VA · 2026 Census Gazetteer

Virginia counties by area

Official, comparable measurements for 133 counties and county equivalents.

Source fields preservedGEOID · ALAND · AWATER

County equivalents133

Combined land39,481.4 mi²

Combined water3,293.4 mi²

Largest by landPittsylvania County

Understanding Virginia’s county areas

The land-area range runs from Falls Church city at 2 mi² to Pittsylvania County at 969 mi². The largest has 473.6 times the land area of the smallest and accounts for 2.5% of the combined county land in Virginia.

The median county-equivalent land area is 310 mi², below the national median of 604.5 mi². The median describes the middle of the county size distribution; it does not describe how people or development are distributed. A state with a few very large counties can have a much smaller median than its largest entry suggests.

Where water changes the picture

Accomack County has the most assigned water area, at 860.7 mi². Poquoson city has the highest water share, with water making up 80.4% of its total area. Water area and water percentage answer different questions: the first measures an amount, while the second measures the mix of land and water.

Across all 133 entries, water accounts for 7.7% of the combined total area. This is calculated from the summed land and water measurements, rather than averaging county percentages, which would give each small and large county equal weight.

Compare the largest and smallest county equivalents in Virginia to see land, water, and total area on the same scale.

These calculations use the 2026 Census county records listed below. County-equivalent boundaries vary between states; area alone does not measure population, density, or usable land. See coverage and calculation rules.

Complete area table

Sorted from largest to smallest land area.

