The Commonwealth Quest
More Quests

The Quest in the News: Listen to an interview with Craig on WVTF's Weekend Virginia (7/6/09, 1MB)
(note that the address at the end should be fifer.net, not .com)

The Quest on Foot: Ed Kelleher's quest to run at least a 5K in each city and county.

The Quest in Song: Randolph Walker's suggestion for Virginia's state song, which includes every city and county in the lyrics so as not to offend anyone. Alas, for some reason he also included the Town of Fincastle.

Quest News: Clifton Forge reverts from city to town status...

Another Quest: Members of the 251 Club of Vermont try to visit the state's 252 towns. Here's my list and map.

THE QUEST

The quest is simple: to visit each of Virginia's 95 counties and 38 cities.

RULES

In order to count a county or city as having been visited:

  1. You must have traveled within the legal boundaries of the county or city via ground or water transportation, although you are not required to have operated the method of transportation.

  2. If asked, you must be able to identify the specific community, town, place, feature, or other location in the county or city you visited, or the highway on which you traveled through the county or city.

  3. You must have visited each current county or city while it was that county or city.

  4. You must be absolutely, positively sure that you have been in the county or city.

GETTING STARTED

The easiest way to begin is to take the list of counties and cities and use the state map to remove the cities and counties along the major highways you know you've taken. Then go back through the list and figure out if you've been anywhere in each remaining locality. E-mail me the list of the counties and cities to which you have been (or the list to which you have not, if that's shorter).

RESOURCES

Roads
The official state transportation map is the easiest way to determine which roads go through which counties and cities. View the map online, or use the order form and you'll have one in a few days. To find a county or city, use the map index.

Towns and Major Features

Enter a town or major feature at USGS to see what county or city it's in.

Schools

Visit the Virginia Department of Education to check which county or city a public school is in.

As of January 21, 2024:

Dominic Gabello Charlie O'Reilly Sean Johnson Lynda Myers Craig Fifer Eric Payne Chris Bast Zack Robbins Christie Ann Bieber Keath Marx Isaac Sarver Sean Holihan Waldo Jaquith Stephen Davis Jordan
Fifer		 David Crain

Anna Scholl

 Trent Armitage Todd
Eakes
TOTAL (133) 134 134 132 129 134 127 127 120 119 119 120 113 110 108 106 105 104 101 98
COUNTIES (95) 95 95 93 91 95 90 91 84 85 82 85 84 76 74 72 73 72 66 63
Accomack X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X X
Albemarle X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X X
Alleghany X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Amelia X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X X
Amherst X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Appomattox X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Arlington X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Augusta X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Bath X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
Bedford X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Bland X X X X X X X X X X X
X
Botetourt X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Brunswick X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Buchanan X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X
Buckingham X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X X
Campbell X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Caroline X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Carroll X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
Charles City X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
Charlotte X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Chesterfield X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Clarke X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
Craig X X X X X X X X X
X
Culpeper X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Cumberland X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Dickenson X X X X X X X X
X
Dinwiddie X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Essex X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
Fairfax X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Fauquier X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Floyd X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
Fluvanna X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Franklin X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Frederick X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Giles X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
Gloucester X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Goochland X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Grayson X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
Greene X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Greensville X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Halifax X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Hanover X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Henrico X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Henry X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Highland X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
X
Isle of Wight X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X X
James City X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
King and Queen X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X
King George X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
King William X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
Lancaster X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X
Lee X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
Loudoun X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Louisa X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Lunenburg X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X X
Madison X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Mathews X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
Mecklenburg X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Middlesex X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X
Montgomery X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Nelson X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
New Kent X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Northampton X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
 X X
Northumberland X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
Nottoway X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Orange X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Page X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
X
Patrick X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Pittsylvania X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Powhatan X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Prince Edward X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Prince George X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Prince William X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Pulaski X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Rappahannock X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
Richmond X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
X
 X
Roanoke X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Rockbridge X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Rockingham X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Russell X X X X X X X X X X
X
Scott X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
Shenandoah X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Smyth X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Southampton X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
Spotsylvania X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Stafford X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Surry X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
Sussex X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Tazewell X X X X X X X X X X
X
Warren X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Washington X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Westmoreland X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
X
Wise X X X X X X X X X X
X
Wythe X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
York X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
CITIES (38) 38 38 38 37 37 36 35 35 34 36 34 38 33
33
 33 33
31
 34 35
Alexandria X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Bristol X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Buena Vista X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Charlottesville X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Chesapeake X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Colonial Heights X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X
 X X
Danville X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Emporia X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Fairfax X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Falls Church X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Franklin X X X X X X X X X X
X
Fredericksburg X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Galax X X X X X X X X
X
Hampton X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Harrisonburg X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Hopewell X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X X
Lexington X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Lynchburg X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Manassas X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Manassas Park X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X
X
 X X
Martinsville X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X
Newport News X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Norfolk X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Norton X X X X X X X X X
X
Petersburg X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Poquoson X X X X X X X X
X
X
Portsmouth X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Radford X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Richmond X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Roanoke X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Salem X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Staunton X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Suffolk X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X
X X
Virginia Beach X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Waynesboro X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Williamsburg X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X
 X X
Winchester X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
 X X
X X

Copyright 2000-2024 by Craig T. Fifer
Rev. 1/21/2024