When was Danville city founded?

Danville city was founded in 1792, and named after Dan River.

Is there an online parcel map for Danville city?

Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 25,340 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Danville city's boundary or name changed?

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 changes for Danville city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 later changes, chiefly involving Pittsylvania County.

Who issues building permits in Danville city?

The county's page on building permits: Engineering Permit Fee Schedule. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Danville city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Independent city · code 51590

Danville cityVirginia

Danville is an independent city in Virginia, formed in 1792 and named after the Dan River.

Founded1792
Named forDan River
Land area43 sq mi + 0.9 sq mi water
Population42,590 2020 Census
Parcels mapped25,340 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Danville city: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline

History

Founded in 1792

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Danville became an independent city of the first class in 1902, separated from Pittsylvania County. Over the following decades, the city expanded through multiple annexations from Pittsylvania County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1902
Independent city separated Danville made an independent city, 1st class, from Pittsylvania.
Pittsylvania separated
10 July 1902 · Bain, "Body Incorporate," 18-21; Swindler, 10:166, 169
1907
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 June 1907 · Bain, Annexation, [240]; Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
1933
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1933 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [243]
1947
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 August 1947 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [244]
1951
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 July 1951 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [245]

Show all 14 changes (9 more, mostly small adjustments)

1902
Independent city separated Danville made an independent city, 1st class, from Pittsylvania.
Pittsylvania separated
10 July 1902 · Bain, "Body Incorporate," 18-21; Swindler, 10:166, 169
1907
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 June 1907 · Bain, Annexation, [240]; Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
1933
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1933 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [243]
1947
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 August 1947 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [244]
1951
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 July 1951 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [245]
1956
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained small area from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1956 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [246]
1960
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained small area from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1960 · Bain, Annexation, [246]
1963
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1963 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Bain, Annexation, [247]
c. 1964
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
31 December 1964 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
c. 1971
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained small area from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
31 December 1971 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
c. 1973
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained small area from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
31 December 1973 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
c. 1974
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
31 December 1974 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
c. 1978
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained small area from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
31 December 1978 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990
1988
Gained territory Independent city of Danville gained from Pittsylvania.
from Pittsylvania
1 January 1988 · Danville Planning Division, correspondence, February 1990; Danville Dept. of Community Development, correspondence, December 2002; 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 Danville

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 25,340 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, 23,518 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

Danville by the Census

Population

42,590 2020 Census count

Housing units

22,259 2020 Census count

Land area

43 square miles

Water area

0.9 square miles

People per sq mi

995 population ÷ land area

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.

Records

Assessor and property records
Commissioner of the Revenue
from danville-va.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Clerk of court: deeds and platsfrom danville-va.gov · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Engineering Permit Fee Schedulefrom danville-va.gov
Engineering Permitsfrom danville-va.gov
Permitsfrom danville-va.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 434-799-6522from danville-va.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Ordinances & Programsfrom danville-va.gov
City Code of Ordinancesfrom danville-va.gov
Zoningfrom danville-va.gov
Calendar • Board of Zoning Appeals Meetingfrom danville-va.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Danville city.
danville-va.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Danville 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Danville city

When was Danville city founded?: Danville city was founded in 1792, and named after Dan River.
Is there an online parcel map for Danville city?: Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 25,340 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Danville city's boundary or name changed?: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 changes for Danville city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 later changes, chiefly involving Pittsylvania County.
Who issues building permits in Danville city?: The county's page on building permits: Engineering Permit Fee Schedule. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Danville city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby