Pearisburg is a town in and the county seat of

Giles County, Virginia Giles County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Virginia on the West Virginia state line. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 16,787. Its county seat is Pearisburg, Virginia, Pearis ...

, United States. The population was 2,909 at the time of the 2020 census. Pearisburg is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg metropolitan area.

History

Pearisburg was founded in 1808 when Giles County was established. It was named after George Pearis, a local landowner who donated a tract to be used for a town that would grow up around the county courthouse. Pearis had operated a

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

on the New River at a settlement called "Bluff City", which is incorporated into the present boundaries of the town of Pearisburg.

Geography

Pearisburg is located slightly west of the center of Giles County at (37.329184, −80.732490). It is south of the New River at the foot of Pearis Mountain, which rises to to the southwest of town. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

descends Pearis Mountain and passes through the western limit of the town before crossing the New River. U.S. Route 460 passes through the north side of town, leading southeast to Blacksburg and west to

Princeton, West Virginia Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield micropolitan area. History Early history Princeton was ...

. Virginia Route 100 passes through the center of Pearisburg, leading south to

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

near

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Pearisburg has a total area of , of which , or 0.15%, are water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 2,729 people, 1,219 households, and 789 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 890.7 people per square mile (344.3/km²). There were 1,279 housing units at an average density of 417.5 per square mile (161.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.12%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.02%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.07% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population. There were 1,219 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.77. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 81.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,720, and the median income for a family was $39,938. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $23,482 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $17,412. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The climate in this area features moderate differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Pearisburg has a

marine west coast climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...

, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Pearisburg, Virginia
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Notable people

* Jason Ballard, member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

* Walter C. Caudill, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and

Senate of Virginia The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Vir ...

* James M. French, member of the Virginia Senate * Sally Miller Gearhart, author and political activist * David Emmons Johnston, congressman * Rick Kingrea, former NFL linebacker *

Burgess Macneal Burgess Macneal is an American electrical engineer, recording engineer and inventor. He is most widely known for his role in the invention of parametric equalization and operation/ownership of the Sontec and ITI brands. Early years Burgess Mac ...

, engineer and inventor * William McComas, congressman *

Marty Smith Marty Smith (November 26, 1956 – April 27, 2020) was an American professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1974 to 1981, most prominently as a member of the Honda factory racing team with whom he won 1 ...

, sports journalist * Randall Lee Smith, convicted murderer * Jefferson Stafford, member of the Virginia House of Delegates * James F. Strother, congressman * Creed Taylor, jazz record producer * John W. Williams, clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates * Joseph R. Yost, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates

References

External links

Town of Pearisburg official website
{{authority control Towns in Virginia Towns in Giles County, Virginia County seats in Virginia Blacksburg–Christiansburg metropolitan area Populated places established in 1808 1808 establishments in Virginia Virginia populated places on the New River