General

Virginia, a southeastern U.S. state, stretches from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains, with a long Atlantic coastline. It's one of the 13 original colonies, with historic landmarks including Monticello, founding father Thomas Jefferson’s iconic Charlottesville plantation. The Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg are living-history museums reenacting Colonial and Revolutionary-era life.

Capital: Richmond
Abbreviation: VA
Population: 8.684 million (2022)
State flower: Flowering dogwood
State bird: Northern cardinal, Cardinalidae
Nicknames: Mother of states, Old Dominion; Mother of Presidents
Senators: Mark Warner (Democratic Party), Tim Kaine (Democratic Party)