In February 2006,MeadWestvacoannounced a 2008 move fromStamford, Connecticut, to Richmond with assistance from the Greater Richmond Partnership,^[124]a regional economic development organization that also helped locateAditya Birla Minacs,^[125]Amazon.com,^[126]andHoneywell International^[127]to the region. In 2008, Altria moved its corporate HQ from New York City to Henrico County. In July 2015, MeadWestvaco merged with Georgia-based Rock-Tenn Company creatingWestRockCompany.

OtherFortune 500companies without headquarters but with a significant presence in the Richmond area includeSunTrust Banks(based inAtlanta),Capital One(officially based inMcLean, Virginia, but founded in and with its operations center and most employees in the Richmond area), and medical and pharmaceutical giantMcKesson Corporation(based in Las Colinas, Texas).Thermo Fisher Scientificcame to the Richmond area in December 2021 when it acquired the contract research organizationPPD. Capital One and Philip Morris USA are two of the largest private Richmond-area employers.DuPontmaintains a production facility in South Richmond known as the Spruance Plant.UPS Freight, the less-than-truckload division ofUnited Parcel Servicehas its corporate headquarters in Richmond.

Other companies based in Richmond include engineering specialistsCTI Consultants; chemical companyNewMarket;Brink's, the security and armored car company;Estes Express Lines, a freight carrier;Universal Corporation, a tobacco merchant;Cavalier Telephone, now Windstream, a telephone, internet, and digital television provider formed in Richmond in 1998;Cherry Bekaert & Holland, a top 30 accounting firm serving theSoutheast; the law firm ofMcGuireWoods;Elephant Insurance, an insurance company subsidiary ofAdmiral Group; andMedia General, a company specializing in broadcast media.

As of 2016, 24.8% of Richmond residents live below thefederal poverty line, the second-highest among the 30 largest cities and counties in Virginia.^[128]AnAnnie E. Casey Foundationreport issued in 2016 also determined that Richmond had achild povertyrate of 39%, more than double Virginia's overall rate.^[129]As of 2016, Richmond had the second-highest rate ofevictionfilings and judgments of any American city with a population of 100,000 or more (in states where complete data was available).^[130]Some Richmond neighborhoods, such as theCreighton Courtpublic-housing complex, have high concentrations of poverty.^[131][132]

Several of the city's large general museums are located on or near Arthur Ashe Boulevard, in what is referred to as the Museum District. TheVirginia Historical Societyand theVirginia Museum of Fine Artsare on the Boulevard. Nearby is theScience Museum of Virginia, housed on Broad Street in theneoclassicalformer 1919 Broad Street Union Station. Immediately adjacent is theChildren's Museum of Richmond, and two blocks away is theVirginia Center for Architecture. Downtown has theLibrary of Virginiaand theValentine Richmond History Center. The city also has theVirginia Holocaust Museumand theOld Dominion Railway Museum.

Richmond is home to several American Civil War museums and battlefields. TheRichmond National Battlefield ParkVisitors Center and theAmerican Civil War Center at Historic Tredegarare near the riverfront, both housed in the former buildings of theTredegar Iron Works, where much of the South's war ordnance was produced. InCourt End, near theVirginia State Capitol, is theMuseum of the Confederacyand the Davis Mansion, also known as the Confederacy's White House. Both feature a wide variety of objects and material from the era. The temporary home ofGeneral Robert E. Leestill stands Downtown on Franklin Street.

The history of slavery and emancipation are increasingly being represented in the city. There is a former slave trail along the river that leads to Ancarrow's Boat Ramp and Historic Site, which has been developed with interpretive signage. In 2007, the Reconciliation Statue was placed in Shockoe Bottom, with corresponding statues installed inLiverpoolandBeninrepresenting points in theTriangle Trade. Most of the statues honoring Confederate leaders onMonument Avenuewere removed during or after the racial justice protests of June 2020 following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.^[133]Contemporaneously, protestors also toppled the monument to Christopher Columbus, whose reputation has suffered for his treatment of indigenous people, throwing it in Fountain Lake on June 9, 2020.^[134]The city removed the last Confederate statue, honoringGeneral A. P. Hill, on December 12, 2022.^[135]The only statue remaining on Memorial Avenue is of Arthur Ashe, the pioneering Black tennis player. TheBill "Bojangles" Robinsonmonument in Jackson Ward was untouched during the protests and remains in place.

Other historical points of interest includeSt. John's Church, the site ofPatrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, and theEdgar Allan Poe Museumfeatures many of his writings and other artifacts of his life, particularly when he lived in the city as a child, student, and successful writer. TheJohn MarshallHouse, home of the formerChief Justice of the United States, is also Downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life.Hollywood Cemeteryis where twoU.S. Presidentsand many Civil War officers and soldiers are buried.Beth Ahabah Museum and Archivescollects, preserves, and exhibits materials that focus on Jewish history and culture specifically connected to Richmond.^[136]

Located near Byrd Park is the famousWorld War I Memorial Carillon, a 56-bellcarillontower. Dedicated in 1956, theVirginia War Memorialis located on Belvedere overlooking the river and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle inWorld War II, theKorean War, theVietnam War, theGulf War, theWar in Afghanistan, and theIraq War.

Agecroft Hallis aTudormanor houseand estate located on the James River in theWindsor Farmsneighborhood of Richmond. The manor house was built in the late 15th century and was originally located in theAgecroftarea ofPendlebury, in thehistoric countyofLancashireinEngland.

Musicians of note associated with Richmond includeJason Mraz,Jimmy Dean,Agents of Good Roots,Aimee Mann,Alabama Thunderpussy,Avail,^[137]Broadside,Carbon Leaf,Cannabis Corpse,Cracker,D'Angelo,Denali,Down to Nothing,Engine Down,Four Walls Falling,Iron Reagan,^[138]Lamb of God,Municipal Waste,Nettspend,Nickelus F,River City High,Sparklehorse,Strike Anywhere,Chris Brown,Eric Stanley,Bad Omens, andFighting Gravity.^[139]

With the Richmond Mural Project (RMP), sponsored by RVA Mag and Art Whino, and 2013's RVA Street Art Festival, the city quickly gained more than 100 murals created by international mural artists, such as Aryz, Roa,Ron English, and Natalia Rak. While the RMP focused on international talent, the RVA Street Art Festival, led by long-time local mural artist Ed Trask, focused mainly on regional artists, although it was responsible for PoseMSK,Jeff Soto, andMark Jenkins. After some criticism, the RMP included its first local artist, Nils Westergard, who already was on the international circuit, and then another, Jacob Eveland. The two festivals were unrelated, and the RMP is now defunct. The RVA Street Art Festival occurs as funding permits. In response to theGeorge Floydprotests of the summer of 2020, local artist Hamilton Glass spearheaded the Mending Walls Project, featuring walls by pairs of local artists.^[140]

From their earliest days, Virginia and Richmond welcomed live theatrical performances.Lewis Hallamstaged early Shakespeare productions in Williamsburg, and Richmond became a prominent colonial and early 19th century performance place for celebrated American and English actors, like William Macready, Edwin Forrest,^[141]and the Booth family. In the 20th century, Richmond had many amateur troupes and regular touring professional productions. The city's principal performing arts groups include theVirginia Repertory Theatre,Richmond Ballet,Richmond Triangle Players,Richmond Symphony, andVirginia Opera.

Other venues and companies include:

• Altria Theater, the city-ownedopera house
• TheByrd TheatreinCarytown, a 1920smovie palacethat features second-run movies and hosts theFrench Film Festival
• Leslie Cheek Theater at theVirginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Dogwood Dell, an amphitheater inByrd Park
• National Theater
• Dominion Energy Center, which includes the Carpenter Theater
• School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community
• Virginia Credit Union Live!

Commercial art galleries include Metro Space Gallery andGallery 5in a newly designated arts district. Not-for-profit galleries include Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1708 Gallery, and Artspace.

In 2008, a new 47,000 sq ft (4,400 m²) Gay Community Center opened on the city's north side. It hosts meetings of many kinds and includes a large art gallery space.

Richmond has long been a hub for literature and writers.Edgar Allan Poegrew up in the city, and the city's oldest stone house is a museum to his life and works.^[142]The Southern Literary Messenger, which included his writing, is one of many notable publications started in Richmond. Other noteworthy authors who have called Richmond home include Pulitzer-winningEllen Glasgow, controversial figureJames Branch Cabell,Meg Medina,Dean King,David L. Robbins, and MacArthur FellowPaule Marshall.Tom Wolfewas born in Richmond, as wasBreaking BadcreatorVince Gilligan.David Baldaccigraduated fromVirginia Commonwealth University, where the creative writing faculty has included Marshall,Claudia Emerson,Kathleen Graber,T. R. Hummer,Dave Smith,David Wojahn, andSusann Cokal. Notable graduates includeSheri Reynolds,Jon Pineda,Anna JourneyandJoshua Poteat.^[143]A community-based organization,James River Writers, serves the Greater Richmond Region. It sponsors many writer programs for all career stages, and an annual writers' conference that draws attendees from near and far.^[143]

Richmond is home to many significant structures, including some designed by notable architects. The city contains diverse styles and has excellent examples of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, Egyptian Revival, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Modernist, International, and Postmodern architecture.

