Incorporated as a city in 1782, Richmond is the capital of Virginia. The city is home to about 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of around 1.1 million. Richmond is located in eastern Virginia, 60 miles west of the Chesapeake Bay, and 100 miles south of Washington, DC.

In 1607, Captain James Smith and 120 men were the first Europeans to visit the falls on the James River where present day Richmond stands. The first settlement to survive began in 1644, with the construction of Fort Charles. Its inhabitants traded with the Powhatan Indians for pelts and tobacco. The settlement became a town in 1742.
In 2004, the Richmond-Petersburg area was named one of the "Top 25 Cities for Doing Business In" by Inc. Magazine. Also in 2004 Richmond was named one of "The Most Livable Mid-Sized Cities" by Partners for Livable Communities.

Precipitation is about 43.9 inches per year. Snowfalls average 12.5 inches annually. Temperatures reach 90 degrees an average of 34 days each summer. July average daily high and low temperatures are 87.5 and 68.3 degrees Fahrenheit. January average daily highs and lows are 45.3 and 27.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Richmond, and their lines of business are:

• Dominion Resources - utilities
• Genworth Financial - insurance
• Performance Food Group - wholesale food and grocery
• The Brink's Company - security
• CSX - railroad
• LandAmerica Financial - real estate transaction services
• Circuit City Group - electronics retailer
• CarMax - used car retailer

Arts and Leisure
Cultural, Historical and Leisure attractions include:

• The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• The Hand Workshop Art Center
• The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
• The Pine Camp Arts & Community Center Gallery
• The Elegba Folklore Society
• The Richmond Symphony
• The Richmond Philharmonic
• The Richmond Ballet
• The Virginia Opera
• The Barksdale Theatre
• The Firehouse Theater
• The Landmark Theater
• The Ethyl Imax Dome and Planetarium
• The Science Museum of Virginia
• The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden