Richmond National Cemetery

Richmond National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Richmond National Cemetery

Richmond National Cemetery is located in Henrico County, VA, about three miles east of the state capital. The cemetery lies just within the fortification lines constructed by the Confederate army during its defense of Richmond during the Civil War. Three of the cemetery's 10 acres were purchased in July 1867 from William Slater; additional acreage was subsequently purchased in 1868 and 1906.

The first burials at Richmond National Cemetery were reinterments from Oakwood and Hollywood cemeteries in Richmond, the cemetery at Belle Island Confederate Prison, the battlefields of Cold Harbor and Seven Pines, and from locations in Chesterfield and Hanover counties, VA.

Richmond National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Monuments and Memorials This cemetery contains no monuments or memorials.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Richmond National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Directions

Cemetery is located on Highway 60 East at the corner of Government and Williamsburg Roads. It can be reached from Interstate 64 by turning off at Nine Mile Road exit, then east to stop light at Masonic Lane to stop light at Williamsburg Road (about two miles). Then turn right on Williamsburg Rd. The cemetery is located about half a mile on the left side of the road. Richmond International Airport is located approximately five miles east of the cemetery just off U.S. Route 60.

Flowers and grounds rules

Our cemetery floral regulations exist only to reflect the honor and respect we hold for our Nation's Veterans, by preserving the dignity and solemnity of their final resting place.

Fresh cut flowers may be placed at gravesites at any time using cemetery-supplied floral vases. The vases may be found in a bin at the front of the cemetery next to the trash receptacle.

Education and visiting programs

The National Cemetery Administration, working in collaboration with the National Park Service's Richmond National Battlefield Park, has developed a walking tour for Richmond National Cemetery highlighting select servicemembers interred here:

Richmond National Cemetery - Walking Tour

Who can be buried at Richmond National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Richmond National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Richmond National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Richmond National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Richmond National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Richmond National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Richmond National Cemetery directly at 804-795-2031.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Virginia law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Virginia and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Richmond National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Seven Pines National Cemetery, Sandston, VA: 5 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Fort Harrison National Cemetery, Richmond, VA: 6 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Cold Harbor National Cemetery, Mechanicsville, VA: 8 mi, closed to new in-ground burials