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Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States, located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010. The city's unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region. The location on the Appomattox River at the fall line early in the history...  MORE

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States, located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010. The city's unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region. The location on the Appomattox River at the fall line early in the history in the Colony of Virginia caused Petersburg to become a strategic place for transportation and commercial activities, as well as the site of Fort Henry. As railroads emerged beginning in the 1830s, it became a major transfer point for both north-south and east-west competitors. The Petersburg Railroad was one of the earliest predecessors of the modern-day CSX Transportation system. Several of the earliest predecessors of the area's other major Class 1 railroad, Norfolk Southern, also met at Petersburg. Both CSX and NS rail systems maintain transportation centers at Petersburg. During the American Civil War, because of the railroad network, Petersburg was key to Union plans to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond. The city saw nine months of trench warfare during the 1864-65 Siege of Petersburg. Battlefield sites are throughout the city and surrounding areas, partly preserved as Petersburg National Battlefield. LESS