Independent city · code 51810
Virginia Beach cityVirginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city in Virginia, originally established in 1906 and covering 244.7 square miles.
- Founded1906
- Named forVirginia
- Land area245 sq mi + 253 sq mi water
- Population459,470 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped135,465 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Virginia Beach 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 1906
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Virginia Beach was made an independent city, second class, in 1952 from Princess Anne County. In 1963, the independent city of Virginia Beach consolidated with Princess Anne County to form the independent city of Virginia Beach, first class. The city lost small areas to Chesapeake in 1980 and to Norfolk in 1988.
- 1952Independent city separated Virginia Beach made an independent city, 2d class, from Princess Anne (extinct).Princess Anne separated· Va. Acts 1952, ext. sess., ch. 33/pp. 42-48
- 1963Eliminated Independent city of Virginia Beach, 2d class, and Princess Anne were consolidated to form the independent city of Virginia Beach, 1st class; Princess Anne County eliminated.into Princess Anne· Va. Acts 1962, ch. 147/pp. 204-216
- c. 1980Lost territory Independent city of Virginia Beach lost small area to the independent city of Chesapeake. · Virginia Beach Planning Dept., correspondence, January 1990
- c. 1988Lost territory Independent city of Virginia Beach lost small area to the independent city of Norfolk. · Norfolk City Planning Dept., correspondence, December 1989
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Virginia Beach
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 135,465 parcels. 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, 212,396 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
Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach city.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach city
- When was Virginia Beach city founded?
- Virginia Beach city was founded in 1906, and named after Virginia.
- Is there an online parcel map for Virginia Beach city?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 135,465 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Virginia Beach city's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 changes for Virginia Beach city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Princess Anne County.
- Who issues building permits in Virginia Beach city?
- The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Virginia Beach city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby