Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
in the westernmost part of the
commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
. Located within the broader region of
western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the
Appalachian Plateau
The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a mountain range that run down the Eastern United States.
The Appalachian Plateau is the no ...
, all Virginia counties west of the
Eastern Continental Divide, or at its greatest expanse, as far east as
Blacksburg and
Roanoke. Another geographic categorization of the region places it as those counties within the
Tennessee River watershed
Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
. Regardless of how borders are drawn, Southwest Virginia differs from the rest of the commonwealth in that its culture is more closely associated with
Appalachia
Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, ...
than the other regions of Virginia. Historically, the region has been and remains a
rural area
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are des ...
, but in the 20th century,
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
became an important part of its economy. With the decline in the number of coal jobs and the decline of tobacco as a
cash crop, Southwest Virginia is increasingly turning to tourism as a source of economic development. Collectively, Southwest Virginia's craft, music, agritourism and outdoor recreation are referred to as the region's "creative economy."
Counties that have been included in the definition of Southwest Virginia include:
Alleghany County,
Bedford County,
Bland County,
Botetourt County,
Buchanan County,
Carroll County,
Craig County,
Dickenson County
Dickenson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,124. Its county seat is Clintwood.
History
Dickenson County, formed in 1880 from parts of Buchanan County, Russell County, ...
,
Floyd County,
Franklin County,
Giles County,
Grayson County,
Henry County,
Lee County,
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Australia
* The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania
United Kingdom
* The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery
United States
* Montgomery County, Alabama
* Mon ...
,
Patrick County,
Pulaski County,
Roanoke County
Roanoke County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the unincorporated Cave ...
,
Rockbridge County,
Russell County,
Scott County,
Smyth County,
Tazewell County,
Washington County,
Wise County, and
Wythe County
Wythe County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,290. Its county seat is Wytheville.
History
Wythe County was formed from Montgomery County in 1790. It ...
.
Unlike other states in the U.S., Virginia draws a sharp distinction between
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and other incorporated communities, all of which are designated as
towns. Under state law, all municipalities incorporated as cities are
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
of any county. By contrast, places incorporated as towns are included within counties. Independent cities in Southwest Virginia include
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...
,
Buena Vista,
Covington Covington may refer to:
People
* Covington (surname)
Places United Kingdom
* Covington, Cambridgeshire
* Covington, South Lanarkshire
United States
* Covington, Georgia
* Covington, Indiana
* Covington, Kentucky, the largest American cit ...
,
Galax,
Lexington,
Martinsville,
Norton,
Radford
Radford may refer to:
Places England
* Radford, Coventry, West Midlands
* Radford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
* Radford, Plymstock, Devon
*Radford, Oxfordshire
* Radford, Somerset
*Radford, Worcestershire
*Radford Cave in Devon
*Radford Semele, ...
,
Roanoke, and
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
.
Culture
The culture of Southwest Virginia is more consistent with the wider Appalachian region than with the rest of the state of Virginia. This is due in large part to the geographical diversity of the state, with the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains dominating the region.
History
Southwest Virginia was among the last parts of the state to be settled by Europeans, in a flow of migrations that consisted mainly of
English,
German, and
Scots-Irish and Irish immigrants. A major route of migration to the region was the
Great Wagon Road through the
Great Appalachian Valley. At present-day Roanoke there was an important fork in the wagon road, with one branch passing through the Blue Ridge and into the
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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region, and the other branch, called the
Wilderness Road, continuing southwest to Tennessee and Kentucky. Much of the area was protected by a series of forts constructed around the time of
Lord Dunmore's War, some of which later became the seats of future counties.
The first major industry in Southwest Virginia — which laid the foundation for the regionally important town of Abingdon — was
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
. In Saltville (a small town now located on the Smyth-Washington county line), salt was (and still is) produced by using water to extract salt from the ground.
Many of the present day counties were formed from larger counties which were broken up as the populations in the region continued to grow. Southwest Virginia is also the result of parts of Virginia which broke off or revolted, such as
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
and
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
. During the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...
, residents from southwest Virginia were among those who participated in the
Battle of King's Mountain
The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took pla ...
, which occurred in
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = G ...
.
In the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
, Southwest Virginia was deeply divided between sentiment for the
Union and the
Confederacy
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
and was subject to
guerilla warfare. The only major battle to occur in the area was the
Battle of Saltville, while many skirmishes occurred throughout much of the region. In 1864, Union General
George Stoneman led a devastating raid into Southwest Virginia, destroying the
saltworks in
Saltville and burning all that he thought useful to the Confederates. At the time, the saltworks were considered a very important strategic target.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, extractive industries became important in the region, especially the cutting of
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including Beam (structure), beams and plank (wood), planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as fini ...
and
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
. The coalfield region has experienced a significant loss of population over the last generation, resulting in shrinking political representation and a variety of local issues, including the need to consolidate schools.
