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Virginia

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Climate and Geography

• Atlantic Coast Observer Network (ACON) VA/NC/SC
  Find monthly historical weather data for Virginia going back to 1995.

• Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
  The Potomac River's water supply, environment and wildlife.

• Physiographic Provinces of Virginia
  Maps and descriptions from Radford University.

• Virginia State Climatology Office Home Page
  Provides weather advisories as well as information on snowfall, drought, lightning, fall foliage displays and other aspects of Virginia's climate.

• Virginia's Weather History
  Snow, hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms. This site presents history and statistics on Virginia's weather, including some data as early as 1635.

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Government of Virginia

• Elected Officials

  • Governor

  • Lieutenant Governor

  • Attorney General

  • Virginia General Assembly

    • Senate of Virginia

    • House of Delegates

    • Legislative Information System (LIS)
      Access to information including the status of individual bills and related information; House and Senate committee meeting schedules; minutes of floor sessions; session statistics; and information on past sessions. You can also search for bills and resolutions via the LIS.

    • Who's My Legislator
      A quick way to find out who your Virginia state delegate, state senator and congressional legislators are by typing in your mailing address. From the Virginia General Assembly. Includes contact information.

• Virginia.gov
  The official Commonwealth of Virginia home page. Sections of particular interest include the following:

  • Budget of Virginia

  • Emblems and Symbols of Virginia
    Information on the state bird, flower, tree, flag, seal, etc.

  • Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
    A comprehensive source for information on state and local government in Virginia, including officials, agencies and localities.

  • State Agencies, Boards,Commissions and Councils

  • Virginia Cities, Counties, Towns and Communities on the Internet

  • Virginia Government in Brief
    This publication explains the basics of Virginia's state and local governments.

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  • Virginia Performs
    Statistical information about the quality of life in Virginia. Includes demographic, economic and social statistics.

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History of Virginia

• Good Starting Point
• Biography
• Civil War
• Colonial Era
• Local Area Historic Sites & Museums
• 
  
• Good Starting Point
  

  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    "A valuable tool for exploring the people, history, government, economy and culture of Virginia" from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

  • Index to Virginia Cavalcade Magazine
    A subject and author index to Virginia Cavalcade, an illustrated magazine of Virginia history and culture published by the Library of Virginia from 1951 to 2002. Virginia Cavalcade's brief, yet authoritative, articles depict Virginia history from the age of exploration to the mid-twentieth century, and are useful for students. Reference and circulating copies of the magazine are available in the Virginia Room.

• Biography

  • Dictionary of Virginia Biography
    Search the DVB biographies with specialized lists or by name, time period, occupation, birthplace or other criteria. Links to the full-text biographical articles are provided where available. Produced by the Library of Virginia. A reference copy of the multivolume DLB is available in the Virginia Room.

  • Famous and Historical Virginians
    Links to biographies of notable educators and inventors and historical Virginians from the colonial period through the 20th century. Provided by the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

  • Presidents and First Ladies from Virginia

    • Thomas Jefferson

      • Jefferson Digital Archive
        Mr. Jefferson's letters and papers, and a tour of the University of Virginia.

      • Monticello
        Information on Jefferson and his former plantation home near Charlottesville, VA.

      • The Thomas Jefferson Papers
        Thousands of searchable documents and images from the Library of Congress.

    • Dolley Madison

      • The Dolley Madison Project
        The life, letters and legacy of Dolley Madison. Includes pictures and a timeline.

    • James Madison

      • The James Madison Papers
        The Library of Congress presents a searchable collection of 72,000 digital images of James Madison's political and personal papers.

      • James Madison's Montpelier
        Information on the Madisons and their home. Includes biographies and a special section for children.

    • James Monroe

      • James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland
        The website for James Monroe's home includes biographical information and a tour of the home.

    • John Tyler

      • Sherwood Forest Plantation
        John Tyler, the 10th president, and his home. The site includes a virtual tour and genealogical information.

    • George Washington

      • George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress
        The world's largest collection of Washington papers. Document types include letters, diaries, accounts, military and governmental records and reports, and notes accumulated by Washington from 1741 to 1799. The collection is fully searchable by keyword. Indexing is linked to document images.

      • Historic Mount Vernon
        Take a virtual tour of the home, the grounds and excavation sites; learn about George Washington, and find out more details about visiting Mount Vernon.

      • The Papers of George Washington
        The George Washington Papers project at the University of Virginia provides images, FAQs, maps and all manner of information on Washington and his era.

    • Woodrow Wilson

      • Woodrow Wilson Birthplace
        The Staunton, Virginia birthplace of the 28th president.

• Civil War

  • 17th Virginia Infantry, Company D, Fairfax Rifles
    This re-enactment unit's site includes a regimental history and roster for many Civil War soldiers from theFairfax area. The 1861 Muster includes brief biographies from William Page Johnson's book, Brothers and Cousins: Confederate Soldiers and Sailors of Fairfax County, Virginia.

