Virginia: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries

 

Virginia Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

 

John H. Long, Editor; Peggy Tuck Sinko, Historical Compiler; Gordon DenBoer, Historical Compiler; Laura Rico-Beck, GIS Specialist and Digital Compiler; Peter Siczewicz, ArcIMS Interactive Map Designer; Emily Kelley, Research Associate; Robert Will, Cartographic Assistant.

Copyright The Newberry Library 2003

 


 

[Note: Chronologies and maps for West Virginia counties (denoted "W.Va."), for years after 1863, are in the Consolidated Chronology for West Virginia.]

 

 

10 April 1606

King James I chartered two Virginia Companies, headquartered in different cities, to establish colonies along the coast of North America. The Virginia Company of London was assigned coast between 34 degrees and 41 degrees north latitude, including present Virginia, and the Virginia Company of Plymouth was assigned coast between 38 degrees and 45 degrees north latitude. Colonies of the two companies were to be at least 100 miles apart, even where grants overlapped. First permanent settlement in Virginia was established at Jamestown in 1607. (Paullin, pl. 42; Swindler, 10:17–23; Van Zandt, 92)

 

 

2 June 1609

King James I granted a new charter to the Virginia Company of London, expanding its jurisdiction along the coast to 200 miles north and south of Point Comfort (c. 37 degrees north latitude), including islands within 100 miles, and extending westward and northwestward to the Pacific Ocean. (Paullin, pl. 42; Swindler, 10:24–36; Van Zandt, 92)

 

 

12 March 1611/1612

King James I granted a new charter to the Virginia Company of London, expanding its jurisdiction to encompass all land between 30 degrees and 41 degrees north latitude, plus offshore islands within 300 leagues, including Bermuda, and by implication still extending to the Pacific Ocean. (Swindler, 10:37–45; Van Zandt, 92–93)

 

 

24 May 1624

The Court of the King's Bench revoked the charter of the Virginia Company of London, and Virginia became a royal colony under direct authority of the King and Privy Council. Virginia still claimed boundaries fixed by its 1609 charter. (Morton, Colonial Virginia, 1:106)

 

 

20 June 1632

King Charles I created Maryland from earlier range of Virginia territory, granting it as a proprietary colony to Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Territory was bounded on the south by the south bank of the Potomac River, a line from the river's mouth across Chesapeake Bay to Watkins Point, and thence a line due east across the Delmarva peninsula to the ocean, and on the west by the meridian of the head of the Potomac. (Swindler, 4:359; Van Zandt, 81, 85)

 

 

1634

Eight shires (original counties) created: ACCOMACK (original, now NORTHAMPTON), CHARLES CITY, CHARLES RIVER (now YORK), ELIZABETH CITY (extinct), HENRICO, JAMES CITY, WARROSQUYOAKE (now ISLE OF WIGHT), and WARWICK RIVER (later WARWICK, extinct). (Hening, 1:224; Tyler, 197–198)

 

 

1636

NEW NORFOLK (extinct) created from ELIZABETH CITY (extinct). (Robinson, 62, 85–86)

 

 

1637

LOWER NORFOLK (extinct) and UPPER NORFOLK (later NANSEMOND, extinct) created from NEW NORFOLK; NEW NORFOLK eliminated. (Robinson, 59, 70, 85)

 

WARROSQUYOAKE renamed ISLE OF WIGHT. (Robinson, 82)

 

 

4 October 1638

Virginia formally acknowledged Maryland's existence and implicitly recognized its 1632 boundaries. In 1658 Virginia renounced any claim to Maryland and reiterated that position in its constitution of 1776. (Bozman, 2:72, 586; Van Zandt, 85)

 

 

1640

Boundaries of ISLE OF WIGHT, LOWER NORFOLK (extinct), and UPPER NORFOLK (later NANSEMOND, extinct) redefined [no change]. (Hening, 1:228, 247; Robinson, 197–198)

 

 

1642

UPPER NORFOLK renamed NANSEMOND (extinct). (Hening, 1:321; Robinson, 85, 198)

 

 

1643

ACCOMACK (original) renamed NORTHAMPTON; CHARLES RIVER renamed YORK; WARWICK RIVER renamed WARWICK (extinct). (Hening, 1:249)

 

 

1647

Boundary between ISLE OF WIGHT and NANSEMOND (extinct) clarified [no change]. (Robinson, 198)

 

 

1648

NORTHUMBERLAND created from YORK. (Hening, 1:294n., 352, 362; Robinson, 63, 86)

 

 

1649

NORTHUMBERLAND boundaries clarified [no change]. (Hening, 1:362)

 

 

1651

GLOUCESTER created from YORK. (Hening, 1:371n.; Robinson, 51, 79)

 

LANCASTER created from NORTHUMBERLAND and YORK. (Hening, 1:374; Robinson, 57, 82–83)

