Virginia ranks #16 among US states for total patents filed in 2023, with 9,361 patents from 4,347 inventors across 279 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 1.1 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in Virginia 2023
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | McLean, VA | 890 | 334 |
| #2 | Vienna, VA | 691 | 135 |
| #3 | Herndon, VA | 647 | 151 |
| #4 | Arlington, VA | 614 | 316 |
| #5 | Fairfax, VA | 503 | 169 |
| #6 | Richmond, VA | 465 | 270 |
| #7 | Alexandria, VA | 350 | 204 |
| #8 | Ashburn, VA | 298 | 156 |
| #9 | Midlothian, VA | 293 | 114 |
| #10 | Charlottesville, VA | 287 | 179 |
| #11 | Falls Church, VA | 287 | 120 |
| #12 | Glen Allen, VA | 250 | 126 |
| #13 | Centreville, VA | 249 | 46 |
| #14 | Reston, VA | 247 | 136 |
| #15 | Blacksburg, VA | 213 | 136 |
| #16 | Leesburg, VA | 191 | 109 |
| #17 | Great Falls, VA | 145 | 39 |
| #18 | Virginia Beach, VA | 133 | 85 |
| #19 | Sterling, VA | 120 | 71 |
| #20 | Oakton, VA | 117 | 37 |
| #21 | Roanoke, VA | 96 | 55 |
| #22 | Springfield, VA | 92 | 50 |
| #23 | Chantilly, VA | 88 | 46 |
| #24 | Newport News, VA | 77 | 33 |
| #25 | Mechanicsville, VA | 71 | 40 |