Free Online Virginia City Directories

City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.

This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.

So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher?  Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.

What can you find in these records? How about:

• Full names, including middle names
• Spouse name
• Occupation
• Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
• Maps
• Businesses (and index to advertisers).
• Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
• Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of her husband).
• List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
• Death date.
• etc.

Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:​

• FamilySearch – United States Directories
• How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research 
• What’s In A City Directory? (a 10 article series about City Directories)

And here are various places where you can find other city directories online: 

• Where to Find City Directories Online

Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

(Updated October 2022)

Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:

Statewide

• Virginia Business and Professional Directory, Thomson, 1851
• Virginia Business Directory, Chataigne, 1888-9 
• Virginia Business Directory, Elliott & Nye, 1852
• Virginia Constitutional Convention Directory, Virginia Constitutional Directory, 1901
• Virginia Business Directory and gazetteer – v. 10 (1917)

Alexandria

• Hill’s Alexandria, Virginia City Directory – 1930
• Hill’s Alexandria, Virginia City Directory – 1980

Arlington County

• Arlington County Virginia Directory, Hill’s 1955
• Hill’s Arlington County Virginia Directory – 1955

Bristol

• Bristol, City Directory – 1896-1897
• Bristol, City Directory – 1901-1902
• Bristol, City Directory – 1903-1904
• Bristol, City Directory – 1905-1906
• Bristol, City Directory – 1908-1909
• Bristol, City Directory – 1910
• Bristol, City Directory – 1912-1913 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1912-1913 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1913-1914 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1913-1914 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1915-1916 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1915-1916 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1917-1918
• Bristol, City Directory – 1921-1922
• Bristol, City Directory – 1923-1924 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1923-1924 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1925
• Bristol, City Directory – 1927 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1927 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1927 Vol 3
• Bristol, City Directory – 1929 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1929 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1930-1931 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1930-1931 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1932 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1932 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1934 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1934 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1936 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1936 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1938 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1938 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1940 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1940 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1940 Vol 3
• Bristol, City Directory – 1940 Vol 4 
• Bristol, City Directory – 1942 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1942 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1942 Vol 3
• Bristol, City Directory – 1942 Vol4
• Bristol, City Directory – 1942 Vol5
• Bristol, City Directory – 1944 Vol 1
• Bristol, City Directory – 1944 Vol 2
• Bristol, City Directory – 1944 Vol 3

Charlottesville

• Charlottesville, Va. Directory and list of Albemarle County farmers, 1914-1915

Falls Church

• Falls Church City Directory, 1963

Franklin County

• Franklin County, Pollard’s 1910 Directory and commercial guide

Fredericksburg

• Fredericksburg Business Directory, 1885
• Fredericksburg Business Directory, 1933
• Fredericksburg City Directory, 1888-1889
• Fredericksburg City Directory, 1892
• Fredericksburg City Directory, 1910-11
• Fredericksburg City Directory, 1921
• Fredericksburg City Directory, 1938
• Miller’s Fredericksburg, Virginia, City Directory v. 4 (1942-1943)
• Miller’s Fredericksburg, Virginia, City Directory v. 5 (1944-1945)
• Miller’s Fredericksburg, Virginia, City Directory v. 6 (1947-1948)
• Miller’s Fredericksburg, Virginia, City Directory v. 8 (1951-1952)
• Miller’s Fredericksburg, Virginia, City Directory v. 9 (1953-1954)

Harrisonburg

• Harrisonburg, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s  v. 4 (1940-1941)

Lynchburg

• 1873 Lynchburg Directory
• 1875-76 Lynchburg Directory
• 1876-77 Lynchburg Directory
• 1879-80 Lynchburg Directory
• 1881 Lynchburg Directory
• 1909 Lynchburg Directory (Walsh’s)
• Lynchburg (Virginia) City Directory.. – 1924
• Lynchburg (Virginia) City Directory.. – 1930
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1873
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1875
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1876-1877
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1879-1880
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1883-1884
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1892
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1892-1893
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1894
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1894-1895
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1896
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1902
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1904
• Lynchburg City Directory, 1906
• Lynchburg, Virginia, Walsh’s City Directory – 1910

Manchester 

• Manchester, Va., and suburbs … to which is appended a Business Directory of Chesterfield County , Haddock’s Directory

Marion

• Marion, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s v. 1 (1954-1955)
• Marion, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s v. 2 (1958-1959)

Martinsville

• Martinsville, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s v. 5 (1945-1946)
• Martinsville, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s v. 8 (1951-1952)
• Martinsville, Virginia, City Directory – Miller’s v. 9 (1954)

