<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.ci.richmond.va.us </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Nomenclature evolution Prior to 1071--Richemont: a town in Normandy, France . 1071 to 1501--Richmond: a castle town in Yorkshire, UK . 1501 to 1742--Richmond, a palace town in Surrey, UK . 1742 to present--Richmond, Virginia . </Td> </Tr> <P> Richmond (/ ˈrɪtʃmənd / RICH - mənd) is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia . It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond Region . It was incorporated in 1742, and has been an independent city since 1871 . </P> <P> As of the 2010 census, the population was 204,214; in 2016, the population was estimated to be 223,170, the fourth-most populous city in Virginia . The Richmond Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,260,029, the third-most populous metro in the state . </P>

When did richmond became the capital of virginia