Atlantic Coast Observer Network (ACON) VA/NC/SC
Find monthly historical weather data for Virginia going back to 1995.
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Information about the basin's water supply, environment and wildlife.
Physiographic Provinces of Virginia
Maps and descriptions from Radford University.
Virginia State Climatology Office Home Page
Provides weather advisories as well as information on snowfall, drought, lightning, fall foliage displays and other aspects of Virginia's climate.
See also Government of Virginia and Politics in Virginia.
Local Area Jurisdictions
Each of these sites provides information on local elections, the voter registration process and polling locations.
City of Fairfax
An election calendar lists all federal, state and city elections for the next three years with dates, offices on the ballot and a sample ballot, when available.
Fairfax County
My Neighborhood
An interactive mapping application that allows users to find information related to addresses in Fairfax County, including elected officials (local, state, and federal) and voting information, including precinct and voting location. Search by address or click on map.
Office of Elections (Includes information for the towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna)
Also includes a list of upcoming elections.
Virginia Department of Elections
Information for voters and candidates. The site includes forms. Some of the more useful information is listed below.
Absentee Voting in Virginia
Information on who can vote absentee; how to apply in person or by mail, fax or email; application deadlines; and instructions on how complete and deliver the application.
Candidate Lists & Referendums
See a list of candidates running for office and read the text of any questions that will apppear on the ballot in upcoming elections once they are certified by the Board of Elections.
Election Calendars & Schedules
Includes schedules for the current year's elections and special elections, and a five-year schedule of general elections in the Commonwealth.
Election Results
Find the results of the latest election, or view historical results.
Register to Vote
Information on who can register to vote, registration deadlines, and instructions on how to register either online or on paper using the Virginia Voter Registration Application Form, which can be submitted in person or by mail.
Where Do I Vote
Use the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal to find your polling location, election district and more.
Vote411 Voter Guide
The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. Their voters guides, which become available just prior to an election, include biographical information and candidate responses to questions on the issues. The league also produces Facts for Voters, an annual brochure of government officials, agencies and services with contact information.
See also Codes (see Virginia tab), Elections in Virginia and Politics in Virginia.
Elected Officials
Legislative Information System (LIS)
Access to information including the status of individual bills and related information; House and Senate committee meeting schedules; minutes of floor sessions; session statistics; and information on past sessions. You can also search for bills and resolutions via the LIS.
Who's My Legislator
A quick way to find out who your Virginia state delegate, state senator and congressional legislators are by typing in your mailing address. Provided by the Virginia General Assembly. Includes contact information.
Virginia.gov
The official Commonwealth of Virginia home page. Sections of particular interest include the following:
Emblems and Symbols of Virginia
Information on the state bird, flower, tree, flag, seal, etc.
Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth (Bluebook)
Issued each January, the report lists all departments, boards and commissions in the commonwealth; their purpose, powers and duties; all gubernatorial appointments; and more.
State Agencies, Boards, Commissions and Councils
An alphabetical list of Virginia government agencies. Use the "Refine" option to narrow your results or find a specific agency.
Virginia Cities, Counties, Towns and Communities on the Internet
See also Local History and the Virginia Room.
Encyclopedia Virginia
"A valuable tool for exploring the people, history, government, economy and culture of Virginia" from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
Index to Virginia Cavalcade Magazine
A subject and author index to Virginia Cavalcade, an illustrated magazine of Virginia history and culture published by the Library of Virginia from 1951 to 2002. Virginia Cavalcade's brief, yet authoritative, articles depict Virginia history from the age of exploration to the mid-twentieth century, and are useful for students. Reference and circulating copies of the magazine are available in the Virginia Room.
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia's digital collection includes various resources including maps, newspapers and photographs. Their Document Bank of Virginia (DBVa) provides primary documents useful for students studying history.
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
Search the DVB biographies with specialized lists or by name, time period, occupation, birthplace or other criteria. Links to the full-text biographical articles are provided where available. Produced by the Library of Virginia. A reference copy of the multivolume DLB is available in the Virginia Room.
Famous and Historical Virginians
Links to biographies of notable educators and inventors and historical Virginians from the colonial period through the 20th century. Provided by the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Presidents and First Ladies from Virginia
Jefferson Digital Archive
Mr. Jefferson's letters and papers, and a tour of the University of Virginia.
Monticello
Information on Jefferson and his former plantation home near Charlottesville, VA.
The Thomas Jefferson Papers
Thousands of searchable documents and images from the Library of Congress.
The Dolley Madison Project
The life, letters and legacy of Dolley Madison. Includes pictures and a timeline.
The James Madison Papers
The Library of Congress presents a searchable collection of 72,000 digital images of James Madison's political and personal papers.
James Madison's Montpelier
Information on the Madisons and their home. Includes biographies and a special section for children.
James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland
The website for James Monroe's home includes biographical information and a tour of the home.
Sherwood Forest Plantation
John Tyler, the 10th president, and his home. The site includes a virtual tour and genealogical information.
