Virginia boasts expanding rail services connecting 127 million pounds of freight and 1.5 million passengers annually, with ambitious plans for expansion and increased frequency.

Broadband

Broadband has become fundamental for Virginians, whether it is for education, work, healthcare, or even civic participation. Internet service providers (ISPs) design, construct, and maintain broadband networks to bring high-speed internet to Virginia households, businesses, and community anchor institutions (CAIs). However, many areas of rural Virginia still lack access to broadband infrastructure, as it remains significantly more challenging to build in relatively remote locations. In response, the Virginia Office of Broadband (“Office of Broadband”) has made it a priority to utilize a combination of federal and state dollars to fund broadband infrastructure deployment to unserved locations in the Commonwealth and achieve the goal of universal broadband access in Virginia. As of 2026, the Commonwealth has awarded funding to extend broadband infrastructure to more than 400,000 locations. The Office of Broadband expects Virginia to achieve universal broadband by 2030, using the Commonwealth’s $1.48 billion allocation from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program.

Dams

Virginia’s dam system includes about 2,712 dams, most of them small and privately owned. A substantial share of dams lacks clear documentation in the main inventories, including missing ownership, purpose, hazard classification, and condition, which makes it harder to manage risk, understand accountability, and prioritize maintenance. Furthermore, hazard classification remains uncertain for half of the portfolio; however, the share of dams with undetermined hazard potential improved from 70% in 2022 to 65% in 2026. Condition data is also limited, with roughly 68% of dams lacking a condition rating, and about 14% of rated dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition. Inspection activity has declined since 2022, with fewer than half of high-hazard-potential dams inspected since 2022 and only about 13% of all dams inspected since that time. Funding remains the dominant constraint: a $5 million grant for 2026 is insufficient relative to an estimated $5.42 billion rehabilitation need for the Commonwealth, resulting in deferred maintenance and rehabilitation, allowing deterioration to continue.

Drinking Water

The main source of drinking water for municipal systems in Virginia is 1,780 groundwater wells. Other sources include 170 surface water intakes on lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams.

The Commonwealth has over 2,800 community and non-community waterworks. While statewide population growth is not broadly straining drinking water infrastructure, rapid growth in some localities—particularly near Richmond—is increasing maintenance demands and affecting service reliability. Additionally, funding remains a significant challenge. Average customer rates are well-below the level typically needed to support long-term capital investment, forcing many systems to rely on municipal subsidies and state or federal grant and loan programs. While recent federal investments through the IIJA and related drinking water programs have provided important support, particularly for emerging contaminants and disadvantaged communities, aging infrastructure, affordability constraints, and a shrinking licensed operator workforce creates years-long risks for Virginia’s drinking water systems.

Energy

Virginia is a net energy consumer, meaning the Commonwealth consumes more energy (electric and non-electric) than it produces. In 2023, Virginia was the nation’s largest net importer of electricity among all states. With the addition of a growing data center presence and other projected demands due to increased electrification, the state is on the verge of an electricity reliability crisis. However, the state shows promise in its operation and maintenance, federal and state funding streams, and efforts to improve the resilience of the grid to combat increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The Commonwealth also boasts strong energy innovation programs, especially in new nuclear technologies. There is an urgent need to address Virginia’s capacity challenges to ensure a reliable future, which could be addressed with new grid technologies such as distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, energy storage systems, grid enhancing technologies, and modernized pricing models.

Public Parks

The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a strong network of public park infrastructure, with over 17% of Virginia’s land area publicly managed by federal, state, and local governments, and nonprofits. Park districts across the Commonwealth are developing policies with dynamic, forward-thinking best practices to ensure parks serve users into the future. Despite these positive trends, Virginia parks continue to struggle with the demands of deferred and ongoing maintenance. A 2025 audit of Virginia State Parks found that deferred maintenance exceeds $350 million, a $90 million increase since previous reporting in 2021. Virginia is rich in natural resources, and its park agencies must continue to fight for needed funding to keep its resources safe and available to the public.

Rail

Virginia’s rail system consists of approximately 3,460 miles of track and
1,471 bridges operated by two Class I and nine Class III (short line) railroads. Passenger rail services are operated by Amtrak (intercity) and the Virginia
Railway Express (commuter). Passenger and freight rail services operate in shared
tracks, with efforts underway to separate tracks along key segments. Virginia’s freight rails moved 132 million tons in 2017 and are forecasted to move 211 million tons in 2045, a 60% increase. Virginia has introduced several rail initiatives based on factors driving
changes in the rail industry to include freight movement, population characteristics, transportation technology, the natural environment, and operational challenges. Despite a one-time influx of federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
sustained funding will be needed to meet the goals stated in Virginia’s 2045 Vision.

