The Commonwealth of Virginia recognizes a category of incorporated municipalities called towns. Unlike independent cities in Virginia, towns remain part of the county or counties in which they lie and share some local government functions with those counties. The state had 190 incorporated towns as of 2005; many vary widely in size and character from small rural communities to large, suburbanized population centers. The term "incorporated" and the rules that govern towns are distinct from city status in Virginia and are part of the state's municipal code. Incorporated
Characteristics and governance
Towns in Virginia are created through incorporation and operate under charters granted by the state or by general law. They typically have an elected council or town board and may provide services such as local zoning, police, public works, and utilities, but many services are coordinated with the county. Because towns remain within county boundaries, residents pay county taxes and vote in county elections while also participating in town government. This dual relationship is a key distinction between towns and the state's independent cities.
Organization of lists and references
Comprehensive lists of towns may be presented alphabetically, by county, or by region (for example, Northern Virginia, Tidewater, Southwest). For navigation and research, one can consult an alphabetical roster of all incorporated towns, county-based groupings, and separate compilations of independent cities and unincorporated population centers. For a complete compilation, see the linked index of towns. Complete list of towns and for related context see the page on counties. List of counties in Virginia
Notable examples
Some well-known towns illustrate the diversity of Virginia's municipalities: Abingdon in the southwest, Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore, Dumfries and Herndon in Northern Virginia, Leesburg and Middleburg in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, Occoquan on the Potomac, Smithfield in Hampton Roads, and Blacksburg in the New River Valley. These examples range from historic river towns to college communities and suburban centers.
Virginia's municipal landscape also connects to broader jurisdictions: the Commonwealth as the state entity and the United States as the national context. For official state information, see resources maintained by the Commonwealth and federal sources for demographic and geographic data. Commonwealth of Virginia and United States.
Historical trends have included the incorporation of new towns, annexations, and occasional transitions of municipalities between town and city status. For researchers, planners, or travelers, understanding whether a place is an incorporated town, an independent city, or an unincorporated community affects how services are provided, how local government is organized, and how statistical data are reported.
For more detailed municipal descriptions, maps, and up-to-date counts, consult official state publications and local government websites that track incorporations and boundary changes. These sources provide the current legal status and administrative arrangements for any named town in Virginia. Incorporated entries and regional lists are commonly used starting points.