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Tri-Cities, Virginia Part of Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area | ||
|---|---|---|
 Downtown Petersburg | ||
 Map of RichmondMSA including Tri-Cities area
| ||
| Country | United States | |
| Largest city | Richmond | |
| Other cities | ||
| Area | ||
• Total | 4,367 sq mi (11,310 km2) | |
| Population | ||
• Total | 1,314,434[1] | |
| • Rank | 44th-largest in the U.S. | |
| GDP | ||
| • Total | $116.960 billion (2023) | |
TheTri-Cities of Virginia (also known as theTri-City area or theAppomattox Basin) is an area in theGreater Richmond Region which includes the threeindependent cities ofPetersburg,Colonial Heights, andHopewell and portions of the adjoining counties ofChesterfield,Dinwiddie, andPrince George in south-centralVirginia. Otherunincorporated communities located in the Tri-Cities area includeEttrick,Fort Lee, andCity Point, the latter formerly a historicincorporated town which was annexed to become part of the City of Hopewell.
The Tri-Cities area is centered on theAppomattox River about 25 miles (40 km) south ofRichmond. The Appomattox has its confluence with theJames River near historicCity Point in Hopewell. The applicableMetropolitan Statistical Area for the Tri-Cities area is theRichmond, VA MSA, which includes Richmond and counties generally to the north of the Tri-Cities area. Economic diversity is typical of the entireRichmond-Petersburg region, and helps to insulate it from hardship due to economic fluctuation in particular sectors of the economy. The region has been undergoing a opioid epidemic for several years now as well.[3] The region's central location also allows it to benefit from growth in other regions of Virginia and the state as a whole.
Interstate 95 is the major north-south highway.Interstate 85 andInterstate 295 also pass through, as doesU.S. Route 1 (The Boulevard inColonial Heights),U.S. Route 301,State Route 144 (Temple Avenue). Major east-west highways areU.S. Route 460,State Route 10, andState Route 36.
Major river crossings include theMartin Luther King Memorial Bridge and the twinCharles Hardaway Marks Bridges across theAppomattox River, and theVarina-Enon Bridge and theBenjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge across theJames River.
Amtrak passengerrailroad service is provided with a station atEttrick, anunincorporated community in Chesterfield County adjacent to both Petersburg and Colonial Heights. Freight railroad service is provided by bothCSX Transportation andNorfolk Southern Corporation.
Bus Transportation is provided by thePetersburg Area Transit. There are nine routes serving parts of Petersburg, Ettrick, Colonial Heights (Southpark Mall area), Fort Gregg-Adams, and Prince George County that all have their intersection in Old Town. PAT andGRTC together provide express bus service between Richmond and Petersburg, with some express buses stopping atBrightpoint Community College inChester.
Periodicals include:
Radio and television stations are the same as those listed forRichmond, Virginia.
Like many cities in the United States, the city ofPetersburg is a city that has sought to revitalize its downtown area by promoting its arts scene. In the 1990s and 2000s, several areas including the "Old Town" area has seen increased remodeling and renovating of old, abandoned buildings intoloft apartments and eclectic restaurants. In 2004, the Shockoe Bottom Arts group moved from downtown Richmond to downtown Petersburg due to lower real estate prices there. Severalantique shops, a former train station, and a theater are the centerpiece of "old town" See Also:Petersburg
Similarly,Hopewell has commenced a revitalization projects with renovations of their harbor complex, "Town Triangle," and the historic Beacon Theatre.
Other cultural productions in the Tri-Cities occur at local colleges and at the playhouse onFort Gregg-Adams.
Educational facilities in the region are listed as follows:
The area is served by severalhospitals,John Randolph Medical Center (aHCA Hospital) (Hopewell),Hiram Davis Medical Center (Acute Care) (Petersburg),Southside Regional Medical Center (Petersburg), and Poplar Springs Hospital (psychiatric facility) (Petersburg).
Southpark Mall is a large regionalshopping mall in the Tri-Cities area. Built in 1988 at the intersection ofState Route 144 andInterstate 95, themall complex has expanded significantly to include manybig box retailers. While the mall itself is located inColonial Heights, Virginia, other development has increased throughout the area.
Fort Gregg-Adams, formerly Fort Lee, is aUnited States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. ArmyCombined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), U.S. ArmyQuartermaster Center and School (QMCS), theArmy Logistics Management College (ALMC) and the U.S.Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). AUnited States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) unit, the49th Quartermaster Group (Petroleum and Water), is stationed here. Fort Gregg-Adams also hosts two Army museums, the U.S.Army Quartermaster Museum and the U.S.Army Women's Museum. Military personnel make up a significant presence in the area as well.
The fort is named after two African American officers Lt. Gen.Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col.Charity Adams. Prior to the fort's redesignation in April 2023, it was named forConfederateGeneralRobert E. Lee.[5]
The Tri-Cities also is home to afederal prison complex called thePetersburg Federal Correctional Complex. It consists of medium and low securityFederal Correctional Institutions known respectively asFCI Petersburg Medium andFCI Petersburg Low. Despite its name, the address of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex is actually in Prince George County. In addition, there is United StatesProbation Office near FCI – Petersburg, inColonial Heights, Virginia, and the two agencies enjoy a supportive relationship.
Puddledock Sand & Gravel, inPrince George County, Virginia is aquarry that has made significant alteration of the landscape along theAppomattox River andState Route 144 (Temple Avenue). The quarry is currently owned byVulcan Materials Company and quarries naturalsand as well asasphalt andconcreteaggregates forgravel.Ruffin Mill Industrial Park orAppomattox Industrial Park is located off Ruffin Mill Road exit from I-95 and is 298 acres (1.21 km2). Hopewell also is known for a number ofchemical manufacturing plants.
Many sites in the Tri-Cities area have names reflecting the region's role in theAmerican Civil War. A major logistics base for the Union Army was located atCity Point and theCity Point Railroad that enabled thesiege of Petersburg is still in operation today. The history of theBattle of the Crater can be viewed inPetersburg National Battlefield Park and is commemorated in nearbyCrater Road and the Fort Gregg-Adams entry "Mahone Gate" named after Confederate Brigadier GeneralWilliam Mahone, who was present at theBattle of the Crater during theSiege of Petersburg in 1864. Until 2023, Fort Gregg-Adams was named after Confederate GeneralRobert E. Lee.[5]
37°15′00″N77°24′00″W / 37.2500°N 77.4000°W /37.2500; -77.4000
