Richmond, Virginia is a city.
The Greater Richmond Region , also known as Richmond-Petersburg , the Richmond metropolitan area or Central Virginia , is a region and metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Virginia , centered on Richmond . Jackson Ward . `` Jackson Ward '' was originally the name of the area 's political district within the city , or ward , from 1871 to 1905 , yet has remained in use long after losing its original meaning . Richmond ( [ ˈrɪtʃmənd ] ) is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States . During the Revolutionary War period , several notable events occurred in the city , including Patrick Henry 's `` Give me liberty or give me death '' speech in 1775 at St. John 's Church , and the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson .