Charlottesville, colloquially C'ville or Hooville and formally the City of Charlottesville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2015, the population was 48,210. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. Charlottesville has eighteen distinctive neighborhoods. It is named after the British Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with the County of Albemarle for statistical purposes, bringing its steadily growing population to approximately 150,000. Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties.

Charlottesville hosted two Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. While both served as Governor of Virginia, they lived in Charlottesville, and traveled to and from Richmond, along the 71-mile (114 km) historic Three Notch'd Road. Orange, located 26 miles (42 km) northeast of the city, was the hometown of President James Madison.

The University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson and one of the original Public Ivies, straddles the city's southwestern border with Albemarle. Monticello, located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on a hilltop overlooking Charlottesville, Monticello attracts thousands of tourists every year.

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