Staunton National Cemetery

Staunton National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Staunton, 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 Staunton National Cemetery

Staunton National Cemetery is located in the Shenandoah Valley approximately one mile east of downtown Staunton, VA.

The 1.15-acre plot of land was designated a national cemetery in September 1868. Original interments were the remains removed from the city cemetery at Staunton as well as Cross Keys, Port Republic, and the Waynesboro area. Of the original 749 interments, 518 were unknown.

Staunton National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Monuments and Memorials There are no monuments or memorials located at Staunton National Cemetery.

Notable interments

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

Directions

The cemetery may be reached from Interstate Highway 81; take Exit 222 to Route 250. Proceed west towards Staunton one mile. The cemetery is on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Staunton National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Staunton National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Staunton 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 Staunton 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 Staunton National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Staunton 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 Staunton National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Staunton 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 Staunton National Cemetery directly at 540-825-0027.

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 Staunton National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Culpeper National Cemetery, Culpeper, VA: 62 mi, open for burials
• Culpeper National Cemetery Annex, Culpeper, VA: 62 mi, open for burials
• Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, Amelia, VA: 79 mi, open for burials