It derives its name from the fact that the community is the location of the county's court house, while the county in turn is named for Sir William Gooch, 1st Baronet, the royal lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749.

U.S. Route 522 passes through the center of the community, leading north 27 miles (43 km) to Mineral and south 10 miles (16 km) to its southern terminus at U.S. Route 60 near Powhatan.

Goochland is featured in Season 7 Episode 15 of the X-Files, in which the child of a local Christian family is miraculously cured of cancer.

Goochland is shown on a t-shirt worn by country musician Oliver Anthony in his video "Rich Men North of Richmond".

This Goochland County, Virginia state location article is a stub.