Manufacturing, which did well during part of the 20th century, has also declined in Southwest Virginia despite local officials' efforts to recruit new industry. Tobacco has declined since the buyout of the federal quota program as well. Since the early 2000s,
natural gas extraction has grown into an important industry, particularly in the coalfield region. Throughout Southwest Virginia, tourism has also begun to take off as an important industry.
Geography
The
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...
have the most direct impact upon the geography of Southwest Virginia and are often credited for isolating its residents from the rest of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia falls into the
ridge and valley
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...
and the
Blue Ridge portions of the range. Within the mountains,
coal field
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
s have been one of the sources of the significant economic booms in the region. The major river of the region is the
New River, credited as the oldest river in North America.
Flooding has been epidemic in the more mountainous areas, with major floods occurring about once every other decade with great loss of life and property. Such disasters have encouraged local precautions to prevent future problems, such as the Grundy Flood Control and Redevelopment Project, in
Grundy, Virginia, a multimillion-dollar effort to protect the town from future flooding. This federally funded project moved an entire town up off of the river bank and, on a site blasted out of a mountainside.
Cities and towns
Political representation
Like the rest of the commonwealth, Southwest Virginia is represented by Senators
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Virginia, a seat he has held since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Warner served as the 69th govern ...
and
Tim Kaine in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and ...
. In the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, by the narrowest and almost to the largest definition of Southwest Virginia, representation falls largely under Representative
Morgan Griffith of the
9th Congressional District. In 2010, Griffith defeated long-time representative
Rick Boucher. Boucher had previously been a long term representative of the region in
Congress, spending more than twenty-four years in office as a
Democrat. His predecessor was
William C. Wampler, a
Republican, who had served a nearly equally long term of over eighteen years prior to his political defeat by Boucher. Republican
Ben Cline of Rockbridge County represents the
6th Congressional District which also covers
Lynchburg and much of the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Rid ...
. Republican
Bob Goodlatte represented the 6th district for 26 years before retiring in 2019. Since most of Southwest Virginia has experienced little to no population growth in recent decades, the 9th district has begun to encroach into areas previously in the
5th
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...
and 6th districts.
Southwest Virginia's delegation to the Virginia General Assembly is known for sticking together, regardless of party. Democrats and Republicans from Southwest Virginia have a reputation for putting region above party, presenting a united front to ensure that money and resources make it to their end of the state. It is often remarked that the region is closer to several other states' capitals than it is to the Virginia state capital of Richmond
—and thus, they need to work together if they hope to be heard. As a largely rural and relatively poor area of the state, Southwest Virginia is often at odds politically with wealthier, more urban parts of Virginia, which naturally have different priorities. Even so, several leaders from the region have gone on to have significant statewide or national influence.
Southwest Virginia's current state senators include
Todd Pillion (R-Abingdon),
John Edwards
Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...
(D-Roanoke), and formerly
Ben Chafin (R-Lebanon), until his death in January 2020. Its current state delegates include
Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City),
Israel O'Quinn
Israel Dean O'Quinn (born March 5, 1980) is an American politician. A Republican, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2011. He the 5th district, made up of the cities of Bristol and Galax, Grayson County, and parts of Smyth and ...
(R-Bristol),
Will Morefield (R-Tazewell),
Will Wampler (R-Abingdon), and
Jason Ballard (R-Pearisburg).
Education
Southwest Virginia is home to several institutions of higher education, the largest of which is
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (better known as "Virginia Tech"), in
Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is the largest research university in the state as well as the largest employer in
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Australia
* The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania
United Kingdom
* The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery
United States
* Montgomery County, Alabama
* Mon ...
.
Emory and Henry College is a highly respected private college near
Abingdon and is recognized for its strong element of community service.
There are two medical schools in Blacksburg, and efforts are underway to develop a third in Abingdon. Professional schools—including schools of law and pharmacy—have been developed in recent years in Buchanan County, which is located in Southwest Virginia's coalfield region. There is also an effort within the region to help make higher education more accessible to students graduating from high school, particularly through partnerships between community colleges and other educational institutions.
List of colleges and universities
*
Appalachian College of Pharmacy
The Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP), formerly known as the University of Appalachia, College of Pharmacy, is a private doctoral pharmacy school located in Oakwood, Virginia. The school, established in 2003, is Virginia's only three-year ...
*
Appalachian School of Law
The Appalachian School of Law (ASL) is an ABA-approved private law school on a four building campus in Grundy, Virginia, a small town near the convergence of Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The school offers a three-year Juris Doctor ...
