Petersburg is an independent city located in the state of Virginia within the United States. Situated approximately 21 miles south of the state capital, Richmond, the city serves as a distinct municipality separate from the surrounding county governance.
The city is geographically positioned at the fall line of the Appomattox River. This river is a tributary of the James River, which flows eastward to reach the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at the Hampton Roads harbor.
As of the 2020 census, Petersburg had a population of 33,458. For statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city's data with that of Dinwiddie County.