Newport News

• Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus and Old Point, Va. Directory, 1910
• Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus and Old Point, Va. Directory, 1913, 
• Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus and Old Point, Va. Directory, 1917
• Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus and Old Point, Va. Directory, 1918

Norfolk

• 1851-1852 Norfolk City
• 1859 Norfolk City
• 1860 Norfolk City
• 1866 Norfolk City
• 1867 Norfolk City
• 1869 Norfolk City
• 1870 Norfolk City
• 1872 Norfolk City
• 1872-1873 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1874-1875 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1875-1876 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1877-1878 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1880-1881 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1882-1883 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1883-1884 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1885 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1886 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1888 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1889 Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Berkley City
• 1890-1891 Norfolk, Portsmouth and Berkley City
• 1891-1892 Norfolk, Portsmouth and Berkley City
• 1892-1893 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1894 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1895-1896 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1897 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1898 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1899 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1900 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1901 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1902 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1903 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1904 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1905 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1906 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1907 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1908 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1909 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1910 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1911 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1912 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1913 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1914 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1915 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1916 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1917 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1918 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1919 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1920-1921 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1922 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1923 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1924 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1925 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1927 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1928 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1930 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• 1931 Norfolk and Portsmouth City
• Directory of Norfolk, Portsmouth and Berkley, Virginia 1902
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory – 1908
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory – 1921
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory, 1908
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory, 1921
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory, 1924
• Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, Directory, 1936
• Norfolk, Portsmouth and Berkley, Chataigne’s Directory of 1891-92
• Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1964
• Norfolk, Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1957
• Norfolk, Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1961
• Norfolk, Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1962
• Norfolk-Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1957
• Norfolk-Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1961
• Norfolk-Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1962
• Norfolk-Portsmouth, South Norfolk Telephone Directory, 1964

Petersburg

• Petersburg, Va. City Directory 1924

Pulaski

• Town of Pulaski Virginia Directory, 1935
• Pulaski Virginia Directory – 1935

Richmond

• ​Chataigne’s Directory of Richmond, Va., 1881
• Chataigne’s Directory of Richmond, Va., 1882-1883
• Chataigne’s Directory of Richmond, Va., 1883-1884
• City Directory, Richmond, Virginia, 1859
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1855
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1874-75
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1904
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1906
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1914
• Hill’s Richmond City Directory (Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Va.) 1920
• Richmond City Directory, Ellyson, 1856
• Richmond Elite Directory, 1893
• Richmond Women’s Business and Professional Directory, Virginia Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, 1921

​Roanoke

• Roanoke City Directory – Volume 10, 1922
• Roanoke, Virginia, City Directory – 1928
• Roanoke, Virginia, City Directory – 1930
• Roanoke, Virginia, City Directory : including Salem and Vinton, 1928
• Roanoke, Virginia, City Directory : including Salem and Vinton, 1930

Roanoke County

• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory 1923
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.1 1913
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.10 1922
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.12 1924
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.2 1914
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.3 1915
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.4 1916
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.5 1917
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.6 1918
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.7 1919-1920
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.8 1920-1921
• Roanoke, Salem and Vinton (Roanoke County, Va.) City Directory v.9 1921/1922

Staunton

• 1895 Staunton City Directory
• 1896-1897 Staunton City Directory
• 1899 Staunton City Directory
• 1904-1905 Staunton City Directory
• 1910-1911 Staunton City Directory
• 1916-1917 Staunton City Directory
• 1922-1923 Staunton City Directory
• 1927 Staunton City Directory
• 1929 Staunton City Archive
• 1931 Staunton City Directory
• 1934 Staunton City Directory

Virginia Beach

• The local yellow pages : a Directory of Businesses serving Lynnhaven, 1983
• Virginia Beach (Princess Anne County, Va.) City Directory, 1962
• Virginia Beach (Princess Anne County, Va.) City Directory, 1963
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1964-1965
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1966
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1967
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1968
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1969
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1970
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1971
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1972
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1973
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1974
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1975
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1976
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1977
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1978-1979
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1980
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1981
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1983
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1984
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1985-1986
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1987
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) City Directory, 1988
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1990
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1991
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1992
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1993
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1994
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk City Directory, 1995
• Virginia Beach (Virginia) Polk Directory, 1982
• Virginia Beach City Directory, 1949-1950
• Virginia Beach Cross Reference Phone Directory 1954
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1936
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1937
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1939
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1944
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1948
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1953-1954
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1958
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1959
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1962
• Virginia Beach Telephone Directory, 1963
• Virginia Beach, (Virginia). Polk City Directory, 1998
• Virginia Beach, (Virginia).Polk City Directory, 1999