Many of Richmond's historic properties are documented in books and 1970s-era black and white photographs byJohn G. Zehmer, an architectural historian and preservationist.

The 1865 Evacuation Fire destroyed about 25% of Richmond's early buildings.^[144]Fewer remain due to redevelopment and construction occurring sinceReconstruction. Nonetheless, Richmond has many historically significant buildings and districts. From the colonial period, there are thePatteson-Schutte Houseand theEdgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia), both built before 1750.

Architectural classicism is represented in all city districts, particularly Downtown and in the Fan and the Museum District. Several notable classical architects have designed buildings in Richmond.Thomas JeffersonandCharles-Louis Clérisseaudesigned the Virginia State Capitol in 1785. It is the second-oldest U.S. statehouse in continuous use (Maryland's is the oldest), and the first U.S. government building built in theneo-classicalstyle, setting the trend for other state houses and federal buildings, including theWhite HouseandThe Capitolin Washington, D.C.^[145]Robert Mills designedMonumental Churchon Broad Street, abutted by the 1845Egyptian Building, one of the fewEgyptian Revivalbuildings in the U.S.

The firm ofJohn Russell PopedesignedBroad Street Station, or Union Station, in theBeaux-Artsstyle, and it now is home to theScience Museum of Virginia. The firm also designedBranch HouseonMonument Avenueas a Tudor private residence, which now is the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design. Wilson, Harris, and Richards designedMain Street Station, now used for its intended purpose. The classically trained Beaux-Arts architects, Carrère and Hastings, designed both the Jefferson Hotel and the Commonwealth Club.Ralph Adams Cram, renowned for the Princeton University Chapel and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, designed many buildings at theUniversity of Richmond, including Jeter and Ryland Halls.

Richmond's position as a center of iron production helped to fuel the popularity of itscast-iron architecture. The city is home to a unique collection of cast iron porches, balconies, fences, and finials, second only toNew Orleansin cast-iron concentration. At the height of production in the 1890s, 25 foundries operated in Richmond, employing nearly 3,500 metal workers. This number is seven times the number of general construction workers employed at the time, illustrating the importance of iron exports to the city.^[146]Porches and fences in urban neighborhoods, such as Jackson Ward, Church Hill, and Monroe Ward, are particularly elaborate, often featuring ornate iron casts never replicated outside of Richmond. In some cases, casts were made for a single residential or commercial application.

Another unique architectural feature to Richmond is outdoor lighting. Former mayorDwight C. Jonescalled the city the tacky light capital of the world.^[147]

Richmond is home to several notable buildings designed by modernist masters.Minoru Yamasakidesigned the Federal Reserve Building, which dominates the downtown skyline. Thearchitectural firmofSkidmore, Owings & Merrill, home toGordon Bunshaft, designed theLibrary of Virginiaand the General Assembly Offices at the Eighth and Main Building.Philip Johnsondesigned theWRVA Building.Richard NeutradesignedRice House, a residence on a private James River Island, is Richmond's only true International Style home. Famed early modern architect and member of theHarvard Five,^[148]Landis Gores, designed the W.G. Harris residence in Richmond.Steven Holldesigned the VCUInstitute for Contemporary Art, opened in 2018. Other notable architects to have worked in the Richmond area include Rick Mather andI.M. Pei.

Richmond's urban residential neighborhoods, largely single use town homes with mixed full retail/dining establishments, are keys the city's character. The Fan, the Museum District, Jackson Ward, Carver, Carytown, Oregon Hill, and Church Hill are districts anchored by large streets, such as Franklin Street, Cary Street, the Boulevard, and Monument Avenue. The city's recent population growth mainly has been concentrated in these areas.

Richmond's City Code provides for the creation of old and historic districts to "recognize and protect the historic, architectural, cultural, and artistic heritage of the City".^[149]Pursuant to that authority, the city has designated 45 districts.^[150]Most districts also are listed in theVirginia Landmarks Register("VLR") and theNational Register of Historic Places("NRHP").