 

 

1652

SURRY created from JAMES CITY. (Hening, 1:373n.; Robinson, 68, 87)

 

 

1653

WESTMORELAND created from NORTHUMBERLAND. (Hening, 1:381; Robinson, 71)

 

 

1654

NEW KENT created from YORK. (Hening, 1:387n., 388; Robinson, 62)

 

 

1656

ISLE OF WIGHT gained from NANSEMOND (extinct). (Hening, 1:423)

 

 

11 December 1656

RAPPAHANNOCK (original, extinct) created from LANCASTER. (Hening, 1:427; Robinson, 66, 86)

 

 

24 March 1662/1663

King Charles II created Carolina from earlier range of Virginia territory and granted it as a proprietary colony to eight of his supporters. Boundary on the north with Virginia was the north end of Lucke Island and the parallel of 36 degrees north latitude. (Swindler, 7:357–358)

 

 

1663

ACCOMACK created from NORTHAMPTON. (Robinson, 42, 73)

 

 

1664

STAFFORD created from WESTMORELAND. (Robinson, 68, 87; Warner, 21)

 

 

30 June 1665

King Charles II granted a new charter to the proprietors of Carolina, expanding its jurisdiction to north and south. New boundary on the north was a line from the north end of the Currituck River westward to "Wyonoak" Creek and thence due west along the parallel of 36 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. The new northern line implicitly redefined the southern limit of Virginia as the parallel of 36 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude, and, although this definition has not changed to the present, attempts at demarcation have produced an unusually irregular boundary. (Swindler, 7:375)

 

 

25 June 1668

Commissioners from Maryland and Virginia agreed on the demarcation of their boundary across the southern end of the Delmarva peninsula [no later change]. (Archives of Md., 5:44–45)

 

 

1674

MIDDLESEX created from LANCASTER. (Robinson, 60, 84)

 

 

12 May 1691

KING AND QUEEN created from NEW KENT. (Hening, 3:94–95; Robinson, 57)

 

 

16 May 1691

NORFOLK (extinct) and PRINCESS ANNE (extinct) created from LOWER NORFOLK; LOWER NORFOLK eliminated. (Hening, 3:95–96; Robinson, 63, 65)

 

 

26 April 1692

ESSEX and RICHMOND created from RAPPAHANNOCK (original); RAPPAHANNOCK (original) eliminated. (Hening, 3:104–105; Robinson, 49, 66)

 

 

6 August 1701

Southern boundaries of ISLE OF WIGHT, SURRY, and CHARLES CITY clarified [no change]. (Winfree, 2–3)

 

 

11 April 1702

KING WILLIAM created from KING AND QUEEN. (Hening, 3:211–212)

 

 

29 May 1702

Boundaries of ISLE OF WIGHT, SURRY, CHARLES CITY, and NANSEMOND (extinct) clarified [no change]. (Winfree, 8–9)

 

 

23 April 1703

PRINCE GEORGE created from CHARLES CITY. (Winfree, 11–12)

 

 

17 December 1720

BRUNSWICK created from PRINCE GEORGE; BRUNSWICK not fully organized, attached to PRINCE GEORGE. (Hening, 4:77–79; Robinson, 46, 75–77; Winfree, 179–185)

 

 

1 January 1720/1721

CHARLES CITY gained from JAMES CITY. (Winfree, 193–194)

 

 

23 April 1721

KING GEORGE created from RICHMOND . (Winfree, 197–198)

 

 

1 May 1721

HANOVER created from NEW KENT. (Winfree, 198–199)

 

SPOTSYLVANIA created from ESSEX, KING AND QUEEN, and KING WILLIAM. (Hening, 4:77–79; Robinson, 77; Winfree, 179–185)

 

 

31 October 1723

BRUNSWICK gained from ISLE OF WIGHT and SURRY. (Va. Exec. Jour., 4:56)

 

 

1728

The North Carolina–Virginia boundary (defined 1665) was demarcated from the Atlantic coast westward to the Dan River. No later change in this portion of boundary. (Van Zandt, 97)

 

 

1 May 1728

CAROLINE created from ESSEX, KING AND QUEEN, and KING WILLIAM. (Winfree, 319–320)

 

GOOCHLAND created from HENRICO. (Winfree, 321–322)

 

 

15 April 1730

Boundary between BRUNSWICK and GOOCHLAND clarified [no change].  (Va. Exec. Jour., 4:216)

 

 

25 March 1731

PRINCE WILLIAM created from KING GEORGE and STAFFORD. (Hening, 4:303)

 

 

1 January 1732/1733

BRUNSWICK gained from ISLE OF WIGHT and SURRY; BRUNSWICK fully organized, detached from PRINCE GEORGE. (Hening, 4:355–356)

 

 

