High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Chickahominy is an 87-mile-long (140 km)river in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river which serves as the eastern border of Charles City County rises about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Richmond and flows southeast and south to the James River. The river was named after the Chickahominy Indian tribe who lived near the river when it was claimed by English colonists in 1607 and whose descendants live in Charles City, VA today.