Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§127 Virginia
Title 28 › Part I— ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › Chapter 5— DISTRICT COURTS › § 127
Summary
Virginia is split into two federal court areas called the Eastern District and the Western District. The Eastern District covers the many counties named for the eastern part of the state, and federal courts for that district meet in Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond. The Western District covers the many counties named for the western part of the state, and its courts meet in Abingdon, Big Stone Gap, Charlottesville, Danville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, and Roanoke. A city or incorporated town is placed in whichever district contains the county that surrounds it or the county it was formed out of.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §127
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Virginia is divided into two judicial districts, to be known as the Eastern and Western districts of Virginia. Eastern District (a) The Eastern District comprises the counties of Accomac, Amelia, Arlington, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Elizabeth City, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nansemond, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Princess Anne, Richmond, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Warwick, Westmoreland, and York. Court for the Eastern District shall be held at Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond. Western District (b) The Western District comprises the counties of Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Grayson, Greene, Halifax, Henry, Highland, Lee, Louisa, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, and Wythe. Court for the Western District shall be held at Abingdon, Big Stone Gap, Charlottesville, Danville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, and Roanoke. (c) Cities and incorporated towns are included in that district in which are included the counties within the exterior boundaries of which such cities and incorporated towns are geographically located or out of the territory of which they have been incorporated.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 192 and 192a, and section 403c–2 of title 16, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Conservation (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 111, 36 Stat. 1127;
June 13, 1918, ch. 100, 40 Stat. 605; Apr. 30, 1924, ch. 144, 43 Stat. 114; Feb. 21, 1925, ch. 290, 43 Stat. 962; Jan. 20, 1930, ch. 20, § 1, 46 Stat. 56; Aug. 19, 1937, ch. 703, § 2, 50 Stat. 701;
June 13, 1938, ch. 350, 52 Stat. 674; Oct. 31, 1945, ch. 443, § 202, 59 Stat. 554). A provision of section 192 of title 28 relating to the maintenance of offices by the clerk of the western district was omitted as covered by section 452 and 751 of this title. Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made. Senate Revision AmendmentBy Senate amendment, “Newport News” was inserted after “Alexandria” in second paragraph of subsection (a) of this section. See 80th Congress
Senate Report No. 1559
.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–200, § 1(1), struck out reference to Culpeper, Louisa, and Orange counties. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–200, § 1(2), inserted reference to Culpeper, Louisa, and Orange counties. 1968—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–383 added subsec. (c).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Applicability of 1991
Amendments
Pub. L. 102–200, § 2, Dec. 10, 1991, 105 Stat. 1630, provided that: “(a) Pending Actions.—The
Amendments
made by section 1 [amending this section] shall not apply to any action commenced before the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 10, 1991] and pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on such date. “(b) Juries.—The
Amendments
made by section 1 shall not affect the composition, or preclude the service, of any grand or petit jury summoned, empaneled, or actually serving in the Eastern or Western District of Virginia on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 127
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60