  • Chasing the Civil War: A Pathfinder
    A guide to many sources for local Civil War research, including finding an ancestor's service record and burial. Includes information on local battles. Search strategies are applicable to Fairfax County events. The Virginia Room owns most of these sources, however, call numbers may vary.

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  • Civil War Resources from the Virginia Military Institute Archives
    Includes a historical roster of students from 1839-1911, a photo archive of student portraits and a guide to manuscripts.

  • Civil War Traveler
    Information on Civil War sites in Virginia and other states. Includes maps, events and many details about places in Fairfax County.

  • CivilWar@Smithsonian
    View the Smithsonian's collection of Civil War artifacts. The site includes historical information, a timeline and a bibliography.

  • Fort Ward
    Alexandria's Fort Ward was one of a ring of Union forts built to protect Washington during the Civil War.

  • Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

  • Manassas National Battlefield Park

  • Museum of the Confederacy
    The Museum of the Confederacy houses the world's largest collection of Confederate military and civilian artifacts.

  • Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1861 - 1865
    A searchable index linked to full-text articles. Includes news from Fairfax and Northern Virginia.

  • They Died in Centreville
    A study of Union casualties who died and/or were buried in Centreville, Virginia, based on Union service, hospital and regimental records.

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  • The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
    This site compares a Northern and Southern community during the civil war. It includes maps, photographs, letters and many other interesting pieces of information.

  • Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the American Civil War
    This Commonwealth of Virginia website offers a calendar of events, news, history and more regarding the observation of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

• Colonial Era

  • Bibliography of Crafts and Trades in Colonial Virginia
    Compiled by staff and volunteers of the Virginia Room at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

  • Colonial Williamsburg

    • Colonial Williamsburg
      The official site has information for tourists, students and teachers. Among its interesting features are facts about Colonial Williamsburg's historic trades and crafts, tours of its buildings and sites, and an index and selected articles from Colonial Williamsburg journal.

    • Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Digital Library
      Search and view a digitized collection of rare books, manuscripts and original research reports from the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. The highlight is an index to the The Virginia Gazette (published 1736-1780) linked to images of more than 8,000 pages of the newspaper. The digital library also includes the Williamsburg Research Report Series, a manuscript collection and selected York County probate inventories.

  • Jamestown

    • Historic Jamestowne
      The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities describes the history and archaeology of Jamestown. Includes a timeline of events and a list of early settlers.

    • Jamestowne Society
      Study Jamestown's history, leaders and government. Includes a lengthy list of Virginia colonial ancestors.

    • Virtual Jamestown
      This site from the University of Virginia includes information on Jamestown settlers and the Virginia Company, maps, muster rolls and more.

• Historic Sites and Museums (Local Area)

  See also history of Virginia.

  • Claude Moore Colonial Farm
    A local living history museum of life on a small Virginia farm in 1771.

  • Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
    The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum includes history of the surrounding neighborhood, historic St. Mary's church and Clara Barton.

  • Great Falls Park
    Great Falls Park includes waterfalls, the historic Patowmack Canal site and nature trails.

  • Gunston Hall Plantation
    The plantation home of patriot George Mason. The site includes a genealogy of the Mason family.

  • The Manassas Museum
    The museum features exhibits that interpret Northern Virginia Piedmont history through artifacts, documents and images. The site includes a link to information about the Manassas Industrial School / Jennie Dean Memorial.

  • Pope-Leighey House
    A Frank Lloyd Wright house on the grounds of the Woodlawn Plantation.

  • Richmond History Center
    The Center helps Richmonders and tourists discover the diverse stories that tell the city's history.

  • Stratford Hall Plantation
    Visit the Lee family home. Includes a special section for students.

  • Virginia Department of Historic Resources
    Offers the Virginia Landmarks Register of properties listed on the state and national registers of historic landmarks and a searchable database of historical highway markers for the entire state of Virginia. Also includes information on how to nominate new historic sites and markers.

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  • Virginia Historical Highway Markers
    Markerhistory.com presents a searchable database of historical markers for the state of Virginia based on location or topic.

  • Woodlawn
    The Federal era home of Eleanor "Nelly" Custis Lewis, granddaughter of Martha Washington.

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Law

• Codes, Statutes and Regulations
• Courts
• 
  

• Codes, Statutes and Regulations

  • Commonwealth of Virginia

    • Code of Virginia

    • Virginia Administrative Code

    • Virginia Register of Regulations

    • Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
      Information about proposed changes to Virginia's regulations. It also provides a meetings calendar, board minutes and allows the public to voice their opinion through online comment forums.

  • Counties and Municipalities

    • City of Fairfax Code of Ordinances

    • City of Falls Church Code of Ordinances

    • Fairfax County Building Codes
      Fairfax County is required to enforce the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) and the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC).

    • Fairfax County Code of Ordinances

    • Town of Herndon Code of Ordinances

    • Virginia Codes by Jurisdiction
      Search the codes of all Virginia counties and municipalities.

