Photo: James Shelton32 · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Chester, VA: what to set up and who to call
Chester has no town government of its own, so Chesterfield County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Chesterfield County Public Schools. Chester has its own drop-off, Goyne Park Recycling Center.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Chester, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Chester.
Power comes from Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (Virginia Electric & Power Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Chester. Its homes paid an average of 15.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $158 a month (its average across Virginia).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Chesterfield Co Central Water System
Chesterfield Co Central Water System supplies almost all of Chester. It draws surface water (EPA lists Appomattox River Water Authority and City of Richmond as sellers) and serves 389,897 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 86% of the 84 systems serving 250,001–500,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. VA4041845.
3 home internet providers serve Chester
100% of 8,047 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 79% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| Verizon | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 95% | 980/880 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 86% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Chester has its own drop-off: Goyne Park Recycling Center
Where to take trash and recycling in Chester, and where the rules are.
Goyne Park Recycling Center
Before you go, check the rules with the town.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Oct 2023). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Chester is in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
BSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Chester is unincorporated, so Chesterfield County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2020; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Chester spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Chester residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Chester | ZIP’s residents in Chester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23831 | Chester, VA | 96% | 61% |
| 23834 | Colonial Heights, VA | 3% | 3% |
A few homes fall in 23237.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Chester
Who supplies Chester’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Chesterfield Co Central Water System (EPA ID VA4041845). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Chester?
Dominion Energy (Virginia Electric & Power Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Chester?
Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Chester?
23831 (96%), 23834 (3%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Chester in?
Chesterfield County Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Chester?
In Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before). Elections here are run by the Chesterfield General Registrar. Check your registration at vote.elections.virginia.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.