Printable Blank Map of Virginia with Counties
Delineating all 95 counties and 38 independent cities across 42,775 square miles of the Old Dominion, this blank vector map of Virginia captures the state from the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore west across the Piedmont to the Shenandoah Valley and Cumberland Gap. Projected in Virginia Lambert (EPSG:3968), it provides clean coordinate geometry for municipal city enclaves, tidal estuary analysis, and county governance studies.
About this Blank Map of Virginia
This printable blank map represents Virginia on the authentic NAD83 (2011) / WGS84 ellipsoidal datum. All 6 interactive visual variants—including Blank Outline, Counties Boundaries, Centroid Labels, Capital City Marker (Richmond), and High-Contrast Printer B&W—are generated synchronously from identical coordinate geometry.
| Specification | Value | Compliance & Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction / Entity | Virginia | US State |
| Subdivisions Rendered | 133 Counties | Verified Topological Polygon Mesh |
| Primary Capital City | Richmond | Marked on the capital variant |
| Cartographic Projection | VIRGINIA LAMBERT | Distortion-Minimized Coordinate Map |
| Reference Datum | NAD83 (2011) / WGS84 | NOAA NGS / EPSG:3968 (State Plane Coordinate System) |
Virginia Counties at a Glance
- Counties
- 133
- Capital
- Richmond
- Population (2020)
- 8,631,373
- Land area
- 39,490 sq mi
Most populous counties
- Fairfax County (Fairfax): 1,150,294 people, 13.3% of the state
- Prince William County (Manassas): 482,200 people, 5.6% of the state
- Virginia Beach city (Virginia Beach city): 459,476 people, 5.3% of the state
- Loudoun County (Leesburg): 420,957 people, 4.9% of the state
- Chesterfield County (Chesterfield Court House): 364,061 people, 4.2% of the state
Largest counties by land area
- Pittsylvania County (Chatham): 969 sq mi
- Augusta County (Staunton): 967.1 sq mi
- Rockingham County (Harrisonburg): 849.8 sq mi
- Halifax County (Halifax): 817.7 sq mi
- Bedford County (Bedford): 760.1 sq mi
Neighboring states
Figures: US Census Bureau 2020 Census populations and Gazetteer land areas. The full sortable list with seats and FIPS codes is on the Virginia county map & list page.
Geography Notes: Virginia
Virginia Statewide Lambert Conformal Geodesy
A single statewide Lambert projection standardizes coordinates across 95 counties and 38 independent cities.
Standard parallels at 37°00'N and 39°30'N anchor the projection, eliminating coordinate breaks between Northern Virginia suburbs and rural Appalachian coal counties.
The Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) relies on EPSG:3968 to maintain high-resolution base maps for 911 dispatch, flood mitigation, and parcel boundary tracking.
EPSG:3968 preserves metric scale from the Atlantic coast at Virginia Beach to the Cumberland Gap tri-state marker.
The Independent City System: Unique in American Federalism
Virginia contains 38 of the 41 independent cities in the entire United States, operating completely separate from counties.
Under the 1902 Virginia Constitution, incorporated cities are legally and politically independent of the counties that surround them, maintaining their own constitutional officers, school boards, and courts.
Pittsylvania County in the south-central Piedmont spans 978 square miles, standing as the state's largest county by surface area.
Pittsylvania County covers 978 square miles, making it the largest county in Virginia, larger than Rhode Island.
Curated Classroom Activities & Spatial Labs for Virginia
Pedagogical lesson plans and spatial analysis activities designed specifically for printable vector maps of Virginia:
Virginia Independent Cities & Enclave Mapping Lab
Objective: Identify independent cities completely enclaved within Virginia counties.
Materials: Printed blank map of Virginia, colored fine-tip pens, Virginia local government directory.
- Locate independent cities enclaved within counties, such as Charlottesville (Albemarle), Harrisonburg (Rockingham), and Roanoke City (Roanoke County).
- Identify the independent consolidated city of Virginia Beach, the most populous city in the Commonwealth.
- Trace the Potomac River forming the northern boundary with Maryland and Washington, DC.
The Fall Line & Tidewater River Basin Study
Objective: Trace the Fall Line and map the four great tidal rivers of Virginia.
Materials: Printed Virginia county outline map, blue and green highlighters.
- Draw the Fall Line connecting Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Henrico (Richmond), and Petersburg.
- Trace the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.
- Highlight Accomack and Northampton counties on the Delmarva Eastern Shore.
The 6 Synchronized Variants Explained
We generate 6 synchronized variations of Virginia from the same master vector dataset. Each variant is aligned to identical coordinate geometry:
1. Blank Boundary Outline
The foundational boundary outline of Virginia. Rendered with a clean exterior stroke and zero fill—the optimal version for in-class labeling exams, custom cartographic overlays, or clean graphic design.
2. With Subdivisions (133 Counties)
Displays the exterior boundary plus internal administrative borders for all 133 counties. Each subdivision possesses a unique SVG element ID for direct styling and choropleth shading in vector editors.
3. Labeled with True Centroids
Features authentic typographic labels positioned at each administrative territory's mathematical center of mass. Perfect as a master grading answer key or self-study reference sheet.
4. Adjacent-Contrast Color Fill
Filled using an adjacency-contrast pastel palette so neighboring jurisdictions never blend together. Excellent for tactile visual discrimination and regional geography units.
5. With Capital City (Richmond)
Pinpoints the official capital city of Richmond using a high-visibility star marker and typographic callout, positioned at precise geodetic coordinates.
6. High-Contrast Printer B&W
Optimized specifically for monochrome desktop laser and inkjet printers. Uses pure black vector paths (#000000) and ultra-clean white fills to prevent ink-bleeding and toner smudging.
Tools to Use With This Map
- Interactive US county mapZoom into county lines on a live map.
- What county am I in?Find your county from your device location.
- True size comparisonDrag Virginia over other places to compare real areas.
- Map area calculatorDraw a shape and measure its area on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
- Color a mapShade regions online and download your own map.
Virginia County Map & Full List
See 2020 Census populations, seats, land areas and FIPS codes for every county in Virginia, with an on-page map and CSV export.
Need Definitions for Map Projections, SVG Vectors, or Centroids?
Explore our centralized Cartography Glossary for detailed definitions of national and global geodetic datums, equal-area vs. conformal projections, TopoJSON topological arcs, and choropleth classification standards.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia Blank Maps
Authoritative answers to common questions regarding printing, licensing, vector customization, and curriculum use:
Why are there so many independent cities shown on this Virginia map?▼
Virginia operates under a unique constitutional rule where incorporated cities are completely independent of counties. Virginia contains 38 of the 41 independent cities in the United States.
What is the largest county by land area in Virginia?▼
Pittsylvania County in south-central Virginia along the North Carolina border (seat: Chatham) is the largest county by area at 978 square miles.
Are Arlington and Fairfax counties separate from cities?▼
Arlington County is a unique urban county with no incorporated cities or towns within it. The City of Fairfax and the City of Falls Church are independent cities separate from surrounding Fairfax County.