County · code 51081
Greensville CountyVirginia
Greensville County is a county in Virginia, formed in 1781 from Brunswick County with its seat in Emporia. The county was named after Richard Grenville.
- Founded1781
- County seatEmporia
- Named forRichard Grenville
- Land area295 sq mi + 1.6 sq mi water
- Population11,391 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped9,914 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Greensville 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
Formed in 1781 from Brunswick County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Greensville was created from Brunswick on February 1, 1781, and gained additional territory from Brunswick later that year on November 6, 1787. In 1802, the county gained land from Sussex. Emporia, originally within the county, became an independent city in 1968 and was fully separated from Greensville in 1988.
- 1781
- 1787
- 1802
- 1968Lost territory Greensville lost to creation of Emporia as an independent city, 2d class. · Emporia Planning Dept., correspondence, February 1990
- 1988Lost territory Greensville lost to the independent city of Emporia. · Emporia City Manager's Office, correspondence, February 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 Greensville
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 9,914 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, 4,688 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
Greensville 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.
Records
- Assessor and property records
Commissioner of the Revenue
Permits
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Greensville County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Greensville County 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 Greensville County
- When was Greensville County founded?
- Greensville County was founded in 1781, formed from Brunswick County, and named after Richard Grenville.
- What is the county seat of Greensville County?
- The county seat of Greensville County is Emporia.
- Is there an online parcel map for Greensville County?
- Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 9,914 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Greensville County's boundary or name changed?
- Greensville County was created in 1781 from Brunswick County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Brunswick County and Sussex County.
- Who issues building permits in Greensville County?
- The county's page on building permits: Home Occupation Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Greensville County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Central Virginia Health Planning Agency, Inc.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Greensville County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby