Local Wiki · State overview
Local Government in Virginia
How local government works in Virginia, the kinds of local government it has, and where to look for more. For your own county or city, browse Virginia’s Local Wiki pages below.
Most Virginia counties are governed by an elected Board of Supervisors functioning much like a commission, sometimes aided by an appointed administrator or, in a few counties, a stronger county manager or executive. The distinctive feature is Virginia's 38 independent cities, which are legally equal to counties and sit entirely outside any county government, running their own schools, roads, and courts. A resident in an independent city contacts city hall, not a county office; a resident in a county contacts the Board of Supervisors and county clerk or administrator.
In most states, incorporated cities sit inside a county and residents may deal with both city and county government; Virginia instead makes every city legally independent of county government, a structure dating to the 1870s.
Local government in Virginia
- County governments95
The main local government across most of the state.
Browse county pages - Cities, towns & villages227
Incorporated municipalities with their own elected council or board.
Browse city & town pages - School districts1
Independent school districts, plus 133 school systems run by a county, city, or town government. Listed on county pages where known.
- Special districts196
Single-purpose governments — fire, water, library, parks, housing, transit, and more.
Counts: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments — Government Units listing. A consolidated city-county is counted once.
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