Fifteen districts represent broad sections of the city:^[151]

Historic District	City	VLR	NRHP[d]
Boulevard(Grace St. to Idlewood Ave)	1992	1986	1986
Broad Street(Belvidere St. to First St.)	1985	1986	198720042007
Chimborazo Park(32nd to 36th Sts. & Marshall St. to Chimborazo Park)	1987	2004	2005
Church Hill North(Marshall to Cedar Sts. & Jefferson Ave. to N. 29th St.)	2007	1996	19972000
Hermitage Road(Laburnum Ave. to Westbrook Ave.)	1988	2005	2006
Jackson Ward(Belvidere to 2nd Sts. & Jackson to Marshall Sts.)	1987	1976	1976
Monument Avenue(Birch St. to Roseneath Rd.)	1971	1969	1970
St. John's Church(21st to 32nd Sts. & Broad to Franklin Sts.)	1957	1969	1966
Shockoe Slip(12th to 15th Sts. & Main to Canal/Dock Sts.)	1979	1971	1972
Shockoe Valley(18th to 21st Sts. & Marshall to Franklin Sts.)	1977	1981	1983
Springhill(19th to 22nd Sts. & Riverside Dr. to Semmes Ave.)	2006	2013	2014
200 Block West Franklin Street(Madison to Jefferson Sts.)	1977	1977	1977
West Franklin Street(Birch to Harrison Sts.)	1990	1972	1972
West Grace Street(Ryland St. to Boulevard)	1996	1997	1998
Zero Blocks East and West Franklin(Adams to First Sts. & Grace to Main Sts.)	1987	1979	1980

The remaining thirty districts are limited to an individual building or group of buildings throughout the city:

Historic District	VLR	NRHP
The Barret House(15 South Fifth Street)	1971	1972
Belgian Building(Lombardy Street and Brook Road)	1969	1970
Bolling Haxall House(211 East Franklin Street)	1971	1972
Centenary United Methodist Church(409 East Grace Street)	1979	1979
Crozet House(100–102 East Main Street)	1971	1972
Glasgow House(1 West Main Street)	1972	1972
Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House(2 North Fifth Street)	1969	19702008
Henry Coalter Cabell House(116 South Third Street)	1971	1971
Jefferson Hotel(114 West Main Street)	1968	1969
John Marshall House(818 East Marshall Street)	1969	1966
Leigh Street Baptist Church(East Leigh and Twenty-Fifth Streets)	1971	1972
Linden Row(100–114 East Franklin Street)	1971	1971
Mayo Memorial House(110 West Franklin Street)	1972	1973
William W. Morien House (2226 West Main Street)
Norman Stewart House(707 East Franklin Street)	1972	1972
Old Stone House(1916 East Main Street)	1973	1973
Pace House (100 West Franklin Street)
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church(Northwest corner South Laurel Street and Idlewood Avenue)	1979	1979
St. Paul's Episcopal Church(815 East Grace Street)	1968	1969
St. Peter's Catholic Church(800 East Grace Street)	1968	1969
Second Presbyterian Church(9 North Fifth Street)	1971	1972
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church(12–14 West Duval Street)	1996	1996
Stonewall Jackson School(1520 West Main Street)	1984	1984
Talavera (2315 West Grace Street)
Valentine Museum and Wickham-Valentine House(1005–1015 East Clay Street)	1968	1969
Virginia House(4301 Sulgrave Road)	1989	1990
White House of the Confederacy(1200 East Clay Street)	1969	1966
Wilton(215 South Wilton Road)	1975	1976
Joseph P. Winston House (103 East Grace Street)	1978	1979
Woodward House-Rockets(3017 Williamsburg Avenue)	1974	1974

Richmond has been recognized in recent years as a "foodiecity", particularly for its modern renditions of traditionalSouthern cuisine.^{[152][153][154]}The city also claims the invention of thesailor sandwich, which includespastrami,knockwurst,Swiss cheeseandmustardonrye bread.^[155]Richmond is wherecanned beerwas first made commercially available in 1935.^[156]

Richmond does not have a major league professional sports team. Since 2013, however, theWashington Commandersof theNational Football Leaguehave held theirsummer training campin the city.^[157]The city has severalminor leaguesports franchises, including theRichmond KickersofUSL League Oneand theRichmond Flying Squirrelsof the Class AADouble-A NortheastofMinor League Baseball, aSan Francisco Giantsaffiliate.^[158][159]The Kickers began playing in Richmond in 1993, making them the oldest continually operated professional club in the United States. The club now plays home matches atCity Stadium. In 2018, the Richmond Kickers left the USL to be founders in Division 3 Soccer. The Squirrels opened their first season atThe Diamondon April 15, 2010.^[160]From 1966 through 2008, the city was home to theRichmond Braves, aAAAaffiliate of theAtlanta BravesofMajor League Baseball, until the franchise relocated toGeorgia.^[161]

Richmond is home to theRichmond Black Widows, the city's first women's football team, founded in 2015 bySarah Schkeeper. The team is in theWomen's Football Alliance, which preseason begins in January and regular season in April.

