Excerpted from the Richmond City Guide

Richmond is one of America’s most historic cities. It survived Native American battles with settlers, the American Revolution and the Civil War. It has been burned twice, but this little city hasn’t lost its youthfulness yet. What other town of only 200,000 people offers two nearby amusement parks, a water park, 57 city parks and a palate full of fine arts? If there is a fountain of youth, Richmond has been drinking from it.

History

The region’s modern history began 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Richmond at the British settlement of Jamestown. Founded in 1607, Jamestown is regarded as the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Early settlers shared the area – and not always amiably – with approximately 14,000 Algonquian Indians, the most famous being Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas.

Weather

Richmond has a humid subtropical climate. That means the winter is chilly, the summer is hot, and the spring and fall are quite pleasant. It rains 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) every month, and sometimes more than that in July and August. According to the National Weather Service, Richmond receives approximately 12 inches (30 cm) of snow each winter.

Demographics

More than half of the people in Richmond (53 percent) are African-American and another 44 percent are Caucasian. Out of this population, 5 percent are Hispanic (of any race). Two percent of Richmonders are Asian. (The remaining 1 percent considers themselves some other race.)

Transportation

When in Richmond, drive a car. There is a public bus system, called the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), but it stays largely in the suburbs, and does not even pass through some parts of Richmond. More than four-fifths (83 percent) of the working population drives to work.

This is just a sample of what you'll find in the complete Richmond Guide.