Greene County, Virginia

Greene County has always been a place for relaxed country living. Today more and more people are finding out about this little gem. It is called the “Gateway to the Blue Ridge”. The County is located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Skyline Drive. Situated in the north- central portion of Virginia, Greene County is approximately 100 miles southwest of Washington, DC, 20 miles north of downtown Charlottesville, Virginia on US 29, and about 90 miles east of Richmond on US 33. The County is also easily accessible from Interstate 64 to the south and Interstate 81 to the west and only 10 miles from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.

The County was formed from Orange County in 1838 after the local property owners complained about the long travel to the county seat. Many families in the county have lived here for generations. Most people that move here stay here. It was named after Nathaniel Greene of Revolutionary War fame. At 164 square miles it is the smallest county in the state. Greene County has always been known for its winding country roads and the many small farms along and at the base of the Blue Ridge. The County is transected by many streams and rivers. The South River even has a beautiful 160 foot water fall. In 1935, 14,619 acres of the County land was acquired by the State and given to the Federal Government for the formation of Shenandoah National Park, which is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is estimated that a total of 285 County citizens were displaced by the dedication of the parkland.

Today the population is approximately 17,000 and agriculture is still the primary income. Greene County is proud of this rural heritage and the County government is trying to protect it. Due to the mountainous nature of the western part of the county, it will always stay rural. The flatter eastern area around Ruckersville has been designated as a development zone, with most of the county’s commercial zoning and planned communities.