RICHMOND

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city, not part of any county (Richmond County is unrelated, and located more than 53 miles (85 kilometers) distant in a different region of the state). Richmond is at the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond Area. It is surrounded by Henrico County and Chesterfield County. The city is located at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 in central Virginia.

The City of Richmond was founded in 1607 at the fall line of the James River in the Piedmont region of Virginia by settlers from Jamestown. It became the capital of the colony of Virginia in 1780. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in 1775, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779, which was written by Thomas Jefferson in the city. During the American Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America, and many important civil war landmarks remain in the city today.

Richmond's economy is primarily driven by law and finance, with several notable legal and banking firms located in the downtown area. There are also nine Fortune 500 companies with corporate headquarters in the city, including Circuit City, Philip Morris USA, and Dominion Resources, among others. Richmond is also home to smaller companies which contribute to its small town, friendly, southern atmosphere, such as Ukrop's Super Market, a regional, family-owned chain of supermarkets, known for its remarkable customer service and friendly employees.

Residents of the city are commonly referred to as Richmonders, and they may refer to their city in everyday language as RVA, RIC (its airport code), or The 804 (its area code).