1 January 1734/1735

ORANGE created from SPOTSYLVANIA; ORANGE extended westward to "the utmost limits of Virginia," including all of present Kentucky and West Virginia. (Hening, 4:450–451)

 

 

25 March 1735

AMELIA created from BRUNSWICK and PRINCE GEORGE. (Hening, 4:467–468)

 

 

15 December 1738

AUGUSTA and FREDERICK created from ORANGE; AUGUSTA and FREDERICK not fully organized, attached to ORANGE. (Hening, 5:78–80; Robinson, 43, 50)

 

 

20 December 1738

Boundaries among KING GEORGE, RICHMOND, and WESTMORELAND clarified [no discernible change]. (Eaton, 1–2)

 

 

1 December 1742

CAROLINE gained from KING AND QUEEN. (Hening, 5:185)

 

FAIRFAX created from PRINCE WILLIAM. (Hening, 5:207–208)

 

LOUISA created from HANOVER. (Hening, 5:208–209)

 

 

1743

FREDERICK fully organized, detached from ORANGE. (Robinson, 79)

 

 

31 December 1744

ALBEMARLE created from GOOCHLAND. (Hening, 5:266–269)

 

 

1745

AUGUSTA fully organized, detached from ORANGE. (Robinson, 74)

 

 

1 May 1746

LUNENBURG created from BRUNSWICK. (Hening, 5:383–385)

 

 

17 October 1746

Royal commissioners placed a marker, the Fairfax Stone, at the headspring of the north branch of the Potomac River to identify it as the source of the Potomac (officially so designated in 1736) and, therefore, the western limit of Maryland with Virginia. (Paullin, 78; Van Zandt, 88, 94)

 

 

1749

The North Carolina–Virginia boundary (defined 1665) was demarcated from the end of the 1728 survey (Dan River) westward to Steep Rock Creek, near the present northwest corner of North Carolina. No later change in this portion of the boundary. (Van Zandt, 97)

 

 

17 May 1749

CULPEPER created from ORANGE. (Winfree, 425–426)

 

 

20 May 1749

CUMBERLAND created from GOOCHLAND. (Winfree, 426–427)

 

SOUTHAMPTON created from ISLE OF WIGHT. (Winfree, 432–434)

 

 

25 May 1749

CHESTERFIELD created from HENRICO. (Winfree, 446–447)

 

 

1 May 1752

DINWIDDIE created from PRINCE GEORGE. (Hening, 6:254–256)

 

 

10 May 1752

HALIFAX created from LUNENBURG. (Hening, 6:252–254)

 

 

1 January 1754

PRINCE EDWARD created from AMELIA. (Hening, 6:379–380)

 

 

1 February 1754

SUSSEX created from SURRY. (Hening, 6:384–385)

 

 

1 May 1754

HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.) created by Virginia from AUGUSTA and FREDERICK; FREDERICK gained from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 6:376–379)

 

 

10 May 1754

BEDFORD created from LUNENBURG. (Hening, 6:381–383)

 

 

1 January 1755

BEDFORD gained from ALBEMARLE and LUNENBURG. (Hening, 6:441–442)

 

 

1 July 1757

LOUDOUN created from FAIRFAX. (Hening, 7:148–149)

 

 

1 May 1759

FAUQUIER created from PRINCE WILLIAM. (Hening, 7:311–312)

 

 

1 May 1761

AMHERST and BUCKINGHAM created from ALBEMARLE; ALBEMARLE gained from LOUISA. (Hening, 7:419–423)

 

 

10 February 1763

The Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War between Great Britain (the victor) and France and Spain, implicitly set the Mississippi River as a new western limit for British colonies, including Virginia, whose charter bounds had technically extended to the Pacific Ocean. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 1)

 

CAROLINE gained from KING AND QUEEN. (Hening, 7:620–621)

 

 

1 March 1765

CHARLOTTE and MECKLENBURG created from LUNENBURG. (Hening, 8:41–42)

 

 

1 May 1767

JAMES CITY exchanged with NEW KENT. (Hening, 8:208–210)

 

 

1 June 1767

PITTSYLVANIA created from HALIFAX. (Hening, 8:205–208)

 

 

15 December 1769

Boundary between JAMES CITY and YORK clarified [no change].  (Hening, 8:405–406)

 

 

ISLE OF WIGHT gained from NANSEMOND (extinct). (Hening, 8:405–406)

 

 

31 January 1770

BOTETOURT created from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 8:395–398)

 

Islands in the Fluvanna [James] River were assigned to ALBEMARLE and AMHERST [location unknown, not mapped]. (Hening, 8:395–398)

 

 

23 June 1770

JAMES CITY gained small area from YORK [not mapped]. (Hening 8:419–420)

 

 

13 March 1772

ISLE OF WIGHT gained from NANSEMOND (extinct). (Hening, 8:602–603)

 

 

15 May 1772

BERKELEY (W.Va.) and DUNMORE (now SHENANDOAH) created by Virginia from FREDERICK. (Hening, 8:597–599)

 

 

1 December 1772

FINCASTLE (extinct) created from BOTETOURT. (Hening, 8:600–601)

 

 

11 October 1773

Virginia created West Augusta District (extinct) from AUGUSTA to provide jurisdiction over the Pittsburgh region in present Pennsylvania. Boundaries were not specified at the time (described in detail in 1776 when the District was replaced by three new counties) but were obviously meant to cover area around the head of the Ohio River that Virginia claimed was within its 1609 charter limits and west of Pennsylvania's western limit. This extension of Virginia's jurisdiction conflicted with Pennsylvania, which in February 1773 had created WESTMORELAND County for the region. At this time, Pennsylvania had actual control of the territory. (Abernethy, 94)

 

 

April 1774

Virginia took control of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area by force, but permitted Pennsylvania's Westmoreland court at Hannastown (30 miles east of Pittsburgh) to continue to function. Virginia retained control of the Pittsburgh region against the protests of Pennsylvania until near the end of the War of the American Revolution. (Abernethy, 94; Crumrine, Boundary Controversy, 518; Sosin, 228)

 

 

22 June 1774

King George III approved the Quebec Act, which added to Quebec all territory west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. This effectively limited the western claim of Virginia to territory south and east of the Ohio River. (Farnham, 8:62)

 

 

1775–1776

Settlers in Carters Valley and the North Holston area of North Carolina (now Tennessee), believing they were located in Virginia, put themselves under the authority of FINCASTLE (extinct) and after 31 December 1776, under WASHINGTON [not mapped]. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 16, 89; Folmsbee, 60–61; Williams, Samuel C., 15–18)

 

 

29 June 1776

In its state constitution, Virginia gave up all claims to the territory of Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, but asserted its claim to all other American territory within the scope of its 1609 charter, including territory north and west of the Ohio River. Virginia continued to dispute Pennsylvania's claimed western limit and maintained control of the Pittsburgh region. (Swindler, 10:55)

 

 

4 July 1776

Virginia became an independent state. (Declaration of Independence)

 

 

8 November 1776

OHIO (W.Va.) and YOHOGANIA (extinct) created by Virginia from West Augusta District; both overlapped territory claimed by Pennsylvania. MONONGALIA (W.Va.) created by Virginia from HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.) and West Augusta District; overlapped territory claimed by Pennsylvania. HAMPSHIRE gained from West Augusta District; West Augusta District eliminated. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 93; Hening, 9:262–274)

 

 

31 December 1776

HENRY created from PITTSYLVANIA. (Hening, 9:241–242)

 

KENTUCKY (extinct), MONTGOMERY, and WASHINGTON created from FINCASTLE; FINCASTLE eliminated. KENTUCKY County encompassed all of the present state of Kentucky. (Hening, 9:257–261)

 

 

1 January 1777

STAFFORD exchanged with KING GEORGE. (Hening, 9:244–245)

 

 

1 July 1777

FLUVANNA created from ALBEMARLE. (Hening, 9:325–327)

 

POWHATAN created from CUMBERLAND. (Hening, 9:322–325)

 

 

1 September 1777

MONTGOMERY exchanged with WASHINGTON. (Hening, 9:330–331)

 

 

1 October 1777

LUNENBURG gained from CHARLOTTE. (Hening, 9:327)

 

 

1 February 1778

DUNMORE renamed SHENANDOAH. (Hening, 9:420–424)

 

 

1 March 1778

GREENBRIER (W.Va.) created by Virginia from BOTETOURT and MONTGOMERY. (Hening, 9:420–424)

 

HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.) gained from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 9:420–424)

 

ROCKBRIDGE created from AUGUSTA and BOTETOURT. (Hening, 9:420–424)

 

ROCKINGHAM created from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 9:420–424)

 

 

20 March 1778

KING GEORGE exchanged with WESTMORELAND. (Hening, 9:432)

 

 

October 1778

CUMBERLAND gained from BUCKINGHAM. (Hening, 9:559)

 

 

9 December 1778

ILLINOIS (extinct) created by Virginia. Encompassed all territory claimed by Virginia since 1609 east of the Mississippi River and north and west of the Ohio River, including all of present Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. (Hening, 9:552–555, 10:303–304; Robinson, 55)

 

 

May 1779

MONONGALIA (W.Va.) gained from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 10:114)

 

 

31 August 1779

Virginia and Pennsylvania agreed that the course of Pennsylvania's western line would be a meridian running north from a point on an extension of the Mason-Dixon line 5 degrees of longitude west of the Delaware River. This line was demarcated in 1784 and 1785 and has not changed since. (Crumrine, Boundary Controversy, 521–523; Van Zandt, 83)

