Virginia Maps

United States  Virginia   Virginia Maps

The best collections of Virginia maps are at the Virginia Historical Society and the Library of Virginia. A detailed list of the maps at these libraries is:


 * Sames, James W., III. Index of Kentucky and Virginia Maps, 1562 to 1900. Frankfurt, Ky.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1976..

Extensive map collections are at the University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and George Mason University. The U.S. Geological Survey office at Reston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Norfolk also have Virginia maps.

Excellent reproductions of Virginia maps are found in:


 * Stephenson, Richard W. The Cartography of Northern Virginia: Facsimile Reproductions of Maps Dating From 1608 to 1915. Fairfax, Virginia: Fairfax County, Virginia, 1981. (Family History Library book .)

Atlases and land ownership maps are available for many counties and larger cities at the Library of Congress (see United States Maps) and at other large libraries.

United States Census Bureau State and County Map. This map will allow you to zoom in on any state or county in the United States and read the names of all of the neighboring counties.

The Family History Library has some individual maps and the following atlases:


 * Hale, John S. A Historical Atlas of Colonial Virginia. [Staunton, Virginia]: Old Dominion Publications, 1978. (Family History Library book )
 * County Maps, January 1, 1977. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, 1977. (Family History Library book )
 * Doran, Michael F. Atlas of County Boundary Changes in Virginia, 1634-1895. Scale [ca. 1:190,000]. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing, 1987. (Family History Library Atlas )

The Family History Library also has city ward maps for Richmond, Virginia for 1809, 1848, 1873, and 1877 (Family History Library ). These are helpful when using census records.

Early Settlers Maps
These maps identify the locations where early settlers lived. They can help you learn who your ancestors' neighbors were, what churches were nearby, how far they lived from the courthouse, etc. Visit individual Virginia county pages to learn if one is available for your county.

Several early settlers maps are available, for a fee, using DeedMapper software. Their website includes name indexes to enable researchers to determine if their ancestor is included before purchasing the product.

Online Sources

 * Virginia State and County Maps - Animated County Boundary Maps, D.O.T Highway Mpas and Old Atlases Maps.
 * Virginia Maps (beginning with 1634)
 * The Evolution Of Virginia County Boundaries
 * http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/gis/
 * http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/map/index.htm
 * Printable maps are also available from the National Atlas of the United States -- http://nationalatlas.gov/printable.html