Area III is small in area and includes six chapters in the Richmond Metropolitan Area, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Louisa County, and to the tri-cities and beyond.  Most of the land area is in the Petersburg Chapter and includes the cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, Franklin, Emporia (and spillover from Colonial Heights and Chesterfield), and the counties of Prince George, Dinwiddie, Surry, Sussex, Southampton, and Brunswick.  Except for the Petersburg Chapter, members travel short distances to attend meetings.  Federal agencies in the area employing large numbers of federal employees include Fort Lee, the Bureau of Prisons, the McGuire Veteran\’s Administration Hospital, and Defense Supply Center – Richmond, and numerous Federal agencies in Richmond and the surrounding areas.

The area is rich in history and includes the earliest settlements, plantations, factories, and mines.  Scattered battles were fought during the Revolutionary War; but, major engagements occurred during the Civil War.  Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy, and many battles were fought in the area concluding with the ten-month siege of Petersburg.  Hopewell (City Point) was a huge supply depot for Union forces and later became the chemical capital of the state during and after World War I.  Fort Lee was a major Army training post during both World Wars and has since become a major logistics training facility for all military services.  The Defense Supply Center – Richmond has become important to the growth of the area as a key defense logistics agency.  Richmond, the state capital, continues to prosper due to diversity of business, government, and industry.