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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Varina (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Varina. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Varina is located in Henrico County.

To see how the shape of Virginia's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Henrico County: Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, New Kent & Richmond.

Below are the counties that are near Varina. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Varina:

  • Henrico County     (The home county of Varina)
  • Amelia County
  • Caroline County
  • Charles City County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Kimages
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kimages. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimages
      • Kimages is located in Charles City County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kimages
      • From Varina to Kimages
    • Roxbury
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roxbury. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
      • Roxbury is located in Charles City County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roxbury
      • From Varina to Roxbury
    • Westover
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Westover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
      • Westover is located in Charles City County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Westover
      • From Varina to Westover
    • Charles City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Ruthville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Chesterfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Meadowville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Bellwood
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
      • Bellwood is located in Chesterfield County
    • Bensley Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bensley Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bensley Village
      • Bensley Village is located in Chesterfield County
    • Bensley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bensley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bensley
      • Bensley is located in Chesterfield County
    • Beulah Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beulah Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah Village
      • Beulah Village is located in Chesterfield County
    • Drewrys Bluff
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Screamersville ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Centralia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Centralia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centralia
      • Centralia is located in Chesterfield County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Centralia
      • From Varina to Centralia
    • Bermuda Hundred ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Chester
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Chesterfield Court House
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chesterfield Court House have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterfield Court House
      • Chesterfield Court House is located in Chesterfield County
    • Chesterfield Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chesterfield Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterfield Village
      • Chesterfield Village is located in Chesterfield County
    • Bon Air
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Colonial Heights City
    • Colonial Heights
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colonial Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Heights
      • Colonial Heights is located in Colonial Heights City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colonial Heights <2>
  • Dinwiddie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Grant Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grant Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant Village
      • Grant Village is located in Dinwiddie County
    • Maitland Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maitland Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maitland Village
      • Maitland Village is located in Dinwiddie County
    • Addison
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Goochland County
    • Thorncliff
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Thorncliff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorncliff
      • Thorncliff is located in Goochland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Thorncliff
      • From Varina to Thorncliff
  • Hanover County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Mechanicsville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mechanicsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mechanicsville
      • Mechanicsville is located in Hanover County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mechanicsville <2>
    • Westwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Westwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
      • Westwood is located in Hanover County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Westwood
      • From Varina to Westwood
    • Atlee Station
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Gwathmey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gwathmey. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gwathmey
      • Gwathmey is located in Hanover County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gwathmey
      • From Varina to Gwathmey
    • Hanover
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Ashland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Hylas
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hylas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hylas
      • Hylas is located in Hanover County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hylas
      • From Varina to Hylas
    • Casco
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Casco. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casco
      • Casco is located in Hanover County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Casco
      • From Varina to Casco
    • Rockville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Taylorsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Goodall
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Goodall. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodall
      • Goodall is located in Hanover County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Goodall
      • From Varina to Goodall
    • Doswell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Vontay
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Hopewell City
  • King and Queen County
  • King William County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Manquin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Enfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Enfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enfield
      • Enfield is located in King William County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Enfield
      • From Varina to Enfield
    • Lanesville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lanesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanesville
      • Lanesville is located in King William County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lanesville
      • From Varina to Lanesville
    • Rumford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rumford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumford
      • Rumford is located in King William County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rumford
      • From Varina to Rumford
    • Tuck Fork
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Romancoke
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Beulahville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beulahville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulahville
      • Beulahville is located in King William County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Beulahville
      • From Varina to Beulahville
    • West Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Point have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Point
      • West Point is located in King William County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,310 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for West Point <2>
  • New Kent County
  • Petersburg City
  • Powhatan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Huguenot
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Huguenot. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huguenot
      • Huguenot is located in Powhatan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Huguenot
      • From Varina to Huguenot
    • Dorset
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dorset. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorset
      • Dorset is located in Powhatan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dorset
      • From Varina to Dorset
    • Pilkinton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pilkinton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pilkinton
      • Pilkinton is located in Powhatan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pilkinton
      • From Varina to Pilkinton
  • Prince George County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Garysville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Burrowsville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Newville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newville
      • Newville is located in Prince George County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newville
      • From Varina to Newville
    • Derby ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Derby have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derby
      • Derby is located in Prince George County
    • Talpa ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Talpa have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talpa
      • Talpa is located in Prince George County
  • Richmond City
  • Richmond County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Cherry Gardens
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Walmsley Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walmsley Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walmsley Village
      • Walmsley Village is located in Richmond County
    • Chippenham Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chippenham Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chippenham Village
      • Chippenham Village is located in Richmond County
  • Surry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.
    • Claremont
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Claremont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
      • Claremont is located in Surry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 335 people
    • Spring Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Carsley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Varina, see our County-by-County Page for Varina.

Cemeteries Near Varina ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Varina.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Varina covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

While we didn't find Varina in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Varina.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Varina, with the one closest to Varina listed first.

  • Varina Grove
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Cotman ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cotman have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cotman
    • Cotman is located in Henrico County
  • Fort Lee
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Lee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lee
    • Fort Lee is located in Henrico County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Fort Lee
    • From Varina to Fort Lee
  • Meadowville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Seven Pines
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seven Pines have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Pines
    • Seven Pines is located in Henrico County
  • Fair Oaks
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fair Oaks. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
    • Fair Oaks is located in Henrico County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Fair Oaks
    • From Varina to Fair Oaks
  • Drewrys Bluff
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Glendale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Highland Springs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Centralia
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Centralia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centralia
    • Centralia is located in Chesterfield County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Centralia
    • From Varina to Centralia
  • Elko
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Chester
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Bermuda Hundred ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Shirley
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shirley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
      • Shirley is located in Charles City County
    • Walthall
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walthall have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walthall
      • Walthall is located in Chesterfield County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Varina. See our List of 1890's Communities around Varina.

Newspapers Published in Varina ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 461 newspapers that have been published in the area around Varina.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Varina, there are papers which were published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Varina.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Varina:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Varina. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Henrico County: www.co.henrico.va.us/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Varina) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Varina. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.4486, Longitude: -77.3448    
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Varina, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025