A significant city sports venue is the 6,000-seatArthur Ashe Athletic Center, a multi-purpose arena named for tennis great and Richmond residentArthur Ashe. This facility hosts local sporting events, concerts, and other activities.Tennisis popular in Richmond. In 2010, theUnited States Tennis Associationnamed Richmond the third "Best Tennis Town", afterCharleston, South Carolina, andAtlanta, Georgia.^[162]

Auto racing is also popular in the area. TheRichmond Raceway(RR) has hostedNASCAR Cup Seriesraces since 1953, and the Capital City 400 from 1962 to 1980.^[163]RR also hosted IndyCar'sSunTrust Indy Challengefrom 2001 to 2009. Another track,Southside Speedway, has operated since 1959 and sits just southwest of Richmond inChesterfield County. This .333 mi (0.536 km) oval short-track is known as the "Toughest Track in the South" and "The Action Track", featuring weeklystock car racingFriday nights.^[164]Southside Speedway has seen many NASCAR champions, includingRichard Petty,Bobby Allison, andDarrell Waltrip. It is the home track of NASCAR superstarDenny Hamlin.^[165][166]

Richmond hosted the2015 UCI Road World Championships, which had cyclists from 76 countries and an estimated beneficial $158.1 million economic impact on theGreater Richmond Regionfrom event staging and visitor spending.^[167]The championship course was the first real-world location to be recreated within the indoor cycle training application,Zwift. The application has subsequently added two otherUCIworld championships courses,Innsbruckfrom 2018 andHarrogatefrom 2019

The city is home to theUniversity of Richmond football team, who most notably won the2008 NCAA Division I FCS National Championship. The team plays its home games atRobins Stadium.

Richmond also has seen recent men's and women'scollege basketballsuccess in theAtlantic 10 Conference. TheRichmond Spidersplay at theRobins Centerand theVCU Ramsplay at theStuart C. Siegel Center.

The city operates one of the country's oldest municipal park systems. In 1851, the City Council voted to acquire 7.5 acres (30,000 m²), now known asMonroe Park.^[168]Monroe Park is adjacent to theVirginia Commonwealth Universitycampus, and is one of over 40 parks totaling more than 1,500 acres (610 ha).

Several parks are along the James River, and the James River Parks System offers bike trails, hiking and nature trails, and many scenic overlooks.^[169]The trails are used for the Xterra East Championship running and mountain biking courses of the off-road triathlon.^[170]

Parks exist on two major islands in the James River,Belle IsleandBrown's Island. Belle Isle, a former Powhatan fishing village, colonial-era horse race track, and Civil War prison camp, is the larger of the two. It contains many bike trails and a small cliff used forrock climbinginstruction. The island still has many remnants of the Civil War prison camp, including an arms storage room and a gun emplacement used to quell prisoner riots. Brown's Island is smaller and a popular venue for many spring and summer free outdoor concerts and festivals, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series and the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.

Two other major city parks along the river areByrd ParkandMaymont, located near the Fan District. Byrd Park features a one mi (1.6 km) running track, with exercise stops, a publicdog park, and a number of small lakes for small boats, as well as two monuments, Buddha house and an amphitheater. TheWorld War I Memorial Carillon, built in 1926, features prominently in the park. Maymont, adjacent to Byrd Park, is a 100-acre (40 ha)Victorianestate with a museum, formal gardens, native wildlife exhibits, nature center,carriagecollection, andchildren's farm. Other city parks includeJoseph Bryan Park Azalea Garden, Forest Hill Park (former site of the Forest Hill Amusement Park), andChimborazo Park(site of the National Battlefield Headquarters).

The James River through Richmond is one of the best urban white-water rafting/canoeing/kayaking sites in the country, and several rafting companies provide related services. The city also has several easily accessed riverside areas for rock-hopping, swimming, and picnicking.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardenis in adjacent Henrico County. Founded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is 80 acres (320,000 m²), one of only two independent public botanical gardens in Virginia, and designated a state botanical garden.^[171]A public place for the display and scientific study of plants, it features a glass conservatory, rose garden, healing garden, and accessible-to-all children's garden.

