How Much Time Has Passed on Netflix’s Longest-Running Show ‘Virgin River’ Since Season 1? Timeline Explained

While Virgin River is Netflix’s longest-running scripted series, viewers have been left confused about how much time has actually passed on the show.

Based on Robyn Carr’s book series, Virgin River follows the lives of residents living in a small town in Northern California, including Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson). The hit series, which premiered in 2019, also stars Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Sarah Dugdale, Zibby Allen, Marco Grazzini, Mark Ghanimé and Kai Bradbury.

Netflix’s hit series is seven seasons in – but it seems like way less time has passed for the residents of Virgin River. Mel signed one-year contract with Doc (Matheson) that is somehow not up yet while Charmaine’s pregnancy lasted five seasons of the show.

“I’m like, ‘You guys, eventually, you’re gonna have to do a time jump because we’re just aging way too fast for a five-month span,’” Allen, who plays Brie, joked to Today in 2022. “But yeah, I think that the pregnancy thing was one of the first sort of tells because even I, when I was watching the show before I was on, was like, ‘Oh, this covers way more time in the story.’ And it really doesn’t.”

With some of Us still confused how long each season has covered, keep scrolling for a breakdown.

Season 1 (One Month)

The debut season covered Mel’s initial arrival in the early spring but it seemed to only last four weeks maximum.

Season 2 (Four to Six Weeks)

Barely any time went by so season 2 stretched across a little over one month.

Season 3 (One Month)

Following Jack’s shooting, there was a time jump of three weeks before seasons 2 and 3. The rest of the events lasted another four weeks before Mel realized she was pregnant.

Season 4 (Four to Six Weeks)

The fourth season picked up around one to two weeks after season 3. This allowed Mel to continue to remain in the first trimester for the rest of season 4.

Season 5 (Three to Four Months)

Based on the holidays that took place on screen – from Labor Day to Christmas — season 5 was the longest to date with at least three months passing. There was a small time jump between parts 1 and 2 though, which allowed for the timeline to expand.

Season 6 (One Month)

The buildup to Mel and Jack’s wedding led to a timeline of three to four weeks maximum. Season 4 notably picked up in the spring, which meant there was a large time jump since the third season wrapped at Christmastime.