George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress
The world's largest collection of Washington papers. Document types include letters, diaries, accounts, military and governmental records and reports, and notes accumulated by Washington from 1741 to 1799. The collection is fully searchable by keyword. Indexing is linked to document images.
Historic Mount Vernon
Take a virtual tour of the home, the grounds and excavation sites; learn about George Washington, and find out more details about visiting Mount Vernon.
The Papers of George Washington
The George Washington Papers project at the University of Virginia provides images, FAQs, maps and all manner of information on Washington and his era.
Woodrow Wilson Birthplace
The Staunton, Virginia birthplace of the 28th president.
American Civil War Museum
Includes the Museum of the Confederacy — Appomattox, which houses the world's largest collection of Confederate military and civilian artifacts.
Civil War Resources from the Virginia Military Institute Archives
Includes a historical roster of students from 1839-1911, a photo archive of student portraits and a guide to manuscripts.
Civil War Traveler
Information on Civil War sites in Virginia and other states. Includes maps, events and many details about places in Fairfax County.
CivilWar@Smithsonian
View the Smithsonian's collection of Civil War artifacts. The site includes historical information, a timeline and a bibliography.
Fort Ward
Alexandria's Fort Ward was one of a ring of Union forts built to protect Washington during the Civil War.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1861 - 1865
A searchable index linked to full-text articles. Includes news from Fairfax and Northern Virginia.
The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
This site compares a Northern and Southern community during the civil war. It includes maps, photographs, letters and many other interesting pieces of information.
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
The official site has information for tourists, students and teachers. Among its interesting features are facts about Colonial Williamsburg's historic trades and crafts, tours of its buildings and sites, and an index and selected articles from Trend & Tradition (formerly Colonial Williamsburg Journal).
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Digital Library
Search and view a digitized collection of rare books, manuscripts and original research reports from the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. The highlight is an index to the The Virginia Gazette (published 1736-1780) linked to images of more than 8,000 pages of the newspaper. The digital library also includes the Williamsburg Research Report Series, a manuscript collection and selected York County probate inventories.
Jamestown
History of Jamestowne
Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service describe the archaeology and history of Jamestowne. Includes a timeline of events and a list of early settlers.
Jamestowne Society
Study Jamestown's history, leaders and government. Includes a lengthy list of Virginia colonial ancestors.
Virtual Jamestown
This site from the University of Virginia includes information on Jamestown settlers and the Virginia Company, maps, muster rolls and more.
Claude Moore Colonial Farm
A local living history museum of life on a small Virginia farm in 1771.
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum includes history of the surrounding neighborhood, historic St. Mary's church and Clara Barton.
Great Falls Park
Great Falls Park includes waterfalls, the historic Patowmack Canal site and nature trails.
Gunston Hall Plantation
The plantation home of patriot George Mason. The site includes a genealogy of the Mason family.
The Manassas Museum
The museum features exhibits that interpret Northern Virginia Piedmont history through artifacts, documents and images. The site includes a link to information about the Manassas Industrial School / Jennie Dean Memorial.
Pope-Leighey House
A Frank Lloyd Wright house on the grounds of the Woodlawn Plantation.
Stratford Hall Plantation
Visit the Lee family home. Includes a special section for students.
The Valentine
The museum helps Richmonders and tourists discover the diverse stories that tell the city's history.
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
The DHR administers the Virginia Landmarks Register of properties listed on the state and national registers of historic landmarks, and historical highway markers for the entire state of Virginia. Site also includes information on how to nominate new historic sites and markers.
Woodlawn
The Federal era home of Eleanor "Nelly" Custis Lewis, granddaughter of Martha Washington.
See also Elections in Virginia and Government of Virginia.
Campaign Contributions
Federal Election Commission — Campaign Finance Data
See how candidates and committees raise and spend money in federal elections.
Follow the Money
A searchable database from the Institute on Money in State Politics, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization studying campaign finance at the state level. Includes data on state-level candidates, judicial elections, ballot measures, party committees and contributors.
Virginia Public Access Project
This comprehensive, nonpartisan resource about money in Virginia state and local politics uses data from the Virginia Department of Elections. It includes candidate profiles and information on lobbyists.
Virginia Department of Elections — Campaign Finance Reports
View the financial disclosure reports of political committees in Virginia.
Political Parties
According to the Virginia Department of Elections, "Virginia recognizes only two political parties: Democrats and Republicans. All other party organizations are required to register as Political Action Committees."
Types of Political Committees
Produced by the Virginia Department of Elections.
Vote Smart
Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to all Americans.
See also more Statistics websites.
Northern Virginia Demographics
Access to the full text of Northern Virginia Databook, which is a leading source for current and historical local demographic information; census information; and links to other demographic sources. Provided by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Virginia Demographics
Demographic information compiled by the Demographics Research Group of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia.
Virginia Labor Market Information
Employment and economic statistics from the Virginia Employment Commission.
Virginia QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau
View census data for Virginia or any of its counties or cities.