Chester is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 23,414.^[3]

Chester's original "downtown" was a stop which was an intersection of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, running north to south, and the Clover Hill Railroad, which became the Brighthope Railway, then the Farmville and Powhatan Railroad. In 1900, when the Richmond and Petersburg merged with the Atlantic Coast Line, that new railroad intersected the same east west railroad which became the Tidewater and Western Railroad in 1905.^[4]

The Seaboard Air Line also passed through in 1900 running north to south which to day is replaced with Chester Linear Park. Chester today is a bedroom community along State Route 10. Recent commercial development in Chester has emerged at the sprawling intersection of SR 10 and U.S. Route 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway) near the on-ramp to Interstate 95.

In April, 1781, during the American Revolution, the Osborne's Landing area of Chester was the site of the Action at Osborne's in which General Benedict Arnold destroyed much of Virginia's navy.

In May, 1864, the Chester Station was the scene of the Battle of Chester Station during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of the American Civil War. The area was damaged by Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

Chester is located at 37°21′12″N 77°26′9″W (37.353449, -77.435767).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 13.3 square miles (34.4 km²), of which 13.2 square miles (34.1 km²) is land, and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km²) (0.90%) is water.^[6]

Chester was served by the local newspaper The Village News. It ceased publication in December 2022. ^[10]Chester is also in the Richmond-Petersburg media market served by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Chester is served by Chesterfield County Public Schools. Students are also able to apply to Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology and Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies.

Schools include Thomas Dale High School, Matoaca High School, L. C. Bird High School, Carver Middle School, Enon Elementary, Marguerite Christian Elementary, C.E. Curtis Elementary, C.C. Wells Elementary, Ecoff Elementary, Harrowgate Elementary, Elizabeth N. Scott Elementary, and Elizabeth Davis Middle School.

The city is also home to Brightpoint Community College (originally known as John Tyler Community College). During the 2020-21 school year, Brightpoint served nearly 13,000 students.