Interested in dating in Richmond, Virginia? Richmond is the capital of Virginia and it’s one of America’s oldest cities, making for a great place to go sightseeing if you’re new to the area. Here you’ll find the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, the pristine State Capitol Building and the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
There are just over 1.2 million people in the metro area, with a median age of 38. You’ll find a large number of residents who commute each day, and that means you’ll have a large dating pool to explore. Dating in Richmond is not difficult if you make use of the online dating platforms and take advantage of the dating events all over the city.
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Best Richmond Dating Sites
For Singles: Match.com
Match is a fantastic resource for singles in Richmond. As one of the oldest and most established dating sites, Match is the top dating site out there and that’s why so many people trust it to find relationships. There are lots of people looking for relationships in Richmond and Match is a way to connect with people who share similar interests and allow you to view profiles at your own pace. The free edition will allow you to get started right away, but you will want to upgrade to paid site if you want to dive deep into the many profiles you’ll find.
Match is the top dating site for good reason. This is where you will find top profiles to choose from. If you’re serious about finding a relationship then you need to use the paid site to find people. Match offers different membership tiers with pricing based on single month, 3-month and 6-month packages.
For Professionals: Elite Singles
Elite Singles is the go-to resource for anyone looking for serious relationships in Richmond, especially considering that the median age is slightly older at 38. Elite Singles clients include professionals and college graduates across a variety of fields. Elite Singles has a proprietary formula to send you 3-7 matches each day via email, so you will be provided with matches rather than searching for them.
As with other dating sites, Elite Singles offers a free service to get started, and after that there are different levels of paid membership offering perks like unlimited communication.
For Seniors over Age 50: Our Time
Our Time has the best matches available for seniors in Richmond. Whether you’re single, divorced, or even widowed, Our Time has a wide selection of profiles that will suit a senior’s dating needs. Sometimes you want a pen pal, or even someone to chat with. Our Time can help with that, too.
The paid membership to Our Time offers upgraded services that include unlimited email and messaging between matches with packages ranging from one to six month memberships.
For the LGBTQ Community
Members of the LGBTQ+ community can make use of dating sites like Match or Zoosk, as they offer filters for the LGBTQ+ community. However, there are other sites that cater specifically to the community that will help you find what you’re looking for even faster.
The top two LGBTQ+ dating sites are Grindr and Just She. Grindr is available for everyone while Just She serves female-identifying members of the community. Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community is very large and using these two sites will help you find a match even faster.
Grindr
Grindr is a LGBTQ+ social networking app. It’s open to everyone, free to use with an upgrade available for paid access. The site targets gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of all ages and backgrounds and is perfect for members of the LGBTQ+ community in Richmond.
Just She
Just She is a dating site created for women to help them find other women for relationships. It doesn’t matter if you’re a lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or someone who is looking to explore, Just She is perfect for anyone who identifies as female in Richmond.
For Hookups: Adult Friend Finder
When people in Richmond are looking for a a fun night rather than a long term relationship, Adult Friend Finder is the place to turn. Adult Friend Finder is ideal for no strings attached meetups, which is perfect for Richmond residents or those in town for business.
Adult Friend Finder is free to use, but the site offers a paid membership option for anyone looking for additional benefits like chat rooms or additional profiles.
Best Dating Apps in Richmond
Just about every dating platform offers a mobile option these days, including Match and Zoosk. Plenty of Fish is one of the first app-based sites on the market and it’s still around today. Between Plenty of Fish and Zoosk you can sign up from your smartphone and instantly connect with possible matches.
Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish came onto the dating app scene in the early days of online dating and it’s still one of the most trusted dating apps out there. The mobile app is available for free in your smartphone’s app store, and upon signing up you’ll be connected to plenty of Richmond singles. The app is free but there is a paid service available with resources to meet people with enhanced matching tools.
Zoosk
Zoosk is great for Richmond residents and those in town for business, thanks to the over 40 million singles the site claims to have in its database. The Zoosk platform is easy to use and it doesn’t take long to get started. This is a great option for busy singles on the go who don’t have time to fill out long profiles, rather you can sign up and connect in minutes.