  • Courts

    • Fairfax County Courts
      Includes links to the Circuit Court, General District Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

    • Federal Court Locator
      Provides links to the US Supreme Court; US Courts of Appeals; and US District Courts, including the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

    • Virginia's Judicial System
      Information includes court forms and links and general contact informaton for Virginia courts: the Supreme Court of Virginia, Court of Appeals of Virginia, Circuit Courts, General District Courts and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts.

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Politics and Elections

• Elections
• Politics
• 
  
• Elections
  

  • Upcoming Elections — City of Fairfax
    Information on the next scheduled election, including sample ballots. Also includes an election calendar, which shows all federal, state and city elections in the current year. Provided by the City of Fairfax Electoral Board/General Registrar.

  • Upcoming Elections — Fairfax County (Includes information for the towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna)
    Information on the next scheduled county and town elections, including candidate information and sample ballots. Also includes the annual election calendar, which shows all federal, state, county and town elections in the current year; and a 10-year schedule of elections by office. Provided by the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

  • Virginia Election Results
    Find the results of the latest election, or view historical results back to 1984. Provided by the Virginia State Board of Elections.

  • Virginia General Election Calendar
    The 5-year schedule of general elections for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Provided by the Virginia State Board of Elections.

  • Voters Guides
    Prior to each upcoming election, guides to the candidates are provided and include biographical information and responses to questions on the issues. From the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, a nonpartisan organization.

  • Voting Information

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    • Absentee Voting in Virginia
      Information on who can vote absentee, where to obtain paper copies of the Commonwealth of Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form, application deadlines, and instructions on how complete and deliver the application. From the Virginia State Board of Elections.

    • City of Fairfax Electoral Board/General Registrar
      Information on voter registration, precincts and polling places, and absentee voting. A sample ballot for the upcoming election is also available.

    • City of Falls Church — Office of Voter Registration & Elections
      Includes a sample ballot for the upcoming election.

    • Fairfax County Office of Elections
      Information on voter registration, precincts, polling places, absentee voting, and how to apply to work as an election officer; a directory of elected officials; a calendar of future elections; links to related sites; and more.

    • Find Your Polling Place
      Where do I vote? Virginia State Board of Elections presents a database that converts Virginia addresses to polling place locations. Just enter your address into the form and click on "search."

    • League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area
      This nonpartisan organization provides an online version of their Facts for Voters brochure.

    • Registering to Vote in Virginia
      Information on who can register to vote, where to obtain paper copies of the Virginia Voter Registration Application Form, registration deadlines, and instructions on how to complete and deliver the application. From the Virginia State Board of Elections.

    • Virginia State Board of Elections
      The Virginia State Board of Elections provides information for voters and candidates. The site includes forms and publications, voter registration facts, election calendars, and campaign finance data and statistics.

• Politics 

  • Campaign Contributions

    • Federal Election Commission — Campaign Finance Reports and Data
      View federal election financial disclosure reports that have been filed by House, Senate and presidential campaigns, as well as political parties and political action committees (PACs) from 1993 to the present.

    • Follow the Money
      A searchable database from the Institute on Money in State Politics, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization studying campaign finance at the state level. Includes data on state-level candidates, judicial elections, ballot measures, party committees and contributors.

    • Virginia Public Access Project
      This comprehensive, nonpartisan resource about money in Virginia state and local politics uses data from the Virginia State Board of Elections. It includes candidate profiles and information on lobbyists.

    • Virginia State Board of Elections — Campaign Finance Disclosure Reports
      View current and historical contribution reports for candidates for the General Assembly and state-wide office.

  • Political Parties
    According to the Virginia State Board of Elections, "Virginia recognizes only two political parties: Democrats and Republicans. All other party organizations are required to register as Political Action Committees."

    • Democratic Party of Virginia

    • Republican Party of Virginia

    • Types of Political Committees
      From the Virginia State Board of Elections.

  • Project Vote Smart
    Find a wide variety of information about Virginia government officials, legislative activity, elections, issues and more. Search by zip code, keywords or representative's name.

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Statistics and Demographics

• Northern Virginia Demographics
  This site includes the full text portions of Northern Virginia Databook, a leading source for detailed local demographic information, both current and historical. The site also includes census information, rankings and useful links to other authoritative demographic sources.

• Virginia Demographics & Workforce
  State demographic and statistical information compiled by the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.

• Virginia Labor Market Information
  Employment and economic statistics from the Virginia Employment Commission.

• Virginia Performs
  Statistical information about the quality of life in Virginia. Includes demographic, economic and social statistics.

• Virginia QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  View the 2000 Census data for Virginia or any of its counties.

• Virginia Statistics (VaStat)
  Provides links to information on Virginia. Covers a broad range of topics, including agriculture; banking; crime; demographics; economics; e-commerce; education; employment; foreign trade; housing; manufacturing and poverty.

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