Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state that can be classified as the Mid-Atlantic state as well as the Southeastern state. Virginia is bordered by Maryland and Washington DC to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the, North Carolina to the south, Tennessee to the southwest, Kentucky to the west, and West Virginia to the northwest. Two of popular nicknames of Virginia are Old Dominion and Mother of Presidents. It’s surely a good idea to talk interesting facts about Virginia so that we know more about The Old Dominion State.
1. Virginia was the First Permanent English Colony in the New World
Before its statehood, Virginia was the Colony of Virginia. The Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English Colony in the New World. Because of that, Virginia is nicknamed as Old Dominion. Virginia is also one of the original Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution. On June 25, 1788, Virginia ratified the Constitution and became the 10th state admitted to the Union.
2. Richmond is the Capital City of Virginia and Virginia Beach is Its Largest
The capital city of Virginia is Richmond and Virginia Beach is the largest city. Although it’s the most populous city of Virginia, Virginia Beach is actually a resort city with mostly suburban in character. The largest metropolitan area in Virginia is the Washington metropolitan area, also called the National Capital Region. There are several cities and counties in Virginia included in the Washington Metropolitan Area, such as: Arlington, Alexandria, Fredericksburg and Manassas.
3. Virginia Produced More Presidents than Any Other State
Eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia, including four of the first five presidents. It gives Virginia ” “Mother of Presidents” nickname. The presidents that were born in Virginia are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.
4. Virginia Beach Has the Longest Pleasure Beach in the World
As a resort city, Virginia Beach has the longest pleasure beach in the world that is already listed in the Guinness Book of Records. With 35 miles (56 km) long beach, Virginia Beach has hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. Besides the most populous city in Virginia, Virginia Beach is also the ninth-most populous city in the Southeast and the 42nd-most populous city in the United States.
5. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was the World’s Longest Bridge-Tunnel Complex
Until the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in 2018, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was the world’s longest bridge-tunnel complex. With 17.6-mile (28.3 km) length, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Delmarva and Hampton Roads. The official name of The CBBT is Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel that consists of 12 miles (19 km) of bridges and two one-mile-long (1.6 km) tunnels.
6. Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia is the World’s Largest Naval Station
Naval Station Norfolk is the largest naval station in the world. It’s located in Norfolk, Virginia. Naval Station Norfolk is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Forces Command (previously the U.S. Atlantic Fleet until 2006). It also has the largest concentration of U.S. Navy forces with 75 ships alongside 14 piers and 134 aircraft alongside 11 aircraft hangars operated in its Chambers Field military airport.
7. The Pentagon in Virginia is the World’s Largest Office Building
The Pentagon is located in Arlington County, Virginia. It’s the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense constructed in 11 September 1941 to 15 January 1943. With more than 6.5 million sq. ft. (150 acres; 60 ha) of floor space, the Pentagon is the largest office building in the world. There are 23,000 military and civilian employees, and another 3,000 non-defense support personnel working at the Pentagon.
8. The Highest Natural Point of Virginia is Mount Rogers
With 5,729 feet (1,746 m) elevation, Mount Rogers is the highest natural point of Virginia. Mount Rogers is located in southwestern Virginia within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the larger Jefferson National Forest. It’s named for William Barton Rogers, Virginia’s first State Geologist, who taught at the College of William & Mary and the University of Virginia.
9. The State Bird of Virginia is Northern Cardinal
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is the official state bird of Virginia. It was designated on January 25, 1950. The northern cardinal is medium-sized song bird that can be found in from southeastern Canada, the eastern United States (Maine to Minnesota to Texas), New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California, and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. The Northern Cardinal is also the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia.
10. The Flowering Dogwood is the State Flower of Virginia
In 1918, the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) was designated as the official state flower of Virginia. It’s an endemic species of flowering tree native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. It can grow to 10 m (33 ft) high with a maximum lifespan of 80 years. The flowering dogwood is also the state bird of North Carolina and the state tree of Missouri.
We have talked about 10 interesting Virginia facts. There are surely many interesting facts that we haven’t talked about. So, if you know other interesting facts about Virginia, it’s surely welcome to share them with us here.