Counties of Virginia

1634: Formed in 1634 as one of the eight original shires (counties) of the Virginia Colony, York County is one of the oldest counties in the U.S.

1654: New Kent County was established in 1654 from York County.

1691: King and Queen County was established in 1691 from New Kent County.

1721: Spotsylvania County was established from Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties.

1734: Orange County was established from Spotsylvania.

1738: Formed from Orange County, Augusta County was created in 1738 by an Act of the General Assembly which provided that its territory should remain a part of Orange County until there were sufficient inhabitants to support a local government.

1743: Frederick County was created from Orange County.

1744: The Virginia General Assembly created Albemarle County by taking the northern portion of Goochland County.

1746: Lunenburg County was established on May 1, 1746 from Brunswick County.

1752: Halifax County was established in 1752 from Lunenburg County.

1753: Bedford County was established on December 13, 1753 from parts of Lunenburg County.

1761: Albemarle County was divided, forming Buckingham and Amherst counties, at which time the county seat was moved from the formerly-central Scottsville to a piece of newly-central land, christened Charlottesville.

1767: Pittsylvania County was formed in 1767 from Halifax County.

1770: Botetourt County was formed from Augusta County.

1772: Fincastle County was created from Botetourt County, whose boundaries extended all the way to the Mississippi River. Fincastle County was abolished in 1776, and divided into three new counties - Montgomery County, Washington County, and Kentucky County (which later became the Commonwealth of Kentucky).

1777: Montgomery County was established from Fincastle County. Henry County was established from Pittsylvania County.

1778: Rockbridge County was formed in 1778 from Augusta and Botetourt Counties. (The settlement within the bounds of present day Rockbridge, however, began in 1737 in Borden's Grant. The area was then a part of Orange County, Virginia. Augusta County began keeping records in 1745, and covered what is now many states.) Rockingham County was established in 1778 from Augusta County.

1785: Franklin County was formed in 1785 from parts of Bedford County and Henry County.

1786: Russell County was formed from Washington County.

1790: Wythe County was formed from Montgomery County.

1793: Lee County was formed from Russell County.

1799: Tazewell County was formed from parts of Wythe and Russell Counties.

1815: Scott County was formed from parts of of Russell and Lee Counties.

1855: Wise County was formed from parts of Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties.

1858: Buchanan County was formed from parts of Russell and Tazewell Counties.

1880: Dickenson County was formed from parts of Wise and Buchanan Counties.