What are independent cities and why is Virginia the U.S. state with the most?

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Did you know that the state of Virginia has the most independent cities in the United States?

In the United States, there are 41 independent cities and 38 of them are in Virginia. The remaining three independent cities are Baltimore, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri and Carson City, Nevada.

What are independent cities?

An independent city is a city that is is not in the jurisdiction of any county — these cities are politically and administratively independent from the counties they border with, according to Encyclopedia Virginia .

Williamsburg was the first independent city to be developed in the United States in 1722, which slowly led to the evolution of other independent cities being formed.

List of independent cities in Virginia:

• Alexandria
• Bristol
• Buena Vista
• Charlottesville
• Chesapeake
• Colonial Heights
• Covington
• Danville
• Emporia
• Fairfax

• Falls Church
• Franklin
• Fredericksburg
• Galax
• Hampton
• Harrisonburg
• Hopewell
• Lexington
• Lynchburg
• Manassas

• Manassas Park
• Martinsville
• Newport News
• Norfolk
• Norton
• Petersburg
• Poquoson
• Portsmouth
• Radford
• Richmond

• Roanoke
• Salem
• Staunton
• Suffolk
• Virginia Beach
• Waynesboro
• Williamsburg
• Winchester

Why does Virginia have the most independent cities?

Virginia has the most independent cities in the United States due to its unique historical and legal framework.

Unlike most states, Virginia allows cities to operate independently from counties, which means they are not part of any county jurisdiction.

This arrangement dates back to the Virginia Constitution of 1971 and reflects Virginia’s early governance structure.

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