Republicans have complete control in redistricting Virginia. But here is how I would draw it. It has clean lines and good communities of interest. And it would elect 8 Democrats and 3 Republicans in a decent Democratic year. All districts are within 1% of the ideal population.
District Numbers
The Tidewater district gets to be first. From there the numbers go clockwise around the state. Each district borders the one before it and the one after it.
Key
Population is the deviation from the ideal (727,366).
Demographics is the % of the voting age population (as of the 2010 census, according to Dave's App) that is white, black, Hispanic, and Asian, respectively.
Voting is the % of the 2-party vote (according to Dave's App) that Obama won, and that the average statewide Democrat in the past few years won (including Deeds 2009 who got his ass kicked).
Rating is my non-scientific opinion of the district's chance of electing a Democrat or a Republican.
Click on the map for a larger, clearer map with cities.
1st District - Tidewater
Population: -2272
Incumbent: Rob Wittman (R)
Demographics: 63.6w, 27.7b, 4.2h, 2.3a
Voting: 52.3 Obama, 48.8 Dem
Rating: Lean D
The first district consists of the Tidewater region, including the peninsula's largest cities, Hampton and Newport News. Those 2 cities are 44% of the district's population. This region is traditionally numbered the first district in honor of it being the first successful English colony in North America.
2nd District - Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Eastern Shore
Population: -1016
Incumbent: Scott Rigell (R)
Demographics: 60.4w, 26.2b, 5.9h, 5.1a
Voting: 55.3 Obama, 51.4 Dem
Rating: Likely D
These 4 counties fit almost perfectly into a Congressional district, and you can't just ignore that. This is the urban and dense-suburban part of southeast VA. Since Norfolk is more Democratic than Virginia Beach is Republican, the district should elect a Democrat. The Eastern Shore is in this district because the only bridge connecting it to the rest of Virginia goes to Virginia Beach.
3rd District - Rural Southeast VA
Population: -426
Incumbent: Randy Forbes (R)
Demographics: 54.7w, 38.8b, 3.1h, 1.7a
Voting: 54.8 Obama, 51.5 Dem
Rating: Likely D
This is heavily-black rural southeastern Virginia. It is the northernmost extent of the Southern Black Belt. It is probably where Cleveland Brown lives. A black candidate is very likely to win the Democratic primary, and then go on to win the general election. It is overall a characteristically rural district, even with the cities Portsmouth and Chesapeake.
4th District - Richmond Metro
Population: +518
Incumbent: Bobby Scott (D)
Demographics: 56.9w, 31.2b, 5.6h, 4.5a
Voting: 59.3 Obama, 53.2 Dem
Rating: Safe D
Richmond and its immediate suburbs are the right size for a Congressional district. This district includes all of Henrico County and northern Chesterfield County.
Bobby Scott is the only Dem incumbent in districts 1-4 so he gets to choose which district to run in. He might choose 1, where he lives. Or 3, which has the most black voters (Bobby Scott is black). Or 4, which has the most of his current constituents, and no Republican incumbent.
5th District - South Central VA
Population: +259
Incumbent: Eric Cantor (R) and Rob Hurt (R)
Demographics: 75.5w, 20.4b, 1.9h, 1.0a
Voting: 38.7 Obama, 38.3 Dem
Rating: Safe R
This district combines Richmond's outer suburbs with rural south-central Virginia. I want to think Republican voters hate the Republican Congressional leadership and will vote for Rob Hurt against Eric Cantor in the primary.
6th District - Southwest VA
Population: -4763
Incumbent: Morgan Griffith (R)
Demographics: 90.6w, 5.6b, 1.7h, 1.1a
Voting: 40.0 Obama, 43.4 Dem
Rating: Safe R
Democrats represented this area in Congress until 2010, even as it got more and more Republican at the Presidential and state level. Now Democrats will never get it back, it's one of only 3 safe Republican districts in the state.
7th District - Shenandoah Valley
Population: +2338
Incumbent: Bob Goodlatte (R)
Demographics: 86.8w, 7.2b, 3.6h, 1.3a
Voting: 41.6 Obama, 40.3 Dem
Rating: Safe R
The Shenandoah Valley, except for Clarke County and Winchester which didn't fit.
8th District - NOVA exurbs and Charlottesville
Population: -4763
Incumbent: none
Demographics: 77.1w, 12.8b, 5.7h, 2.6a
Voting: 49.6 Obama, 46.7 Dem
Rating: Lean D with Perriello, Lean R without
The Northern Virginia outer suburbs and the Charlottesville area. I drew this with Tom Perriello in mind. Tom Perriello overperformed in his district, so he would have a good chance at winning this. Also the NOVA suburbs are likely to trend more Democratic over time.
9th District - Western NOVA suburbs
Population: +286
Incumbent: Frank Wolf (R)
Demographics: 60.0w, 6.7b, 11.8h, 19.0a
Voting: 57.1 Obama, 52.4 Dem
Rating: Likely R with Wolf, Safe D without
Western NOVA suburbs. It is represented by popular Republican incumbent 72-yr old Frank Wolf. When Wolf retires this district will go Democratic and never look back.
10th District - Southern NOVA suburbs
Population: +1523
Incumbent: Gerry Connolly (D)
Demographics: 55.5w, 14.7b, 16.3h, 11.0a
Voting: 55.8 Obama, 50.6 Dem
Rating: Safe D
Southern NOVA suburbs. It was Republican not that long ago but now it's becoming another Democratic stronghold.
11th District - Washington Beltway
Population: +139
Incumbent: Jim Moran (D)
Demographics: 56.6w, 12.1b, 17.3h, 11.6a
Voting: 67.0 Obama, 65.0 Dem
Arlington, Alexandria, and other area around Washington DC, mostly inside the Beltway.