The Virgo Supercluster is a large-scale multigalactic structure about 200 million light years in diameter. By comparison, the Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light years across, two thousand times smaller. The Milky Way, and by extension our own solar system and Earth, are a part of the Local Group of galaxies, which in turn is a part of the Virgo Supercluster . The Virgo Supercluster has a diameter about 0.2% the size of the entire visible universe. It is one of an estimated 10 million superclusters.

The Virgo Supercluster contains approximately 200 galaxy groups, 2,500 large galaxies, 50,000 dwarf galaxies, and 200 trillion stars. It is named after the Virgo cluster, the largest nearby galactic structure, which is the dominant gravitational force in the Virgo Supercluster (hence its name). Other large clusters within the supercluster include the Fornax cluster and the Eridanus cluster. Our own Local Group is relatively small in comparison to these larger clusters. Sometimes the Virgo Supercluster is also referred to as the Local Supercluster.

The overall structure of the Virgo Supercluster is somewhat similar to the galaxies within it — a flat disc shape surrounded by a diffuse halo. The disc contains about 60% of the luminous galaxies in the supercluster, while the halo contains about 40%. Like all other large-scale structures in the universe (including galaxies), the Virgo Supercluster is primarily made up of invisible dark matter, which can only be detected by the gravitational influence it holds over other matter.

The Virgo Supercluster is located near other superclusters, such as the Pavo-Indus Supercluster, the Centaurus Supercluster, the Perseus-Pisces Supercluster, and many others. It is also bordered by large voids: the Sculptor void, Bootes void, and Capricornus void. On scales larger than superclusters, the curious cellular nature of the universe becomes more noticeable. Luminous matter is primarily condensed into large sheets and filaments straddling the edges of even more enormous voids.