Roads

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for the third‐largest state‐maintained highway system in the country. VDOT is a national leader in transportation asset management and has fully integrated the practice into its budgeting process and investment strategies. This has garnered positive results; the percentage of pavement condition that was in good condition rose from 48% to 51% from 2018 to 2022. 968 road users were killed in crashes on Virginia roads in 2021, a 21% jump from 796 in 2020 – despite only 8% more miles driven – and nearing Virginia’s previous peak of 1,026 in 2007. Roadway engineering to prioritize safety over speed is the most effective countermeasure. A 2020 Omnibus Transportation Bill mandates new funding for safety projects, including hundreds within the $672 million Commonwealth Transportation Board investment plan for FY2023-2028.

Schools

Virginia’s school infrastructure needs major modernization. Aging facilities and chronic underinvestment are widening gaps in safety, reliability, educational adequacy, and resilience. More than half of Virginia’s schoolbuildings are over 50 years old, and many still rely on HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems beyond their expected life, leading to frequent failures, emergency repairs, and disrupted instruction. Northern Virginia divisions manage overcrowding and continued use of modular classrooms, while Southwest and Southside communities maintain oversized, aging campuses they cannot afford to modernize. Urban and coastal divisions contend with roof leaks, drainage failures, and recurrent flooding. Statewide estimates show an annual maintenance and operations shortfall of $1.11 billion and capital investment gap of $2.62 billion. Raising the grade will require a permanent state construction program, consistent statewide facility data, and broader implementation of resilient, high performance design.

Solid Waste

Virginia’s municipal solid waste (MSW) system provides reliable, compliant service through a mature regulatory framework, stable funding, and a professional mix of public and private operators. A statewide network of more than 200 permitted facilities supports waste management activities and provides generally sufficient near-term disposal and processing capacity. Since 2022, targeted capital investments have improved operational reliability and regional system performance, while compliance trends have improved through fewer violations and more timely corrective actions. However, Virginia’s per-capita MSW generation rate remains high at approximately 6.65 pounds per person per day, well above the U.S. average of about 4.9 pounds per person per day. Statewide diversion rates have declined, increasing pressure on disposal capacity while organics diversion infrastructure remains underdeveloped. Therefore, future priorities must include reducing waste generation, expanding markets for recyclable and organic materials, strengthening resilience to extreme events, and improving data collection and reporting to measure progress.

Stormwater

Virginia’s stormwater program continues to advance across all major performance criteria despite rising costs driven by aging infrastructure, regulatory expansion, and climate pressures. System capacity and condition assessments have improved with strengthened Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) oversight and expanded asset tracking that enables better identification and prioritization of system needs. There has also been a broader adoption of stormwater utilities, user-based fees, and increased state and federal funding that support continued capital improvements and resilience initiatives like those in Arlington County and the Hampton Roads Area. While significant funding gaps and aging assets remain, Virginia has demonstrated measurable progress in program maturity, financial structure, and data-driven management.

Transit

Virginia’s transit agencies were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ridership continues to rebound toward pre-pandemic levels, totaling 145 million trips in 2025 compared with 172 million in 2019. The Commonwealth has 41 transit agencies providing bus, rail, paratransit, ferry, and other services, but more than 1.1 million Virginians lack access to fixed-route transit. Transit asset conditions have improved since 2022, although 16% of inventoried assets have met or exceeded their useful life benchmark, and agencies continue to report funding shortages for state of good repair and future expansions. Virginia has made progress through investments such as the completion of the Silver Line, Potomac Yard Metro Station, Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit, and planned Alexandria Bus Rapid Transit improvements. However, safety targets remain unmet, workforce shortages challenge operations and maintenance, and flooding, hurricanes, and extreme heat threaten infrastructure. Continued investment in service coverage, state of good repair, safety, resilience, and innovation is essential.

Wastewater

Virginia is served by approximately 584 municipal wastewater treatment facilities concentrated in urban areas, while an estimated 1.1 million rural households rely on on-site septic systems. Much of this wastewater infrastructure is nearing or exceeding its design life and is increasingly in need of repair or replacement. With a population exceeding 8.8 million and continued growth anticipated, existing systems face mounting capacity and performance pressures. Municipalities are working to comply with the Virginia State Mandate, including addressing the Commonwealth’s three remaining combined storm and wastewater collection systems, which discharge untreated sewage into waterways during heavy rainfall events. These challenges are compounded by an aging wastewater workforce and difficulties recruiting and retaining well-trained operators. Funding constraints remain a critical barrier to routine maintenance, workforce development, and capital investments needed to modernize infrastructure. Although Virginia is advancing innovative wastewater treatment approaches, increasing storm frequency and severity continue to heighten infrastructure risk statewide.