Services
Economic growth in Greater Richmond can only be described as explosive. This region is home to an impressive number of companies on the Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 lists. More than three dozen firms enjoy annual sales exceeding $500 million, although Richmond’s economic ground is equally fertile for smaller companies and entrepreneurial activity. Both Dun and Bradstreet and Entrepreneur magazine have praised Richmond as the best mid-sized city in the U.S. for small business.
Greater Richmond claims more than 100 office and industrial parks, a quality work force, and building costs and business operations costs that fall below the national average. The average state and local taxes in Virginia are some of the lowest in the entire nation. Outstanding transportation resources include a network of interstate, U.S. and state highways; more than 100 motor freight companies; passenger and freight rail service and public bus service. In addition, the Richmond International Airport has established a reputation as a passenger friendly facility, accommodating over 200 daily domestic flights to and from major cities. The Port of Richmond is known as a service-oriented distribution center for containers and cargo.
Claiming outstanding enterprises like the Center for Innovative Technology‘s Biotechnology Institute and the Geriatric Education Center, Richmond sets the benchmark in genetic research. The city serves as the national headquarters of the United Network of Organ Sharing that links transplant centers and laboratories across the country. Health magazine even named Richmond as the “number one” city in the nation based on the opportunities for combining a healthy lifestyle with first-class medical care.
Thousands of skilled medical professionals represent every major specialty practice in Greater Richmond. Eighteen hospitals provide over 4,000 staffed beds, including the acclaimed Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. MCV Hospitals have been cited in the annual national study, 100 Best Hospitals – Benchmarks for Success, and also ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the America’s finest in gynecology, orthopedics and other specialties.
Quality opportunities for higher education, career training and continuing education are abundant in Greater Richmond. Students of all ages can choose from two community colleges—J. Sargeant Reynolds and John Tyler—that offer an affordable beginning to a four-year degree as well as certificate programs and associate degrees. Leading corporations has expanded options for specialized training in innovative programs like the Customer Service Academy or high-tech educational programs developed by a consortium of regional manufacturers.
The region’s four-year institutions combine public universities with private colleges like Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. The Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond, a University of Virginia extension campus, and Virginia Union University are located in Richmond. Virginia State University operates from its main campus in nearby Petersburg within the Tri-Cities area. Several colleges and universities offer continuing education branches in the City of Richmond including Averett College, Bluefield College, George Washington University, Mary Baldwin College, and Old Dominion University. The College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg also operates the Richard Bland College junior college in Petersburg.
Lifestyle
Greater Richmond is creating a national model as a pleasing environment that offers a healthy and positive environment for growing families, retirees and young professionals. You’ll discover an abundance of housing options within its residential developments, cities, and counties—from the seclusion of a heavily wooded lot in a rural setting to a refurbished condominium in the heart of the city. Those who prefer the slower pace and natural beauty of a more rural atmosphere will want to explore Charles City, Goochland, New Kent and Powhatan Counties. Open space, forested hills, fields, horse properties and unspoiled countryside still prevail.
With a long-established reputation as an equestrian paradise, New Kent County
offers the thoroughbred and harness racing thrills of Colonial Downs Race Track. In the spring, the steeplechase Races at Marengo draw record crowds to this rapidly developing area of quiet country living. Charles City County is famous for the historic value of its plantations and the exquisite architecture of its manor homes. Family heirlooms, original Greek Revival embellishments, priceless antiques and beautiful gardens abound in these living museums of Southern history and heritage.
The counties of Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield are the most rapidly developing metropolitan regions, attracting an influx of new businesses as well as residents. New shopping centers, planned communities, subdivisions, industrial parks, and centers for recreation are taking root in the soil that once yielded tobacco and other cash crops. As the home of the world-famous Hanover tomato, Hanover County has been faced with the challenge of balancing its former agricultural economy with a blossoming of cosmopolitan amenities and diversified growth. In addition to world headquarters and leading companies, Hanover is home to Paramount’s Kings Dominion theme park—one of most popular of Virginia’s family attractions.
Few locations in the nation can begin to rival Chesterfield County for sheer quality of
life. This rapidly growing region boasts residents who rank among the nation’s wealthiest and most highly educated. With its award-winning government and superb growth management, Chesterfield was included on the Wall Street Journal’s list of America’s hottest white-collar addresses. Some of the metropolitan area’s most frequented recreation destinations are located here, from Pocahontas State Park to the Dutch Gap Conservation Area and Presquile National Wildlife Refuge.
Henrico County, already home to more than half of Greater Richmond’s Fortune 500 companies, remains a focal point of growth. Forming a half-circle around the City of Richmond, Henrico naturally falls into the western and eastern quadrants. To the west lies the community of Glen Allen, a “hot spot” of burgeoning corporate centers like Innsbrook. Short Pump is another rapidly expanding area of Henrico County that combines pleasing residential developments with tremendous retail growth. Richmond International Airport is located in eastern Henrico County, serving the entire region with first-rate domestic and international passenger and cargo service.
Just 20 miles south of Richmond, you’ll discover the Tri-Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg. Like the City of Richmond itself, this area is filled with significant architecture, preserved battlefields and a rich legacy of Revolutionary and Civil War history. The restored buildings of Old Towne district of Petersburg are especially intriguing, filled with sidewalk cafes, boutiques, antique dealers, museums, bed-and-breakfast inns and charming shops.
Life in one of the Tri-Cities ensures all the advantages of a smaller town in close proximity to the world-class resources of Greater Richmond. However, the primary highway connection of Interstate 95 is also frequented by residents of Greater Richmond who want to take advantage of the Tri-Cities amenities. Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights is the region’s largest shopping center, providing two million square feet of total retail space. State and federal government facilities in the area include Richard Bland College, Virginia State University, Central State Hospital, Southside Virginia Training Center and Fort Lee. Petersburg is also home to Southside Regional Medical Center, an outstanding 469-bed healthcare complex.
Leisure hours in Greater Richmond are easy to fill, whether you prefer outdoor activities or a night at the opera. Symphony, ballet, concerts, special events, galleries, children’s theatre, Broadway shows, live stage productions—the City of Richmond can guarantee magical moments in every season. Special events, festivals, fairs, celebrations, parades, carnivals, historic re-enactments, garden shows, holiday events and home tours light up each season of the year. For pulsating nightlife, head down to Shockoe Bottom near Richmond’s downtown district for dancing, music and comedy in clubs and restaurants tucked away in refurbished warehouses.
The vast recreational opportunities enhanced by the James River add to Richmond’s allure as a unique place to live, work and play. The adventurous can tackle everything from rock climbing walls to Class IV urban whitewater rapids. Bridges, parks, benches, picnic pavilions, fishing piers and lush parks along the riverfront invite residents to enjoy a quick or extended escape from the city streets.
Day trips and weekend getaways include some of the East Coast’s most exciting recreation and vacation spots. You’ll find hundreds of popular places along the James River or by the Chesapeake Bay that offer charming cottages for rent. Most river towns have a public landing or at least a marina if you’re looking for a place to drop a boat or a jet ski. Driving just an hour or two from Richmond will bring you to the frothy surf of Virginia Beach, the cultural mecca of Washington, D.C., the Outer Banks of North Carolina or Colonial Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle. To the west is the alpine splendor and breathtaking vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, filled with panoramic places for camping, hiking, backpacking and skiing. Welcome home!