#	County / equivalent	Land	Water	Water share
1	Pittsylvania CountyGEOID 51143	969 mi²	9.2 mi²	0.9%
2	Augusta CountyGEOID 51015	967.1 mi²	3.7 mi²	0.4%
3	Rockingham CountyGEOID 51165	849.8 mi²	4.1 mi²	0.5%
4	Halifax CountyGEOID 51083	817.7 mi²	11.8 mi²	1.4%
5	Bedford CountyGEOID 51019	760.1 mi²	16.2 mi²	2.1%
6	Albemarle CountyGEOID 51003	720.5 mi²	5.5 mi²	0.8%
7	Franklin CountyGEOID 51067	690.6 mi²	21 mi²	3%
8	Fauquier CountyGEOID 51061	648 mi²	3.7 mi²	0.6%
9	Mecklenburg CountyGEOID 51117	625.3 mi²	53.9 mi²	7.9%
10	Southampton CountyGEOID 51175	599.2 mi²	3.1 mi²	0.5%
11	Rockbridge CountyGEOID 51163	596.5 mi²	3.4 mi²	0.6%
12	Buckingham CountyGEOID 51029	579.6 mi²	3.8 mi²	0.7%
13	Brunswick CountyGEOID 51025	566.4 mi²	3.2 mi²	0.6%
14	Washington CountyGEOID 51191	561.2 mi²	5 mi²	0.9%
15	Botetourt CountyGEOID 51023	541.3 mi²	4.7 mi²	0.9%
16	Scott CountyGEOID 51169	535.8 mi²	3.1 mi²	0.6%
17	Bath CountyGEOID 51017	529.2 mi²	5.4 mi²	1%
18	Caroline CountyGEOID 51033	527.4 mi²	9.6 mi²	1.8%
19	Tazewell CountyGEOID 51185	518.8 mi²	1.1 mi²	0.2%
20	Loudoun CountyGEOID 51107	515.7 mi²	5.6 mi²	1.1%
21	Shenandoah CountyGEOID 51171	508.1 mi²	3.8 mi²	0.7%
22	Dinwiddie CountyGEOID 51053	503.8 mi²	3.5 mi²	0.7%
23	Campbell CountyGEOID 51031	503.3 mi²	3.4 mi²	0.7%
24	Buchanan CountyGEOID 51027	502.9 mi²	1.1 mi²	0.2%
25	Louisa CountyGEOID 51109	495.1 mi²	14.6 mi²	2.9%
26	Sussex CountyGEOID 51183	490.2 mi²	2.6 mi²	0.5%
27	Patrick CountyGEOID 51141	483 mi²	2.8 mi²	0.6%
28	Charlotte CountyGEOID 51037	475.3 mi²	2.2 mi²	0.5%
29	Carroll CountyGEOID 51035	474.7 mi²	2.9 mi²	0.6%
30	Amherst CountyGEOID 51009	474 mi²	5 mi²	1%
31	Russell CountyGEOID 51167	473.5 mi²	2.9 mi²	0.6%
32	Nelson CountyGEOID 51125	470.7 mi²	3.5 mi²	0.7%
33	Hanover CountyGEOID 51085	467.6 mi²	4.9 mi²	1%
34	Wythe CountyGEOID 51197	462 mi²	2.8 mi²	0.6%
35	Smyth CountyGEOID 51173	451.4 mi²	1.3 mi²	0.3%
36	Accomack CountyGEOID 51001	449.3 mi²	860.7 mi²	65.7%
37	Alleghany CountyGEOID 51005	446.6 mi²	3.2 mi²	0.7%
38	Grayson CountyGEOID 51077	441.8 mi²	3.8 mi²	0.8%
39	Lee CountyGEOID 51105	435.4 mi²	1.9 mi²	0.4%
40	Lunenburg CountyGEOID 51111	431.7 mi²	0.7 mi²	0.2%
41	Chesterfield CountyGEOID 51041	423.5 mi²	13.5 mi²	3.1%
42	Highland CountyGEOID 51091	415.2 mi²	0.7 mi²	0.2%
43	Frederick CountyGEOID 51069	413.1 mi²	2.3 mi²	0.5%
44	Wise CountyGEOID 51195	403.4 mi²	2 mi²	0.5%
45	Spotsylvania CountyGEOID 51177	401.9 mi²	12.7 mi²	3.1%
46	Suffolk cityGEOID 51800	399.2 mi²	29.7 mi²	6.9%
47	Fairfax CountyGEOID 51059	391 mi²	15.5 mi²	3.8%
48	Montgomery CountyGEOID 51121	386.8 mi²	2.4 mi²	0.6%
49	Henry CountyGEOID 51089	382.4 mi²	2 mi²	0.5%
50	Floyd CountyGEOID 51063	380.9 mi²	0.8 mi²	0.2%
51	Culpeper CountyGEOID 51047	379.2 mi²	3.5 mi²	0.9%
52	Amelia CountyGEOID 51007	357.8 mi²	3.2 mi²	0.9%
53	Bland CountyGEOID 51021	357.6 mi²	1 mi²	0.3%
54	Giles CountyGEOID 51071	357.2 mi²	4.3 mi²	1.2%
55	Prince Edward CountyGEOID 51147	349.9 mi²	3.9 mi²	1.1%
56	Orange CountyGEOID 51137	340.5 mi²	2.8 mi²	0.8%
57	Chesapeake cityGEOID 51550	338.5 mi²	12.5 mi²	3.6%
58	Prince William CountyGEOID 51153	335.3 mi²	11.9 mi²	3.4%
59	Appomattox CountyGEOID 51011	334.2 mi²	1.2 mi²	0.4%
60	Dickenson CountyGEOID 51051	330.4 mi²	3.1 mi²	0.9%
61	Craig CountyGEOID 51045	328.1 mi²	1.1 mi²	0.3%
62	Madison CountyGEOID 51113	320.6 mi²	1.2 mi²	0.4%
63	Pulaski CountyGEOID 51155	319.8 mi²	9.6 mi²	2.9%
64	Isle of Wight CountyGEOID 51093	315.7 mi²	47.1 mi²	13%
65	King and Queen CountyGEOID 51097	315.1 mi²	11.2 mi²	3.4%
66	Nottoway CountyGEOID 51135	311.9 mi²	1.7 mi²	0.5%
67	Page CountyGEOID 51139	310 mi²	3.2 mi²	1%
68	Cumberland CountyGEOID 51049	297.5 mi²	2.3 mi²	0.8%
69	Greensville CountyGEOID 51081	295.4 mi²	1.6 mi²	0.5%
70	Fluvanna CountyGEOID 51065	286.2 mi²	4.2 mi²	1.4%
71	Goochland CountyGEOID 51075	283 mi²	8.5 mi²	2.9%