Severaltheme parksare located near the city, includingKings Dominionto the north, andBusch Gardensto the east, nearWilliamsburg.

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United States presidential election results for Richmond, Virginia ^[172]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	16,603	14.94%	92,175	82.92%	2,381	2.14%
2016	15,581	15.07%	81,259	78.58%	6,566	6.35%
2012	20,050	20.55%	75,921	77.81%	1,598	1.64%
2008	18,649	20.03%	73,623	79.09%	813	0.87%
2004	21,637	29.11%	52,167	70.19%	521	0.70%
2000	20,265	30.74%	42,717	64.80%	2,944	4.47%
1996	20,993	31.30%	42,273	63.02%	3,812	5.68%
1992	24,341	30.53%	47,642	59.75%	7,752	9.72%
1988	31,586	42.26%	42,155	56.41%	995	1.33%
1984	38,754	43.73%	49,408	55.75%	466	0.53%
1980	34,629	39.76%	47,975	55.08%	4,502	5.17%
1976	37,176	44.73%	44,687	53.77%	1,247	1.50%
1972	46,244	57.59%	33,055	41.16%	1,003	1.25%
1968	26,380	39.57%	32,857	49.28%	7,431	11.15%
1964	27,196	43.24%	35,662	56.71%	32	0.05%
1960	27,307	60.41%	17,642	39.03%	256	0.57%
1956	27,367	61.79%	10,758	24.29%	6,166	13.92%
1952	29,300	60.28%	19,235	39.57%	75	0.15%
1948	14,549	41.21%	16,466	46.64%	4,286	12.14%
1944	8,737	27.84%	22,584	71.95%	66	0.21%
1940	6,031	23.71%	19,332	75.99%	76	0.30%
1936	4,478	19.18%	18,784	80.45%	86	0.37%
1932	5,602	27.09%	14,631	70.75%	448	2.17%
1928	10,767	51.32%	10,213	48.68%	0	0.00%
1924	2,600	19.37%	9,904	73.79%	917	6.83%
1920	4,515	23.04%	14,878	75.93%	202	1.03%
1916	1,210	14.57%	6,987	84.15%	106	1.28%
1912	405	6.12%	5,632	85.04%	586	8.85%
1908	1,135	21.29%	4,142	77.68%	55	1.03%
1904	569	12.96%	3,749	85.40%	72	1.64%
1900	2,729	30.60%	6,095	68.35%	93	1.04%
1896	5,160	38.42%	7,839	58.36%	433	3.22%
1892	3,289	24.28%	10,139	74.85%	117	0.86%
1888	976	45.61%	1,155	53.97%	9	0.42%
1884	5,716	42.92%	7,599	57.05%	4	0.03%
1880	2,158	28.75%	5,348	71.24%	1	0.01%

Richmond city government consists of acity councilwith representatives from nine districts serving in alegislativeand oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor serving as head of theexecutive branch. Citizens in each of the nine districts elect one council representative each to serve a four-year term. Beginning with the November 2008 election Council terms was lengthened to four years. The city council elects from among its members one member to serve as Council President and one to serve as Council Vice President. The city council meets at City Hall, located at 900 E. Broad St., 2nd Floor, on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, except August.

In 1977, a federal district court ruled in favor ofCurtis Holt Jr.who had claimed the council's existing election process — an at large voting system — was racially biased. The verdict required the city to rebuild its council into nine distinct wards. Within the year the city council switched from majority white to majority black, reflecting the city's populace. This new city council elected Richmond's first black mayor,Henry L. Marsh.

Richmond's government changed in 2004 from acouncil-managerform of government with a mayor elected by and from the council to an at-large, popularly elected mayor. Unlike most major cities, in order to be elected, a mayoral candidate must win a plurality of the vote in five of the city's nine council districts. If no one crosses that threshold, a runoff is held between the two top finishers in the first round. This was implemented as a compromise in order to address concerns that better-organized and wealthier white voters could have undue influence.^[173]In a landslide election, incumbent mayor Rudy McCollum was defeated byL. Douglas Wilder, who previously served Virginia as the first elected African American governor in the United States sinceReconstruction. The current mayor of Richmond isLevar Stoneywho was elected in 2016.^[174]The mayor is not a part of the Richmond City Council.

