Virginia — 2025 Year in Review
Land use and zoning activity from city and county planning meetings in Virginia during 2025.
Virginia indexed 13,290 projects with decisions in 2025 across 114 counties, with 16,087 approved and 191 denied actions (98.8% approval rate). Norfolk city County led with 830 projects (6% of the state), followed by Hanover County (410) and Fluvanna County (353). Together those three counties accounted for 12% of indexed activity.
Read the Complete Virginia Planning Commission Guide for context on how planning decisions work in Virginia.
“Projects with decisions” counts unique projects. “Approved” and “Denied” count individual actions (one project can have multiple actions across meetings).
By county
| County | Projects | Approved actions | Denied actions | Approval % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accomack | 132 | 141 | 1 | 99.3% |
| Albemarle | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Alexandria city | 353 | 524 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Alleghany | 162 | 188 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amelia | 72 | 77 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amherst | 98 | 117 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Appomattox | 144 | 220 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Arlington | 28 | 29 | 1 | 96.7% |
| Bedford | 195 | 222 | 3 | 98.7% |
| Botetourt | 276 | 325 | 2 | 99.4% |
| Bristol city | 32 | 38 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Buchanan | 165 | 174 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Campbell | 137 | 146 | 1 | 99.3% |
| Caroline | 120 | 142 | 2 | 98.6% |
| Carroll | 118 | 138 | 4 | 97.2% |
| Charlotte | 81 | 84 | 1 | 98.8% |
| Charlottesville city | 126 | 144 | 2 | 98.6% |
| Chesapeake city | 175 | 189 | 3 | 98.4% |
| Chesterfield | 12 | 13 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Clarke | 131 | 139 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Colonial Heights city | 232 | 293 | 5 | 98.3% |
| Craig | 78 | 86 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Culpeper | 104 | 118 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Cumberland | 22 | 26 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Danville city | 102 | 114 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Dickenson | 58 | 64 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Dinwiddie | 82 | 91 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Emporia city | 61 | 64 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Essex | 7 | 8 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Fairfax | 180 | 215 | 1 | 99.5% |
| Fairfax city | 83 | 100 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Falls Church city | 59 | 73 | 1 | 98.6% |
| Fauquier | 47 | 50 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Floyd | 20 | 22 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Fluvanna | 353 | 447 | 5 | 98.9% |
| Franklin | 46 | 47 | 3 | 94.0% |
| Franklin city | 100 | 111 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Frederick | 29 | 45 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Fredericksburg city | 48 | 51 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Giles | 201 | 239 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Gloucester | 2 | 3 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Goochland | 142 | 162 | 3 | 98.2% |
| Grayson | 21 | 22 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Greene | 19 | 23 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Greensville | 105 | 115 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Halifax | 61 | 74 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Hampton city | 28 | 56 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Hanover | 410 | 467 | 6 | 98.7% |
| Harrisonburg city | 39 | 42 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Henrico | 46 | 47 | 1 | 97.9% |
| Henry | 19 | 22 | 1 | 95.7% |
| Highland | 65 | 65 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Hopewell city | 90 | 93 | 6 | 93.9% |
| Isle of Wight | 71 | 81 | 7 | 92.0% |
| King and Queen | 28 | 38 | 1 | 97.4% |
| King George | 46 | 58 | 3 | 95.1% |
| King William | 199 | 233 | 2 | 99.1% |
| Lancaster | 55 | 56 | 1 | 98.2% |
| Lee | 113 | 114 | 2 | 98.3% |
| Lexington city | 105 | 124 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Loudoun | 268 | 313 | 8 | 97.5% |
| Louisa | 150 | 159 | 5 | 97.0% |
| Lynchburg city | 150 | 188 | 1 | 99.5% |
| Manassas city | 51 | 51 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Manassas Park city | 158 | 198 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Martinsville city | 268 | 340 | 2 | 99.4% |
| Mathews | 20 | 20 | 2 | 90.9% |
| Mecklenburg | 111 | 141 | 3 | 97.9% |
| Middlesex | 14 | 14 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Montgomery | 111 | 114 | 1 | 99.1% |
| Nelson | 5 | 7 | 0 | 100.0% |
| New Kent | 17 | 17 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Newport News city | 284 | 383 | 1 | 99.7% |
| Norfolk city | 830 | 1,373 | 18 | 98.7% |
| Northampton | 44 | 48 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Northumberland | 222 | 240 | 1 | 99.6% |
| Norton city | 3 | 5 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Nottoway | 103 | 107 | 3 | 97.3% |
| Orange | 122 | 148 | 3 | 98.0% |
| Page | 134 | 149 | 5 | 96.8% |
| Patrick | 172 | 175 | 1 | 99.4% |
| Pittsylvania | 227 | 263 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Poquoson city | 142 | 165 | 1 | 99.4% |
| Portsmouth city | 12 | 13 | 1 | 92.9% |
| Powhatan | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Prince Edward | 75 | 84 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Prince George | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Prince William | 68 | 79 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Pulaski | 4 | 5 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Radford city | 143 | 182 | 1 | 99.5% |
| Richmond city | 350 | 498 | 18 | 96.5% |
| Roanoke city | 199 | 238 | 3 | 98.8% |
| Rockbridge | 108 | 129 | 3 | 97.7% |
| Rockingham | 193 | 196 | 9 | 95.6% |
| Russell | 149 | 172 | 1 | 99.4% |
| Salem city | 48 | 51 | 3 | 94.4% |
| Scott | 89 | 105 | 1 | 99.1% |
| Shenandoah | 175 | 201 | 5 | 97.6% |
| Smyth | 12 | 12 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Spotsylvania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Stafford | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Suffolk city | 278 | 384 | 2 | 99.5% |
| Sussex | 86 | 93 | 1 | 98.9% |
| Tazewell | 330 | 360 | 1 | 99.7% |
| Virginia Beach city | 59 | 59 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Warren | 314 | 388 | 14 | 96.5% |
| Washington | 66 | 70 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Waynesboro city | 78 | 80 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Westmoreland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Williamsburg city | 183 | 232 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Winchester city | 256 | 308 | 2 | 99.4% |
| Wise | 220 | 252 | 3 | 98.8% |
| Wythe | 5 | 11 | 0 | 100.0% |
| York | 29 | 30 | 0 | 100.0% |
Data from public meeting documents processed by Boardwalk. Coverage varies by jurisdiction. Not all cities and counties are included.