72	Surry CountyGEOID 51181	278.9 mi²	31.4 mi²	10.1%
73	King William CountyGEOID 51101	273.9 mi²	12 mi²	4.2%
74	Stafford CountyGEOID 51179	268.5 mi²	11.6 mi²	4.1%
75	Rappahannock CountyGEOID 51157	266.4 mi²	0.8 mi²	0.3%
76	Prince George CountyGEOID 51149	265.3 mi²	16.5 mi²	5.9%
77	Powhatan CountyGEOID 51145	260.2 mi²	2.1 mi²	0.8%
78	Essex CountyGEOID 51057	257.4 mi²	28.9 mi²	10.1%
79	Roanoke CountyGEOID 51161	250.5 mi²	0.7 mi²	0.3%
80	Virginia Beach cityGEOID 51810	244.7 mi²	252.8 mi²	50.8%
81	Henrico CountyGEOID 51087	233.7 mi²	11.2 mi²	4.6%
82	Westmoreland CountyGEOID 51193	229.3 mi²	23.6 mi²	9.3%
83	Gloucester CountyGEOID 51073	217.8 mi²	70.2 mi²	24.4%
84	Warren CountyGEOID 51187	214.6 mi²	3.3 mi²	1.5%
85	Northampton CountyGEOID 51131	211.7 mi²	583.5 mi²	73.4%
86	New Kent CountyGEOID 51127	210 mi²	13.7 mi²	6.1%
87	Richmond CountyGEOID 51159	191.5 mi²	24.9 mi²	11.5%
88	Northumberland CountyGEOID 51133	191.4 mi²	94.2 mi²	33%
89	Charles City CountyGEOID 51036	182.9 mi²	21.3 mi²	10.4%
90	King George CountyGEOID 51099	179.6 mi²	8.1 mi²	4.3%
91	Clarke CountyGEOID 51043	176 mi²	2.2 mi²	1.2%
92	Greene CountyGEOID 51079	155.9 mi²	0.6 mi²	0.4%
93	James City CountyGEOID 51095	142.3 mi²	36.8 mi²	20.5%
94	Lancaster CountyGEOID 51103	133.3 mi²	98.1 mi²	42.4%
95	Middlesex CountyGEOID 51119	130.3 mi²	80.4 mi²	38.2%
96	York CountyGEOID 51199	104.7 mi²	110.3 mi²	51.3%
97	Mathews CountyGEOID 51115	85.9 mi²	166.1 mi²	65.9%
98	Newport News cityGEOID 51700	69 mi²	50.6 mi²	42.3%
99	Richmond cityGEOID 51760	59.9 mi²	2.6 mi²	4.2%
100	Norfolk cityGEOID 51710	53.3 mi²	43.1 mi²	44.7%
101	Hampton cityGEOID 51650	51.5 mi²	84.8 mi²	62.2%
102	Lynchburg cityGEOID 51680	48.9 mi²	0.6 mi²	1.1%
103	Danville cityGEOID 51590	42.8 mi²	0.9 mi²	2.1%
104	Roanoke cityGEOID 51770	42.5 mi²	0.3 mi²	0.8%
105	Portsmouth cityGEOID 51740	33.3 mi²	13.4 mi²	28.7%
106	Arlington CountyGEOID 51013	26 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.4%
107	Petersburg cityGEOID 51730	22.7 mi²	0.2 mi²	1%
108	Staunton cityGEOID 51790	19.9 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.3%
109	Harrisonburg cityGEOID 51660	17.3 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.3%
110	Poquoson cityGEOID 51735	15.4 mi²	63.1 mi²	80.4%
111	Waynesboro cityGEOID 51820	15 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.9%
112	Alexandria cityGEOID 51510	14.9 mi²	0.4 mi²	2.7%
113	Salem cityGEOID 51775	14.5 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.7%
114	Bristol cityGEOID 51520	12.9 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.9%
115	Martinsville cityGEOID 51690	11 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.5%
116	Fredericksburg cityGEOID 51630	10.5 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.7%
117	Hopewell cityGEOID 51670	10.4 mi²	0.5 mi²	4.4%
118	Charlottesville cityGEOID 51540	10.2 mi²	0 mi²	0.2%
119	Manassas cityGEOID 51683	9.8 mi²	0.1 mi²	0.6%
120	Radford cityGEOID 51750	9.7 mi²	0.3 mi²	3.3%
121	Winchester cityGEOID 51840	9.2 mi²	0 mi²	0.2%
122	Williamsburg cityGEOID 51830	8.9 mi²	0.2 mi²	1.8%
123	Franklin cityGEOID 51620	8.3 mi²	0.1 mi²	1.1%
124	Galax cityGEOID 51640	8.2 mi²	0 mi²	0.5%
125	Colonial Heights cityGEOID 51570	7.5 mi²	0.3 mi²	3.5%
126	Norton cityGEOID 51720	7.5 mi²	0 mi²	0.5%
127	Emporia cityGEOID 51595	6.6 mi²	0 mi²	0.7%
128	Buena Vista cityGEOID 51530	6.4 mi²	0.1 mi²	1.3%
129	Fairfax cityGEOID 51600	6.2 mi²	0 mi²	0.5%
130	Covington cityGEOID 51580	5.5 mi²	0.2 mi²	3.5%
131	Manassas Park cityGEOID 51685	3 mi²	0 mi²	0%
132	Lexington cityGEOID 51678	2.5 mi²	0 mi²	1%
133	Falls Church cityGEOID 51610	2 mi²	0 mi²	0%

How to read this table. Land and water areas are Census statistical measurements in square miles. Adding county rows can differ slightly from separately published state totals because of rounding and geographic treatment.