Where is Virginia located?

GPS Coordinates and Geographic Center Point

The GPS coordinates of the state of Virginia are a latitude of 37.4316° N and a longitude of 78.6569° W. The most central point of the Old Dominion is located in Buckingham County, just southwest of the actual city, Buckingham.

Total Area and Most Extreme Points of Virginia

The total area of Virginia is approximately 42,769 square miles. Of the total area, approximately 92.6% of Virginia is comprised of land while the other 7.4% is water, in the form of rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and basins. Breaking these percentages down into numerical values, land areas take up about 39,598 square miles while water flows for an estimated 3,171 square miles. Based on total area, Virginia is the thirty-fifth largest state in the U.S.

When explaining where a state is located, it can be helpful to express its location in relation to other places. Someone might not know where Virginia is, but by mentioning that Virginia is right above North Carolina, that same person might have a moment of understanding because North Carolina is a state they can visualize on a map. One of these ways of relating states to their surroundings is by depicting their points of extremity in all four directions. From north, east, south, and west, the most extreme points in Virginia are as follows.

  • Northernmost: a few miles northwest of West Virginia, with coordinates 39.466012° N and 78.347087° W.
  • Easternmost: the point where Maryland and Virginia diverge along the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Southernmost: right outside of Whitetown, North Carolina, located at 36.540738° N and 79.510647° W.
  • Westernmost: located in the Cumberland Gap National Park, near a city in Kentucky called Middlesboro.

Population and Density

As of 2018, the Census Bureau has declared Virginia as having a population of 8,525,660 people. In relation to its total area, Virginia is the twelfth most populated state. With a total area equal to 42,769 square miles and a population of 8,525,660 people, the population density comes to approximately 200 people per square mile.

Elevation Levels in Virginia

Virginia ranks as the state with the twenty-eight highest average elevation compared to the other fifty states. The average elevation of Virginia is 950 feet above sea level. The Atlantic Ocean is the lowest point of elevation, which is equal to 0 feet above sea level. The highest point in Virginia is atop Mount Rogers at an altitude of 5,729 feet above sea level.

State Name
Virginia
Area
110,787 km2
Area Ranking
35
Capital
Richmond
Statehood Year
1788
Timezones
America/New_York
Postal Abbreviation
VA
FIPS #
51

Where is Virginia located?

Virginia Belongs to the South U.S. Census Region