As of 2021^[update], the Richmond City Council consisted of:

• Andreas D. Addison, 1st District (West End)
• Katherine Jordan, 2nd District (North Central)
• Ann-Frances Lambert, 3rd District (Northside)
• Kristen Nye, 4th District (Southwest)
• Stephanie A. Lynch, 5th District (Central)
• Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District (Gateway), Council Vice President
• Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District (East End), Council President
• Reva M. Trammell, 8th District (Southside)
• Michael J. Jones, 9th District (South Central)

^[175]

The City of Richmond operates 28 elementary schools, ninemiddle schools, and eight high schools, serving a total student population of 24,000.^[176]The city has one Governor's School, theMaggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies. In 2008, it was named one ofNewsweekmagazine's 18 "public elite" high schools,^[177]and rated 16 of America's best high schools in 2012.^[178]Richmond's public school district also runs one of Virginia's four publiccharter schools, the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, founded in 2010.^[179]The 2020 class had an on-time graduation rate of 71.6%, at least 20 percentage points behind most other school divisions, making it the worst in the state.^[180]

As of 2008, there were 36 private schools serving grades one or higher in the City of Richmond.^[181]Some of these schools include: Banner Christian School; St. Bridget School;Brook Road Academy;Collegiate School; Grace Christian School; Grove Christian School; Guardian Christian Academy;St. Christopher's School;St. Catherine's School;Southside Baptist Christian School;Northstar Academy;The Steward School;Trinity Episcopal School; The New Community School; and Veritas School.

The city's only Catholic high school is Cristo Rey Richmond High School,^[182]afterBenedictine College PreparatoryandSt. Gertrude High Schoolrelocated to a combined campus inGoochland.

The Richmond area has many major institutions of higher education, includingVirginia Commonwealth University(public),University of Richmond(private),Virginia Union University(private),South University–Richmond (private, for-profit),Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education(private), and the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond (BTSR—private). Several community colleges are in the metro area, includingJ. Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeandBrightpoint Community College(Chesterfield County). Several technical colleges are in Richmond, including ITT Technical Institute,ECPI College of Technology, and Centura College. The same is true of vocational colleges, including Fortis College and Bryant Stratton College.

Virginia State Universityis located about 20 mi (32 km) south of Richmond, inEttrick, just outsidePetersburg.Randolph-Macon Collegeis located about 15 mi (24 km) north of Richmond, inAshland.

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TheRichmond Times-Dispatch,owned byLee Enterprises, Inc., is the local daily newspaper, with a Sunday circulation of 120,000.Style Weekly,an online alternative local publication owned byVPM Media Corporation, covers popular culture, arts, and entertainment.RVA Magazineis the city's only independent art music and culture publication. Originally a quarterly, it now is a monthly. TheRichmond Free Pressand theVoicecover the news from an African-American perspective.

The Richmond metro area is served by many local television and radio stations. As of 2010^[update], the Richmond-Petersburgdesignated market area(DMA) is the 58th largest in the U.S. with 553,950 homes according to Nielsen Market Research.^[183]The major network television affiliates areWTVR-TV6 (CBS),WRIC-TV8 (ABC),WWBT12 (NBC),WRLH-TV35 (Fox), andWUPV65 (CW).PBSstations includeWCVE-TV23 andWCVW57. There also are a wide variety of radio stations in the Richmond area, catering to many different interests, including news,talk radio, and sports, as well as an eclectic mix of musical interests. Richmond enjoys alow power FM Station,WRIR, which features all-volunteer community supported radio at all hours.

The Greater Richmond area is served by theRichmond International Airport(IATA:RIC,ICAO:KRIC), located inSandston, seven mi (11 km) southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historicWilliamsburg, Virginia. Richmond International is served by ten passenger and four cargo airlines, with over 200 daily flights providing non-stop service to major domestic destinations and connecting flights to worldwide destinations. A record 4.8 million passengers used Richmond International Airport in 2023, breaking the previous record of 4.4 million in 2019.^[184]

Richmond is a major hub for intercitybuscompanyGreyhound Lines, which has its terminal at 2910 N Boulevard. Multiple daily runs connect directly with Washington, D.C., New York, Raleigh, and elsewhere. Direct trips to New York take approximately 7.5 hours. Discount carrierMegabusprovides curbside service from Main Street Station. Direct service is available to Washington, D.C.,Hampton Roads,Charlotte,Raleigh,Baltimore, andPhiladelphia. Connections to Megabus-served cities, such as New York, are made from Washington, D.C.^[185]

TheGreater Richmond Transit Company(GRTC) providestransitandparatransitbus service in Richmond andHenricoandChesterfieldcounties. The GRTC, however, serves only small parts of the suburban counties. The far West End, Innsbrook and Short Pump, and almost all of Chesterfield County have no public transportation, despite dense housing, retail, and office development. According to a 2008 GRTC operations analysis report, a majority of GRTC riders use their services because they do not have available alternatives, such as a private vehicle.^[186]In 2014, U.S. Department of Transportation^[187]granted Richmond and the surrounding metropolitan area a roughly $25 million grant for theGRTC Pulsebus rapid transitsystem, which opened in June 2018, running along Broad Street from Willow Lawn to Rocketts Landing.

The Richmond area has two railroad stations served byAmtrak. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. The region's main station,Staples Mill Road Station, is located just outside the city on a major north–south freight line that receives service to and from all points south, includingRaleigh,Durham,Charlotte,Savannah,Newport News,Norfolkand Florida. The historicMain Street Station, renovated in 2004,^[188]is the only railway station in the City of Richmond. As of 2010, it only receives trains headed to and from Newport News due to track layout.

Richmond also benefits from an excellent interstate highway position, lying at the junction of east–westInterstate 64and north–southInterstate 95, two of the most heavily traveled highways in the state. As the state capital, Richmond has great state highway access.

Dominion Energysupplies the Richmond Metro area'selectricity. Headquartered in Richmond, it is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states. Electricity for the Richmond area is primarily produced at theNorth Anna Nuclear Generating Station,Surry Nuclear Generating Station, and a coal-fired station inChester, Virginia. These three plants provide a total of 4,453megawattsof power. Several other natural gas plants provide extra power during peak demands, including facilities inChester, andSurry, and two in Richmond, Gravel Neck and Darbytown.^[189]

Richmond's Department of Public Utilities provides the Richmond Metro area's natural gas, including portions ofHenricoandChesterfieldcounties. It also supplies water to the city and surrounding area through wholesale contracts withHenrico,Chesterfield, andHanovercounties. The DPU is one of Virginia's largest water producers, providing water to approximately 500,000 people, including 62,000 city customers, through a distribution system of water mains, pumping stations, storage facilities, and a modern plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons daily from theJames River.^[190]

Thewastewatertreatment plant is on the James River's south bank. It can treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day of sanitary sewage and stormwater before returning it to the river. The wastewater utility also operates and maintains 1,500 mi (2,400 km) of sanitary sewer and pumping stations, 38 mi (61 km) of intercepting sewer lines, and the Shockoe Retention Basin, a 44-million-gallon stormwater reservoir used during heavy rains.

Richmond'ssister citiesare:^[191]

• Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom
• Saitama, Japan
• Ségou, Mali
• Windhoek, Namibia
• Zhengzhou, China

• Culture of Virginia
• Richmond Police Department
• USSRichmond, 3 ships
• Category:People from Richmond, Virginia

• Ash, Stephen V.Rebel Richmond: Life and Death in the Confederate Capital(UNC Press, 2019).
• Bill, Alfred Hoyt.The Beleaguered City: Richmond, 1861–1865(1946).
• Calcutt, Rebecca Barbour.Richmond's Wartime Hospitals(Pelican Publishing, 2005).
• Chesson, Michael B.Richmond after the war, 1865–1890(Virginia State Library, 1981).
• Dabney, Virginius(1990).Richmond: The Story of a City(revised and expanded ed.).University Press of Virginia.ISBN978-0813912745.
• Furgurson, Ernest B.Ashes of glory: Richmond at war(1996).
• Hoffman, Steven J.Race, Class and Power in the Building of Richmond, 1870-1920(McFarland, 2004).
• Mustian, Thomas F.Facts and Legends of Richmond Area Streets.(Richmond, VA: Dementi Milestone Publishing, 2007).
• Thomas, Emory M.The Confederate State of Richmond: A Biography of the Capital(LSU Press, 1998).
• Trammell, Jack.The Richmond Slave Trade: The Economic Backbone of the Old Dominion(The History Press, 2012).
• Wright, Mike.City Under Siege: Richmond in the Civil War(Rowman & Littlefield, 1995)

• Official website
• ChamberRVA, the regional chamber of commerce for Greater Richmond
• Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Richmond, Virginia, a National Park ServiceDiscover Our Shared Heritagetravel itinerary
• video:Exploring the James River Parks of RichmondonYouTube