Richmond is the capital of Virginia, named after Richmond upon Thames in England.
The Virginia settlement was named Richmond in 1737 by William Byrd II, who reportedly recognized a resemblance between the James River landscape and the view of the River Thames from Richmond Hill.
Richmond became Virginia’s capital in 1780, replacing Williamsburg. Its location farther inland offered greater protection from coastal attacks and placed the government nearer the state’s growing western population.
The city later became the capital of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Richmond is distinct from Virginia Beach, the state’s most populous city, and from Williamsburg, the earlier colonial capital. The James River runs through the city.