City Town Info

Richmond, VA


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Richmond, Virginia

Introduction to Richmond, Virginia

Incorporated as a city in 1782, Richmond is the capital of Virginia. The city is home to about 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of around 1.1 million. Richmond is located in eastern Virginia, 60 miles west of the Chesapeake Bay, and 100 miles south of Washington, DC.

In 1607, Captain James Smith and 120 men were the first Europeans to visit the falls on the James River where present day Richmond stands. The first settlement to survive began in 1644, with the construction of Fort Charles. Its inhabitants traded with the Powhatan Indians for pelts and tobacco. The settlement became a town in 1742.

In 2004, the Richmond-Petersburg area was named one of the "Top 25 Cities for Doing Business In" by Inc. Magazine. Also in 2004 Richmond was named one of "The Most Livable Mid-Sized Cities" by Partners for Livable Communities.

Precipitation is about 43.9 inches per year. Snowfalls average 12.5 inches annually. Temperatures reach 90 degrees an average of 34 days each summer. July average daily high and low temperatures are 87.5 and 68.3 degrees Fahrenheit. January average daily highs and lows are 45.3 and 27.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Richmond, and their lines of business are:

  • Dominion Resources - utilities
  • Genworth Financial - insurance
  • Performance Food Group - wholesale food and grocery
  • The Brink's Company - security
  • CSX - railroad
  • LandAmerica Financial - real estate transaction services
  • Circuit City Group - electronics retailer
  • CarMax - used car retailer

Arts and Leisure

Cultural, Historical and Leisure attractions include:

  • The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
  • The Hand Workshop Art Center
  • The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
  • The Pine Camp Arts & Community Center Gallery
  • The Elegba Folklore Society
  • The Richmond Symphony
  • The Richmond Philharmonic
  • The Richmond Ballet
  • The Virginia Opera
  • The Barksdale Theatre
  • The Firehouse Theater
  • The Landmark Theater
  • The Ethyl Imax Dome and Planetarium
  • The Science Museum of Virginia
  • The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Sports Teams in Richmond include:

  • The Richmond Braves, a Triple A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
  • The Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League's Second Division
  • The Richmond Bandits of the American Indoor Football League

Yellow Pages Trussville, Alabama

High Points

Richmond strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Virginia):

CategoryTrophy
Public Transportation Use
(vs. State)		Top 3%trophyRichmond Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
(vs. State)		Top 5%trophyRichmond Walking and Biking to Work
College Educated Adults
(vs. State)		Top 19%Richmond College Educated Adults
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)		Top 19%Richmond Racial Diversity

Comparative Profile of Richmond, VA

Comparing Richmond to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Virginia (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Female Share of the Population106
Senior Citizens83
Age of the Population72
Well-Paid Single Women78
Well-Paid Single Men47
Racial Diversity39
Children Under 5 Years Old27
Male Share of the Population15

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Average Household Size13
Portion of People Married11

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
College Educated Adults79
People in Middle Class or Better33
Median Family Income34
People Above Poverty22

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Walking and Biking to Work910
Public Transportation Use910
Short Commute Times76
Working at Home45

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
People Living Alone109
Affordability of Rents83
Affordability of Property Taxes72
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals610
Seasonal and Vacation Housing33
Housing Recently Built32
Detailed pages on related topics: Colleges in Richmond, Graduate Schools in Richmond, Richmond mortgage and property, Richmond travel

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Additional Details

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