Best Dating Bars for Singles in Richmond
Richmond has several bars and restaurants geared for singles in the community. Some are sports bars and some are more traditional pubs. Singles love these places because they always have a crowd and many of them host events throughout the week that make it easy to meet people.
GWARbar
GWARbar is all about Richmond’s storied heavy metal roots. This is the place to go if you’re a heavy metal enthusiast, and if you’re single it’s the place to find other singles who share your passion. The bar plays host to game nights, music and watch parties for major sporting events, and it’s also the place where heavy metal artists drop in on occasion.
Penny Lane Pub
Named for the famed road in Liverpool, the Penny Lane Pub is a celebration of British culture and cuisine. They host events throughout the week and they serve a delicious fish and chips. Penny Lane Pub is the kind of place where you go to hang out, so it’s a favorite among locals and that’s what makes it a perfect place to meet people.
Wonderland
Wonderland is a great place to sit and talk with people. Once you find it you’re hooked, and with delicious pub offerings it’s easy to understand why. The staff are very welcoming and they might be able to help you make a connection if you get to know them.
Speed Dating in Richmond
Richmond plays host to several speed dating events each week and you’ll find that there are quite a few events on the monthly calendar. Choose one or choose multiple events, and you’re sure to meet people in a fun and laid back atmosphere. These events are open to everyone but some are geared toward specific groups, depending on the service. Some are geared to businesspeople while others are age-specific. These speed dating events are ideal for anyone looking for a meaningful connection. The benefit to speed dating is that leading matchmakers have screened everyone in advance and they guide you to people who should be ideal for your interests. It’s a great way to meet new people in a very short amount of time!
- Eventbrite (Offers a list of lots of events from different companies)
- Richmond Pre-Dating
- Got 5 Minutes
Richmond Dating Events & Clubs
With so many things to do in Richmond, it’s no wonder that there are singles events that cater to singles and their specific interests. With a packed calendar there are events taking place almost every night!
Here are the top singles events and clubs:
Dating Chat Rooms in Richmond
Chat rooms still get a lot of traffic and they’re a great place for people in Richmond to connect without leaving home. Whether you’re shy, introverted or you just want to chat with people, chat rooms are a great way to connect with other people who share your interests. And it’s possible you might meet someone special there, too.
Take a look at some of the top dating chat rooms in Richmond:
Personals in Richmond
Personal ads have been around for a long time, and even though they’re online now instead of in magazines they are still a viable way to connect with people without using a dating website. Richmond is home to a diverse group of people along with lots of people who come in and out of town, so checking the personals in Richmond allows you to connect quickly without going through the whole matching process.
Most personal ads feature people looking to hook up. Since they aren’t monitored, and no one is screened on these sites, you need to make sure you’re safe when give out personal information or meet up with people that you encounter in personal ads.
Things to Know about Richmond Dating
Richmond features a large population with people of all backgrounds. There are a lot of people in the greater Richmond area and it helps to know who is out there. There’s no question that being familiar with a city’s population and understanding the city’s race, religion and LGBTQ+ demographics will help prepare you for your dating journey.
Race
Richmond’s metro area is home to 1,270,158 people and the median age is 38. Just under 50% of the residents are married and 18% are single with children.
- White: 58.8%
- African American: 29.8%
- Hispanic: 5.4%
- Asian: 3.4%
- Native American: 0.3%
- Other Races: 0.2%
Religion
Just about half of Richmond’s population is religious, with 46.8% associating with a religion. Here are the top five religions in Richmond:
- Baptist: 17.2%
- Another Christian Faith: 7.2%
- Catholic: 5.8%
- Methodist: 5.6%
- Muslim: 2.7%
LGBTQ+
Richmond doesn’t have a specific gay neighborhood but the city itself is very welcoming to the LGBTQ+ population. Most of the gay bars and hangouts are Downtown but there are quite a few places where you can venture beyond the city to enjoy some local gay-friendly hot spots.
Wrap Up
Richmond is a bustling capital city with people coming in and out of the city for work. With the large influx of tourists and people coming into the city for work, there will always be a group of new faces to meet. Richmond is full of historic locales, so finding a meetup for singles to go exploring is a must if you’re new to the area. With the median age at 38 it’s a place to settle down and find a long-term relationship if that’s what you’re after.