 

 

10 November 1779

North Carolina took control of the Carters Valley and North Holston settlements in Tennessee, ending efforts by settlers to place themselves under WASHINGTON. Precise location of the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina remained in dispute. (N.C. State Recs., 24:ch.29/pp. 300–301)

 

 

1779–1780

Commissioners from North Carolina and Virginia attempted to demarcate their boundary (defined 1665) westward from the end of the 1749 survey (Steep Rock Creek) to the Tennessee River. Difficulty in locating the starting point produced the offset at the present northeast corner of Tennessee. Early disagreement over accuracy led to running two lines to Cumberland Gap, and neither won acceptance. The Virginia team alone marked the boundary from the Cumberland River to the Tennessee River along a line made irregular by imperfect instruments and a willingness to accommodate property owners along the way. (Sames, 14; Van Zandt, 97)

 

 

October 1780

MONONGALIA (W.Va.) gained from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 10:351)

 

WESTMORELAND (Pa.) gained from MONONGALIA (W.Va.), OHIO (W.Va.), and YOHOGANIA (extinct) when Pennsylvania regained effective jurisdiction of the Pittsburgh region from Virginia. (Crumrine, Boundary Controversy, 521–523; Van Zandt, 83)

 

 

1 November 1780

JEFFERSON (Ky.), FAYETTE (Ky.), and LINCOLN (Ky.) created by Virginia from KENTUCKY; KENTUCKY County eliminated. (Hening, 10:315–317)

 

 

1 February 1781

GREENSVILLE created from BRUNSWICK. (Hening, 10:363–364)

 

 

1 February 1782

CAMPBELL created from BEDFORD. (Hening, 10:447–449)

 

 

1 August 1782

Kentucky District, a special judicial district, was created by Virginia to serve Virginians living west of the Allegheny Mountains. Its extent was described only in terms of the counties it encompassed: FAYETTE (Ky.), JEFFERSON (Ky.), and LINCOLN (Ky.). This District became the state of Kentucky in 1792. (Hening, 11:85)

 

 

3 September 1783

Commissioners from Great Britain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris (ratifications exchanged 12 May 1784), ending the War of the American Revolution, recognizing American independence, and generally defining U.S. boundaries as including the St. Croix River–Atlantic watershed–45th parallel–St. Lawrence River–Great Lakes–Lake of the Woods line on the north and the Mississippi River on the west. This reopened the possibility of claims by Connecticut and Virginia to territory north and west of the Ohio River where Virginia had created ILLINOIS County in 1778. (Parry, 48:481, 487, 491–492; Van Zandt, 12)

 

 

1 March 1784

Virginia ceded to the United States its 1609 charter claims to territory "northwestward of the river Ohio," thereby setting the north bank of the Ohio River as the northern and northwestern limit for present Kentucky and West Virginia. ILLINOIS County eliminated. (Hening, 11:571–575)

 

 

20 July 1784

HARRISON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from MONONGALIA (W.Va.). (Hening, 11:366–368)

 

 

1 January 1785

NELSON (Ky.) created by Virginia from JEFFERSON (Ky.). (Hening, 11:469–470)

 

 

28 March 1785

Commissioners from Maryland and Virginia, concerned with trade and navigation between their states in Chesapeake Bay, defined their mutual boundary across the Bay as running from Smith's Point at the mouth of the Potomac River to "Watkins's Point, near the mouth of Pocomoke River" on the Eastern Shore. This first attempt to specify details of the overwater boundary proved unsatisfactory and was replaced by an informal arrangement in 1868. (Hening, 12:50; Paullin, 85)

 

 

October 1785

BOTETOURT gained from ROCKBRIDGE. (Hening, 12:74)

 

Boundary between FLUVANNA and GOOCHLAND redefined [no change]. (Hening, 12:71)

 

OHIO (W.Va.) gained all of YOHOGANIA; YOHOGANIA eliminated. (Hening, 12:114)

 

 

1 January 1786

FRANKLIN created from BEDFORD and HENRY. (Hening, 12:70–71)

 

 

1 February 1786

HARDY (W.Va.) created by Virginia from HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.). (Hening, 12:86–88)

 

 

1 March 1786

SOUTHAMPTON gained from NANSEMOND (extinct). (Hening, 12:69)

 

 

1 May 1786

BOURBON (Ky.) created by Virginia from FAYETTE (Ky.). (Hening, 12:89–91)

 

RUSSELL created from WASHINGTON. (Hening, 12:110–111)

 

 

1 August 1786

MADISON (Ky.) and MERCER (Ky.) created by Virginia from LINCOLN (Ky.). (Hening, 12:118–120)

 

 

1 May 1787

RANDOLPH (W.Va.) created by Virginia from HARRISON (W.Va.). (Hening, 12:393–395)

