Our Community
Goochland, Virginia is established in the shadow of the capital city, Richmond, in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Considered part of the Richmond Metropolitan Area, this unincorporated community benefits greatly from the steady growth patterns of VA’s capital. Residents and businesses in the Goochland region enjoy all the rewards of rural living with the amenities of a major urban area within easy reach.
Goochland serves as the seat of Goochland County. Goochland County, population 16,863 at the time of the 2000 Census, shows a 2006 estimate as 20,085. Both city and county take their names in honor of Sir William Gooch, who once served as Lieutenant Governor in the region. Goochland also goes by the name of Goochland Courthouse. Built in 1826, the city’s courthouse building features Jeffersonian-inspired architecture, carried out by Dabney Cosby, Sr., a master builder. This lovely building required improvements to its interior; however, the exterior portion remains original. The Courthouse Green includes a brick clerk’s office, a stone jailhouse and the James Clopton Knibb Building, which was erected in 1906.
Located along the western border of the Richmond Metropolitan Area, Goochland businesses have a convenient connection to the surrounding markets via Interstate 64. I-295 lies just three miles outside Goochland and affords access to I-95 and all of the Eastern Seaboard. The Goochland County Office of Economic Development offers financial and training opportunities for new and expanding businesses. Richmond affords Goochland’s workforce access to the Virginia Bio Technology Research Park and several Fortune 500 corporations. Richmond also provides the bulk of higher education facilities to the region. These include Strayer University, the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and the prestigious Virginia State University.
Goochland has a long, rich history in America, evident in the numerous historical sites in the region. Dover, the Manakin & Tuckahoe coalfields, and the Tuckahoe Plantation, which was Thomas Jefferson’s childhood home, are in Goochland County. Several sites along the James River and Kanawha Canal, which George Washington surveyed, are located in the region. Other sites of interest include the Goochland Historical Museum and Jackson Blacksmith Shop. Goochland is also the birthplace of John Fleming, who played a significant role in VA’s early government.
In addition to local parks, and civic and social opportunities, Goochland County lies within easy reach of all of Richmond's art galleries, Civil War battleground sites, museums, numerous shopping venues and theaters. Other Richmond area attractions include the Richmond International Raceway and the Science Museum of Virginia. The majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, colonial Williamsburg, Washington D.C. and the pristine beaches along the VA coast are all with a two-hour drive.
Goochland, Virginia enjoys a prime location between Charlottesville and Richmond, where residents have access to both urban and pastoral communities. With a strong historic presence and natural splendor, Goochland remains one of the most idyllic places in which to live and work in the Commonwealth of Virginia.