Here Are 12 Things People from Virginia Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

Virginia may be for lovers, but it’s also for people with habits that leave outsiders completely baffled. Locals swear these quirks make perfect sense — and honestly, they kind of do (if you’ve survived I-95 traffic or eaten enough ham biscuits). From colonial pride to weather confusion, life in the Old Dominion runs on its own historic wavelength.

1. Treat Traffic Like a Personality Trait

I-95, I-64, I-66 — they’re less roads and more battlefields. Outsiders complain; Virginians just calculate which lane ruins your soul the least.

2. Brag About History Like They Lived It

Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg — every Virginian casually mentions something that happened in 1607 like they were there.

3. Argue Whether They Live in “The South” or “The North”

Ask five Virginians and you’ll get seven answers. Outsiders just nod and back away slowly.

4. Treat Ham Like It Deserves a National Monument

Smithfield ham is the pride of the state — salty, smoky, and discussed with near-religious reverence.

5. Have a Love-Hate Relationship With Tourists

They bring traffic to Colonial Williamsburg, but also… money for Colonial Williamsburg. It’s complicated.

6. Call Soda “Coke,” Tea “Sweet,” and Biscuits “Breakfast”

Outsiders are confused. Virginians are just hungry.

7. Use the Blue Ridge Mountains as a Compass

“Just head toward the mountains” makes sense here. Outsiders get lost in ten minutes.

8. Go from 30° to 80° in the Same Week and Pretend It’s Normal

It’s snowing Tuesday and you’re in flip-flops Friday. No one even blinks.

9. Treat Civil War Battlefields Like Parks

Outsiders expect somber silence. Virginians jog there with iced coffee.

10. Brag About Peanuts and Wine Like They’re Top-Secret Exports

They’ll tell you California has nothing on Virginia wine — and they might be right.

11. Talk About “The Beach” Like It’s the Riviera

It’s Virginia Beach. Outsiders expect turquoise water; locals settle for parking spots.

12. Casually Drop “Jefferson” Into Conversations

Homes, schools, roads, universities — Thomas Jefferson’s name is everywhere. Outsiders wonder if he’s still on payroll.

To outsiders, Virginia’s habits might look confusing, contradictory, or downright insane. But to locals, they’re just the blend of history, humidity, and ham that makes the state unforgettable. Stick around long enough and you’ll be debating whether it’s southern, sipping sweet tea in traffic, and saying “Virginia is for lovers” — only half-sarcastically.