 

 

6 November 1787

GREENSVILLE gained from BRUNSWICK. (Hening, 12:596–597)

 

 

4 December 1787

HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.) gained from HARDY (W.Va.). (Hening, 12:597)

 

 

1788

Francis Deakins demarcated a line running northward from the Fairfax Stone at the headspring of the Potomac River to Pennsylvania as the western limit of bounty lands he was surveying for Maryland. The Deakins Line has been observed ever since as the western limit of Maryland, first with Virginia, and later with West Virginia. (Paullin, 78; Van Zandt, 88)

 

 

1 May 1788

PENDLETON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from AUGUSTA, HARDY (W.Va.), and ROCKINGHAM. (Hening, 12:637–638)

 

 

1 November 1788

Boundary between HANOVER and HENRICO redefined [no change]. (Hening, 12:620–621)

 

 

1 May 1789

MASON (Ky.) created by Virginia from BOURBON (Ky.). (Hening, 12:658–659)

 

NOTTOWAY created from AMELIA. (Hening, 12:723–724)

 

WOODFORD (Ky.) created by Virginia from FAYETTE (Ky.). (Hening, 12:663–665)

 

 

1 October 1789

KANAWHA (W.Va.) created by Virginia from GREENBRIER (W.Va.) and MONTGOMERY. (Hening, 12:670–672)

 

 

1 May 1790

WYTHE created from MONTGOMERY; MONTGOMERY gained from BOTETOURT. (Hening, 13:76–78)

 

 

30 March 1791

The United States created an unnamed federal district (now the District of Columbia) from MONTGOMERY and PRINCE GEORGES in Maryland and from FAIRFAX in Virginia to be the seat of the federal government. The district was a square with each corner at a point of the compass (north, east, south, and west) with each side ten miles long. Until 27 February 1801, when Congress created two counties to provide local government in the district, the laws and county jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia continued in the ceded areas. (Richardson, 1:102; Van Zandt, 88, 90)

 

 

1 May 1791

BATH created from AUGUSTA, BOTETOURT, and GREENBRIER (W.Va.). (Hening, 13:165–167)

 

MATHEWS created from GLOUCESTER. (Hening, 13:162–163)

 

PENDLETON (W.Va.) gained from AUGUSTA. (Hening, 13:165–167)

 

 

1 June 1791

PATRICK created from HENRY. (Hening, 13:160–162)

 

 

30 November 1791

PATRICK gained from HENRY. (Hening, 13:290)

 

 

1 June 1792

The state of Kentucky was created from the Kentucky District of Virginia and admitted to the Union. Boundaries were described only as those of the District, which was defined by the counties that composed it: BOURBON, FAYETTE, JEFFERSON, LINCOLN, MADISON, MASON, MERCER, NELSON, and WOODFORD. (Hening, 11:85; U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 4[1791]/p. 189)

 

 

1 May 1793

GRAYSON created from WYTHE. (Hening, 13:559–561)

 

MADISON created from CULPEPER. (Hening, 13:558–559)

 

 

13 May 1793

LEE created from RUSSELL. (Hening, 13:556–557)

 

 

12 December 1794

GRAYSON gained from WYTHE. (Shepherd, 1:315)

 

 

5 December 1795

KANAWHA (W.Va.) gained from GREENBRIER (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 1:388–389)

 

 

14 December 1795

BOTETOURT exchanged with MONTGOMERY. (Shepherd, 1:406)

 

 

3 December 1796

PENDLETON (W.Va.) gained from BATH. (Shepherd, 2:53)

 

 

7 December 1796

BOTETOURT exchanged with MONTGOMERY. (Shepherd, 2:64)

 

 

1 May 1797

BROOKE (W.Va.) created by Virginia from OHIO (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:54–55)

 

 

3 January 1798

FAIRFAX gained from LOUDOUN. (Shepherd, 2:107–108)

 

 

1 May 1799

MONROE (W.Va.) created by Virginia from GREENBRIER (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:168–169)

 

WOOD (W.Va.) created by Virginia from HARRISON (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:170–171)

 

 

1 January 1800

HARRISON (W.Va.) gained from MONONGALIA (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:203)

 

 

1 May 1800

TAZEWELL created from RUSSELL and WYTHE. (Shepherd, 2:217–218)

 

 

30 December 1800

WOOD (W.Va.) gained from KANAWHA (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:263)

 

 

27 February 1801

The United States Congress created two counties in the federal District of Columbia: ALEXANDRIA on the south side of the Potomac River for the area acquired from Virginia in 1791 (formerly part of FAIRFAX), and WASHINGTON on the north side of the river. FAIRFAX effectively lost jurisdiction over that part of its former territory that was ceded in 1791. (U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 15[1801]/pp. 103–108)

 

 

