Counties of Virginia

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.

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

1770: Botetourt County was formed from Augusta 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.)

1786: Russell County was formed from Washington 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.