List of mayors of Charlottesville, Virginia


The Mayor of Charlottesville is the president of the City Council in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before 1888, Charlottesville was a town within Albemarle County, Virginia, and the electorate directly chose a mayor in regular elections. In 1888, Charlottesville incorporated as a city independent of the county but continued to select its mayors in the same fashion. Since 1922, however, the popular electorate has chosen a number of individuals to serve on city council - initially three, then five from 1928 to the present. From 1922 through 2006 those elections took place in May or June each even-numbered year. Beginning in 2007, council elections moved to November of odd-numbered years. The elected councilors chose one of their own members to serve as leader of the council with the title of "mayor" but with no distinct legal or executive authority. The mayor presides over council meetings and occasionally plays a role as the ceremonial head of city government.

List of mayors

Popularly elected mayors (1853–1922)

MayorPolitical partyTerm startTerm end
Christopher L. FowlerApril 1868
T. W. SavageApril 1868March 1870
N. H. MassieMarch 1870April 1870
Christopher L. FowlerApril 18701870
William L. Cochran18701875?
Richard F. Harris18751881
B. R. PaceJuly 1, 1881July 1, 1883
Richard F. HarrisJuly 1, 18831888
Samuel Baker Woods18881892
L. T. Hanckel18921894
John Shelton PattonDemocratic18941896
J. Samuel McCueDemocratic1896August 31, 1900
Charles W. AllenSeptember 1, 1900August 31, 1902
J. Samuel McCueDemocraticSeptember 1, 1902August 31, 1904
George W. OlivierSeptember 1, 1904August 31, 1908
Elbridge G. HadenSeptember 1, 1908August 31, 1912
Alpheus V. ConwaySeptember 1, 1912August 31, 1916
Elbridge G. HadenSeptember 1, 1916August 31, 1920
Benjamin E. WheelerSeptember 1, 1920August 31, 1922

City Council chosen mayors (1922–present)