Richmond is
the
capital of the
Commonwealth of Virginia,
in the
United States. Like
all Virginia
municipalities
incorporated as
cities, it is an
independent city and
not part of any
county (Richmond
County is unrelated,
and located more than
53 miles away in the
northeast region of the
state). Richmond is
the center of the
Richmond
Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA) and the
Greater Richmond
area. Surrounded by
Henrico and
Chesterfield Counties,
the city is located at
the intersections of
Interstate 95 and
Interstate 64 in
central Virginia. As of
2006, the city's
estimated population is
192,913, with a metro
area population of
approximately 1.2
million.
The city operates one
of the oldest municipal
park systems in the
country. The park system
began when the city
council voted in 1851 to
acquire 7.5 acres, now
known as
Monroe Park. Today,
Monroe Park sits
adjacent to the
Virginia Commonwealth
University campus
and is one of more than
40 parks comprising a
total of more than 1,500
acres.