Ones that can easily be combined with nearby counties will be. Ones that can't (mostly in the Hampton Roads area, like VA Beach, etc.) will be left as a "county".
New "Counties":
Combined Hampton/Newport News
Suffolk (alone)
Combined Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake
Virginia Beach (alone)
Historically, Hampton and Newport News were different counties.
Newport News was in Warwick County, before it became an independent city. The remainder of Warwick County became Warwick City in 1952, and Warwick City and Newport News merged in 1958. Newport News also annexed a bit of Elizabeth City County.
Hampton was in Elizabeth City County (like James City, Elizabeth City included the word "city" in its name even though it was more like a county). Hampton, the incorporated city of Phoebus, and the remainder of Elizabeth City consolidated in 1952.
Norfolk and Portsmouth were formed from Norfolk County. In 1963, the independent city of South Norfolk consolidated with the remainder of the county to form the city of Chesapeake. This consolidation was in part to block annexation by Norfolk (annexation by independent cities removed territory, tax base, and facilities from the county). Since 1990, Virginia has had a never ending moratorium on annexations by independent cities. In addition, more densely settled counties, or those that provide urban services can block annexation.
Virginia Beach became an independent city in 1952, and then annexed the remainder of Princess Anne County in 1963. This was in part to block Norfolk, which had annexed eastward into Princess Anne.
Suffolk was formed in 1974 from the merger of Suffolk city and Nansemond city. Nansemond city had itself been formed from the bulk of Nansemond County in 1972.
