| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Richmond |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
Key people | Darrell Williams, Executive Director Kyle Kelley, Assistant Director Contents |
| Website | Official Website |
The Miss Virginia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Virginia in the Miss USA pageant.
Virginia has been only moderately successful in terms of number of semi-finalists. They have had two Miss USAs. They are one of only four states to have had two Miss USAs in succession (the others being Illinois, Texas, and District of Columbia). Virginia's greatest success came from the late 1960s to early 1980s. Virginia should have had the first Miss USA crown in 1954, as Ellen Whitehead finished 1st runner-up, and Miss USA 1954, Miriam Stevenson, became Miss Universe 1954. However, there was no rule until the 1960s that the 1st runner-up became Miss USA after the winner won Miss Universe. If that was true, 2nd runner-up, Miss New York USA, Karin Hultman would have become Miss USA 1954, as Whitehead was disqualified due to being underage.
Eleven Miss Virginia USA winners have previously held the Miss Virginia Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA and three were previously competed in other states (Georgia, New Jersey and New York), at thirteen. Virginia also currently holds the record for the most Miss Teen USA state winners to win a Miss USA state title from the same state. Two Miss winners have also competed at Miss America.
The current titleholder is Himanvi Panidepu of Centreville was crowned on June 23, 2024, at Hilton Arlington Arlinngton National Landing in Arlington. She will represent Virginia for the title of Miss USA 2024.
Virginia holds a record of 26 placements at Miss USA.
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age [a] | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Himanvi Panidepu | Centreville | 23 | Miss Shenandoah | Top 10 | Social Impact Award |
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| 2023 | Ashley Williams | Reston | 24 | Miss Reston | Top 20 | Former professional cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders | |
| 2022 | Kailee Horvath | Ashburn | 23 | Miss Shenandoah Valley | |||
| 2021 | Christina Thompson | Leesburg | 25 | Miss Southwest Virginia | Top 16 |
| |
| 2020 | Susie Evans | Poquoson | 26 | Miss Williamsburg |
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| 2019 | Courtney Lynne Smits | Woodbridge | 22 | Miss Woodbridge |
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| 2018 | Ashley Amanda Vollrath | Blacksburg | 22 | Miss Blacksburg | |||
| 2017 | Jacqueline Carroll | Stanardsville | 22 | Miss Greene County |
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| 2016 | Desiree Janine Williams | Newport News | 26 | Top 10 |
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| 2015 | Laura Jordan Puleo | Lexington | 25 | Top 15 |
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| 2014 | Arielle Saige Rosmarino | Salem | 22 | Top 20 |
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| 2013 | Shannon Kelli McAnally | Arlington | 23 | ||||
| 2012 | Catherine Muldoon | Virginia Beach | 26 |
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| 2011 | Nikki Poteet | Richmond | 24 | ||||
| 2010 | Samantha Casey | Jeffersonton | 21 | 2nd runner-up |
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| 2009 | Maegan Phillips | Quantico | 22 | Top 15 | |||
| 2008 | Victoria "Tori" Marie Hall | Midlothian | 21 |
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| 2007 | Lauren Elizabeth Barnette | Wise | 21 | Top 10 |
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| 2006 | Amber Copley | Abingdon | 20 |
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| 2005 | Jennifer Pitts | Richmond | 26 |
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| 2004 | Kristi Lauren Glakas | Centreville | 23 |
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| 2003 | Meron Mimi Abraham | Alexandria | 24 | ||||
| 2002 | Julie Marie Laipply | Alexandria | 24 | Public speaker | |||
| 2001 | Kristel Jenkins | Vinton | 23 |
| |||
| 2000 | Crystal Marie Jones | Virginia Beach | |||||
| 1999 | Kellie Lightbourn | Vienna | 21 | Semi-finalist |
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| 1998 | Meredith Blankenship | Hurley | 21 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1997 | Audra Wilks | Richmond | 24 | Miss Photogenic |
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| 1996 | Danielle Connors | Forest | |||||
| 1995 | Susan Elizabeth Robinson | Lynchburg | |||||
| 1994 | Patricia Southall | Chesapeake | 21 | 1st runner-up | Miss Photogenic & Best in Swimsuit | Married to Emmitt Smith | |
| 1993 | Stephanie Satterfield | Virginia Beach |
| ||||
| 1992 | Brandi Bottrof | Fairfax | 21 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1991 | Traci Dority | Fairfax | |||||
| 1990 | Evelyn Green | Richmond | |||||
| 1989 | Kimberly Nicewonder | Bristol | Miss Congeniality | Current director of the Miss Virginia USA and Miss Virginia Teen USA pageants under her married name, Kim Nicewonder-Johnson [4] | |||
| 1988 | Denise Adrain Smith | Fairfax | |||||
| 1987 | Marsha Ralls | Alexandria | 24 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1986 | Maureen McDonnell | Alexandria | Cheerleader for Notre Dame. | ||||
| 1985 | Dana Bryant | Richmond |
| ||||
| 1984 | Leah Rush | Leesburg | |||||
| 1983 | Tai Collins | Virginia Beach | Model and actress whose credits include Baywatch and Playboy magazine, Television Writer and Producer whose credits include SAF3 and Baywatch | ||||
| 1982 | Sondra Dee Jones | Richmond | 24 | Semi-finalist | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1981 | Pamela Elizabeth Hutchens | Newport News | 22 | Semi-finalist | General District Court Judge in Virginia Beach, Virginia | ||
| 1980 | Kelly Humphrey | Hampton | |||||
| 1979 | Betsy Ann Bott | Falls Church | 26 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1978 | Robin Lee Shadle | Springfield | 22 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1977 | Sheryl Lynn Herring | Fairfax | 19 | 4th runner-up | Actress best known for her role as Lucy Coe on General Hospital | ||
| 1976 | Donna Dixon | Alexandria | 18 |
| |||
| 1975 | Linda McKee | Alexandria | 19 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1974 | Hazel Thomas | Alexandria | |||||
| 1973 | Brenda Childress | Richmond | |||||
| 1972 | Diane Elizabeth "Dede" Moore | Radford | |||||
| 1971 | Brenda Joyce Miller | Norfolk | 20 | Semi-finalist | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1970 | Deborah Shelton | Norfolk | 21 | Miss USA 1970 | Miss Photogenic |
| |
| 1969 | Wendy Dascomb | Danville | 19 | Miss USA 1969 |
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| 1968 | Laurie Burke | McLean | 18 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1967 | Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer | Richmond | 18 | Semi-finalist | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1966 | Beverly Johnson | Alexandria | |||||
| 1965 | Mary Montgomery | Martinsville | |||||
| 1964 | Heidi Karen Smith | Fort Lee | Was Miss Richmond in 1964. German-born Heidi Karin Smith Long died on November 19, 2019, at 76. | ||||
| 1963 | Did Not Compete | ||||||
| 1962 | |||||||
| 1961 | Bonnie Lea Jones | Norfolk | |||||
| 1960 | Elizabeth "Betty" Noreen Fulford | Norfolk | |||||
| 1959 | Pat Poindexter | Salem | |||||
| 1958 | Betty Marsh | Lynchburg | |||||
| 1957 | Patricia Bush | Portsmouth | |||||
| 1956 | Audra Stark | Virginia Beach | |||||
| 1955 | Jeannie Asble | Portsmouth | |||||
| 1954 | Ellen Whitehead | Chatham | 1st runner-up (later disqualified for being underage) | ||||
| 1953 | Dorothy Lee Bailey | Norfolk | |||||
| 1952 | Elizabeth Glenn | Roanoke | |||||
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, when the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, Miss USA for 2008 prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization. The pageants are now operated by Laylah Rose.
The Miss Texas USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Texas in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. This pageant is part of the Miss USA Organization, owned by Texas native Crystle Stewart, herself a Miss USA for 2008.
The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1992, the state joined the Vanbros group, under the directorship of Miss Kansas 1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher.
The Miss Georgia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Georgia in the Miss USA pageant. This pageant is directed Greenwood Productions under the ownership of Miss Tennessee USA 1989 Kim Greenwood and it is hosted in McDonough, Georgia.
The Miss Missouri USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Missouri in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates, based in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1993, Missouri joined the Vanbros group of state pageants for the Miss USA and Teen USA system.
The Miss South Carolina USA competition, previously known as Miss South Carolina Universe, is the pageant that selects the representative for the state South Carolina in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant has been produced by Paula Miles, the sister of Miss South Carolina USA 1979, Janice McDonald, since 1980, and it has been directed by RPM Productions.
The Miss New York USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the State of New York in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by D&D Productions.
The Miss Mississippi USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Mississippi in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant was directed by Premier Pageants from 2001 to 2010, before becoming part of Greenwood Productions in 2010 under the ownership of Miss Tennessee USA 1989 Kim Greenwood.
The Miss Vermont USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Vermont in the Miss USA pageant. It is formerly directed by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia from 2004 to 2017 before GDB Theatre and Pageant Productions becoming the new directors of the stage pageant since 2018.
The Miss West Virginia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of West Virginia in the Miss USA pageant. This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Empower2 Productions LLC. and is formerly directed by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
The Miss Maryland Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Maryland in the Miss Teen USA pageant.
The Miss Texas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Texas in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This pageant is part of the Miss USA organization.
The Miss Virginia Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Virginia in the Miss Teen USA pageant.
The Miss West Virginia Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of West Virginia in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Empower2 Productions LLC. and is formerly directed by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
The Miss West Virginia competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of West Virginia in the Miss America Pageant.
The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s. Four Miss Virginia winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America, including former national titleholder Caressa Cameron.
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
Mrs. America Pageant is a beauty competition that was established to honor married women throughout the United States of America. Each of the contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranges in age from their 20s to 50s and earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her state competition. These state events are under the direction of Mrs. America state directors. The winner goes on to compete in the Mrs. World pageant.
The Miss Virginia's Teen competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Miss America's Teen pageant.
Courtney Paige Garrett is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Pamplin City, Virginia, who was chosen as Miss Virginia's Outstanding Teen 2009 and crowned Miss Virginia 2014. She competed for the Miss America 2015 title in September 2014 and was named first runner-up.