*
Bluefield University
*
Emory and Henry College
*
Ferrum College
*
Hollins University
*
Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS and Jefferson College) was a private health sciences college in Roanoke, Virginia. Officially chartered as a college in 1982, Jefferson College is the oldest hospital-based college in Virginia. In 2019 ...
*
Mountain Empire Community College
*
New River Community College
New River Community College (NRCC) is a public community college in Dublin, Virginia, in the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia. It is one of the 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System. NRCC's service region covers the ...
*
Patrick & Henry Community College
*
Radford University
*
Roanoke College
*
Southwest Virginia Community College
*
Southern Virginia University
*
University of Virginia's College at Wise
*
Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
*
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College is a public community college in Abingdon, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System. The college was established November 30, 1967 to serve the residents of Washington County, wester ...
*
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
*
Virginia Military Institute
*
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
*
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute
*
Virginia Western Community College
*
Washington and Lee University
, mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future"
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.092 billion (2021)
, president = William C. Dudley
, provost = Lena Hill
, city = Lexing ...
*
Wytheville Community College
Appalachian Regional Commission
The
Appalachian Regional Commission was formed in 1965 to aid economic development in the
Appalachian region, which was lagging far behind the rest of the nation on most economic indicators. The Appalachian region currently defined by the Commission includes 420 counties in 13 states, including the westernmost counties and cities in Virginia. The Commission gives each county one of five possible economic designations— distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, or attainment— with "distressed" counties being the most economically endangered and "attainment" counties being the most economically prosperous. These designations are based primarily on three indicators— three-year average unemployment rate, market income per capita, and poverty rate. For data collection purposes, independent cities within the designated region are grouped with an adjacent county.
[Appalachian Regional Commission Online Resource Center]
. Retrieved: 15 May 2009.
In 2003, Appalachian Virginia— which included most of Southwestern Virginia— had a three-year average unemployment rate of 5.7%, compared with 3.8% statewide and 5.5% nationwide. In 2002, Appalachian Virginia had a per capita market income of $16,901, compared with $29,279 statewide and $26,420 nationwide. In 2000, Appalachian Virginia had a poverty rate of 15.7%, compared to 9.6% statewide and 12.4% nationwide.
Only one Virginia county—
Dickenson— was designated "Distressed," while eight—
Buchanan Buchanan may refer to:
People
* Buchanan (surname)
Places Africa
* Buchanan, Liberia, a large coastal town
Antarctica
* Buchanan Point, Laurie Island
Australia
* Buchanan, New South Wales
* Buchanan, Northern Territory, a locality
* Buchanan ...
,
Carroll (includes
Galax),
Craig,
Grayson
Grayson may refer to:
Places Canada
* Grayson, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Grayson No. 184, Saskatchewan
United States
* Grayson, California
* Grayson, Georgia
** Grayson High School
* Grayson, Kentucky
* Grayson, Louisiana
* Gra ...
,
Lee
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
,
Montgomery (includes
Radford
Radford may refer to:
Places England
* Radford, Coventry, West Midlands
* Radford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
* Radford, Plymstock, Devon
*Radford, Oxfordshire
* Radford, Somerset
*Radford, Worcestershire
*Radford Cave in Devon
*Radford Semele, ...
),
Smyth
Smyth is an early variant of the common surname Smith commonly found in Ireland.Citation: Bardsley, 1901 Shown below are notable people who share the surname "Smyth".
Notable people sharing the Smyth surname
Listed here are people who share the ...
, and
Wise WISE may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* WISE (AM), a radio station licensed to Asheville, North Carolina
*WISE-FM, a radio station licensed to Wise, Virginia
* WISE-TV, a television station licensed to Fort Wayne, Indiana
Education
* ...
(includes
Norton)— were designated "at-risk."
Botetourt County was the only county given the "attainment" designation, and
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
was the only county designated "competitive." Most Appalachian Virginia counties were designated "transitional," meaning they lagged behind the national average on one of the three key indicators.
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Australia
* The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania
United Kingdom
* The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery
United States
* Montgomery County, Alabama
* Mon ...
had Appalachian Virginia's highest poverty rating, with 24.5% of its residents living below the poverty line.
Botetourt had Appalachian Virginia's highest per capita income ($27,835) and lowest unemployment rate (2.7%).
See also
*
Appalachia
Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, ...
*
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 coun ...
*
Eastern Kentucky Coalfield
The Eastern Kentucky Coalfield is part of the Central Appalachian bituminous coalfield, including all or parts of 30 Kentucky counties and adjoining areas in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. It covers an area from the Allegheny M ...
*
Southern West Virginia
*
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North C ...
*
List of Appalachian Regional Commission counties#Virginia
*
Western North Carolina
References
External links
Southwest Virginia Cultural Gateway WebsiteSouthwest Virginia Website
{{Virginia
Regions of Virginia
Geography of Appalachia
Western Virginia