Independent city · code 51530
Buena Vista cityVirginia
Buena Vista is an independent city in Virginia, founded in 1892 and separated from Rockbridge County in 1902.
- Founded1892
- Land area6.4 sq mi
- Population6,641 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped3,662 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Buena Vista on the map of Virginia
Virginia has 133 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1892
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Buena Vista became an independent city of the second class in 1902, separating from Rockbridge County.
- 1902Independent city separated Buena Vista made an independent city, 2d class, from Rockbridge. · Bain, "Body Incorporate," 18-21; Swindler, 10:166, 169
- 1983Gained territory Independent city of Buena Vista gained from Rockbridge. · Buena Vista City Manager, correspondence, January 1990; U.S. Census Bureau, "Significant Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970-Present," http://www.gov/geo/www/tiger/ctychng.html, 4 August 2003
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Buena Vista
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 3,662 parcels from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 3,113 in all from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Dept of Emergency Management (VDEM; VGIN moved from VITA to VDEM).
checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Buena Vista by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Buena Vista city.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Buena Vista city on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Buena Vista city
- When was Buena Vista city founded?
- Buena Vista city was founded in 1892.
- Is there an online parcel map for Buena Vista city?
- Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 3,662 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Buena Vista city's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 changes for Buena Vista city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Rockbridge County.
- Who issues building permits in Buena Vista city?
- The county's page on building permits: Public Event Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Buena Vista city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby