MSHA records list no gold mines in Virginia that are open or idle. The 1 records here are abandoned.
Historic gold producers in Virginia (USGS)
USGS records 299 historic gold producers in Virginia: 297 past producers and 2 listed as producers or plants. For 170 of them USGS gives an output size (1 medium, 169 small). Production years are recorded for 131 sites, from 1733 to 1990. The most common deposit type is low-sulfide Au-quartz vein (142 sites).
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (retrieved 2026-10-13), last updated around 2011. The county pages list the sites.
Counties
| County | MSHA, not abandoned | MSHA, abandoned | USGS historic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goochland County | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Buckingham County | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| Louisa County | 0 | 1 | 42 |
| Spotsylvania County | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Fluvanna County | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Fauquier County | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Culpeper County | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Orange County | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Stafford County | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Halifax County | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Floyd County | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Prince William County | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Campbell County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Carroll County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pittsylvania County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Albemarle County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Amherst County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bedford County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Charlotte County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fairfax County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Floyd, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fluvanna, Goochland County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Franklin City (City) County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grayson County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mecklenburg County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Smyth County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Warren County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Questions about gold mines in Virginia
How many gold mines are in Virginia?
MSHA lists 1 gold mines in Virginia. None are marked as open or idle. 1 record is marked abandoned. USGS lists another 299 historic gold producers that are not in the MSHA records.
Can I visit an abandoned gold mine in Virginia?
Old workings are dangerous and most are on private land or active claims, so the answer is almost always no. Do not enter them.
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