26 October 1801

JEFFERSON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from BERKELEY (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 2:271–272)

 

 

2 January 1802

HARRISON (W.Va.) gained from RANDOLPH (W.Va.); MONROE (W.Va.) gained from BOTETOURT and MONTGOMERY. (Shepherd, 2:345–346)

 

 

4 January 1802

GREENSVILLE gained from SUSSEX. (Shepherd, 2:347–348)

 

 

January 1803

Tennessee and Virginia accepted the results of a joint survey (October-December 1802) of their boundary from the northeastern corner of Tennessee to Cumberland Gap along a compromise course between the rival lines run in 1779. (Sames, 46; Van Zandt, 95)

 

 

1 May 1804

MASON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from KANAWHA (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 3:77–78)

 

 

1 May 1805

HARRISON (W.Va.) gained from OHIO (W.Va.). (Shepherd, 3:174–175)

 

 

1 May 1806

GILES created from MONROE (W.Va.), MONTGOMERY, and TAZEWELL. (Shepherd, 3:244–245)

 

 

1 May 1807

TAZEWELL gained from RUSSELL. (Shepherd, 3:310)

 

 

1 March 1808

GILES gained from WYTHE. (Shepherd, 3:389)

 

 

1 June 1808

NELSON created from AMHERST. (Shepherd, 3:378–379)

 

 

2 January 1809

CABELL (W.Va.) created by Virginia from KANAWHA (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1808–1809, ch. 45, sec. 1/pp. 44–46)

 

 

1 January 1810

GRAYSON gained from PATRICK. (Va. Acts 1809–1810, ch. 66, sec. 1/p. 58)

 

 

14 January 1813

Boundary between LEE and RUSSELL clarified [no change]. (Va. Acts 1812–1813, ch. 86, sec. 1/pp. 110–111)

 

 

24 November 1814

SCOTT created from LEE, RUSSELL, and WASHINGTON. (Va. Acts 1814–1815, ch. 38, sec. 1/pp. 85–87)

 

 

6 December 1814

TYLER (W.Va.) created by Virginia from OHIO (W.Va.). (Robinson, 88; Va. Acts 1814–1815, ch. 40, sec. 1/pp. 87–89)

 

 

17 December 1814

Boundary between LEE and SCOTT clarified [no change]. (Va. Acts 1814–1815, ch. 39, sec. 1/p. 87)

 

 

18 December 1816

LEWIS (W.Va.) created by Virginia from HARRISON (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1816–1817, ch. 85, sec. 1/pp. 152–153)

 

 

27 January 1817

KANAWHA (W.Va.) exchanged with MASON (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1816–1817, ch. 89, sec. 1/p. 157)

 

 

19 January 1818

PRESTON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from MONONGALIA (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1817–1818, ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 32–34)

 

 

30 January 1818

NICHOLAS (W.Va.) created by Virginia from GREENBRIER (W.Va.), KANAWHA (W.Va.), and RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1817–1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34–35)

 

 

4 February 1818

LEWIS (W.Va.) gained from RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1817–1818, ch. 141, sec. 1/p. 184)

 

 

1 January 1820

The Ohio River and its islands, previously unassigned to particular counties, were declared to be part of the adjacent Virginia counties of BROOKE (W. Va.), CABELL (W.Va.), MASON (W.Va.), OHIO (W.Va.), TYLER (W.Va.), and WOOD (W.Va.) [not mapped]. (Va. Acts 1819–1820, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 66)

 

 

29 January 1820

NICHOLAS (W.Va.) gained from RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1819–1820, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 91)

 

 

9 February 1820

MORGAN (W.Va.) created by Virginia from BERKELEY (W.Va.) and HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1819–1820, ch. 34, sec. 1/pp. 27–28)

 

 

1 March 1821

Boundary between HAMPSHIRE (W.Va.) and MORGAN (W.Va.) clarified [no change]. (Va. Acts 1820–1821, ch. 102, sec. 1/pp. 120–121)

 

 

21 December 1821

POCAHONTAS (W.Va.) created by Virginia from BATH, PENDLETON (W.Va.), and RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1821–1822, ch. 27, sec. 1/pp. 27–28)

 

 

5 January 1822

ALLEGHANY created from BATH, BOTETOURT, and MONROE (W.Va.); MONROE (W.Va.) gained small area from BOTETOURT. (Va. Acts 1821–1822, ch. 28, sec. 1/pp. 28–30)

 

 

26 December 1822

LEE gained from SCOTT. (Va. Acts 1822–1823, ch. 71, sec. 1/pp. 90–91)

 

 

17 February 1823

BATH gained from ALLEGHANY. (Va. Acts 1822–1823, ch. 65, sec. 1/p. 88)

 

 

7 January 1824

Boundary between KANAWHA (W.Va.) and MASON (W.Va.) clarified [no discernible change]. (Va. Acts 1823–1824, ch. 75, sec. 1/p. 81)

 

 

12 January 1824

LOGAN (W.Va.) created by Virginia from CABELL (W.Va.), GILES, KANAWHA (W.Va.), and TAZEWELL. (Va. Acts 1823–1824, ch. 11, sec. 1/pp. 20–21)

 

 

23 January 1824

NICHOLAS (W.Va.) gained from KANAWHA (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1823–1824, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 80)

 

 

28 December 1824

POCAHONTAS (W.Va.) gained from GREENBRIER (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1824–1825, ch. 63, sec. 1/pp. 73–74)

 

 

10 January 1825

WYTHE gained from GRAYSON. (Va. Acts 1824–1825, ch. 66, secs. 1–2/p. 75)

 

 

4 January 1826

TAZEWELL gained from WASHINGTON and WYTHE. (Va. Acts 1825–1826, ch. 41, sec. 1/p. 40)

 

 

9 January 1826

GILES gained from TAZEWELL. (Va. Acts 1825–1826, ch. 40, sec. 1/p. 39)

 

 

29 January 1827

GILES gained from MONROE (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1826–1827, ch. 51/p. 42)

 

GREENBRIER (W.Va.) gained from MONROE (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1826–1827, ch. 50/p. 41)

 

 

29 February 1828

PRESTON (W.Va.) gained from RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1827–1828, ch. 82, sec. 1/pp. 53–54)

 

 

2 February 1829

GILES gained from MONROE (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1828–1829, ch. 121, sec. 1/pp. 119–120)

 

 

26 January 1830

LOGAN (W.Va.) gained from CABELL (W.Va.) and KANAWHA (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1829–1830, ch. 118, sec. 1/p. 117)

 

 

1 February 1831

FLOYD created from MONTGOMERY. (Va. Acts 1830–1831, ch. 72, secs. 1, 12/pp. 137–138)

 

 

28 February 1831

FAYETTE (W.Va.) created by Virginia from GREENBRIER (W.Va.), KANAWHA (W.Va.), LOGAN (W.Va.), and NICHOLAS (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1830–1831, ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 134–136)

 

 

1 March 1831

JACKSON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from KANAWHA (W.Va.), MASON (W.Va.), and WOOD (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1830–1831, ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 138–140)

 

 

30 March 1831

PAGE created from ROCKINGHAM and SHENANDOAH. (Va. Acts 1830–1831, ch. 74, sec. 1/pp. 140–142)

 

 

4 April 1831

FAYETTE (W.Va.) exchanged with GREENBRIER (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1830–1831, ch. 71, sec. 1/p. 136)

 

 

23 February 1832

SMYTH created from WASHINGTON and WYTHE. (Va. Acts 1831–1832, ch. 67, sec. 1/pp. 47–49)

 

 

18 February 1833

RAPPAHANNOCK created from CULPEPER. (Robinson, 66, 87; Va. Acts 1832–1833, ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 44–46)

 

 

23 February 1833

GREENBRIER (W.Va.) gained from FAYETTE (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1832–1833, ch. 75, sec. 1/pp. 47–48)

 

 

12 March 1834

TAZEWELL gained from LOGAN (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1833–1834, ch. 58, sec. 1/p. 73)

 

 

3 February 1835

RUSSELL exchanged with TAZEWELL. (Va. Acts 1834–1835, ch. 58, sec. 1/p. 40)

 

 

1 May 1835

MARSHALL (W.Va.) created by Virginia from OHIO (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1834–1835, ch. 57, secs. 1, 16/pp. 38–40)

 

 

15 January 1836

BRAXTON (W.Va.) created by Virginia from KANAWHA (W.Va.), LEWIS (W.Va.), NICHOLAS (W.Va.), and RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1835–1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18–20)

 

 

8 March 1836

CLARKE created from FREDERICK. (Va. Acts 1835–1836, ch. 19, sec. 1/pp. 20–22)

 

 

9 March 1836

WARREN created from FREDERICK and SHENANDOAH. (Va. Acts 1835–1836, ch. 20, sec. 1/pp. 22–24)

 

 

18 March 1836

GILES gained small area from TAZEWELL to accommodate local landowner [not mapped]. (Va. Acts 1835–1836, ch. 21, sec. 1/p. 24)

 

 

17 March 1837

MERCER (W.Va.) created by Virginia from GILES and TAZEWELL. (Va. Acts 1836–1837, ch. 53, sec. 1/pp. 31–33)

 

 

24 January 1838

GREENE created from ORANGE. (Va. Acts 1838, ch. 59, sec. 1/pp. 52–54)

 

 

4 April 1838

PRESTON (W.Va.) gained from RANDOLPH (W.Va.). (Va. Acts 1838, ch. 62, sec. 1/pp. 57–58)