Pittsylvania County

Included in the Danville, VA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Coles Hill uranium deposit, the largest undeveloped uranium deposit in the United States (seventh largest in the world) is located in Pittsylvania County. (see Uranium mining in Virginia.)

• County — Pittsylvania County • State — Virginia • Founded — 1767 • Named For — William Pitt • Seat Wl — Chatham • Largest City — Chatham • City Type — town • Area Total Sq Mi — 978 • Area Land Sq Mi — 969 • Area Water Sq Mi — 9 • Area Water Percent — 0.9 • Population Total — 60501 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Est — 59490 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Website — www.pittsylvaniacountyva.gov • Time Zone — Eastern • District — 5th • Population Density Sq Mi — 62

Originally "Pittsylvania" was a name suggested for an unrealized British colony to be located primarily in what is now West Virginia. Pittsylvania County would not have been within this proposed colony, which subsequently was named Vandalia. Pittsylvania County was formed in 1767 with territory annexed from Halifax County. It was named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768, and who opposed some harsh colonial policies of the period. In 1777 the western part of Pittsylvania County was partitioned off to become Patrick Henry County. Maud Clement's History of Pittsylvania County notes the following: "Despite the settlers' intentions, towns failed to develop for two reasons: the generally low level of economic activity in the area and the competition from plantation settlements already providing the kind of marketing and purchasing services typically offered by a town. Plantation settlements along the rivers, particularly at ferrying points, became commercial centers. The most important for early Pittsylvania was that of Sam Pannill, a Scots-Irishman, who at the end of the eighteenth century, while still a young man, set up a plantation town at Green Hill on the north side of the Staunton River in Campbell County. (Clement 15) "Its economy was tobacco-dominated and reliant on a growing slave labor force. It was a county without towns or a commercial center. Plantation villages on the major river thoroughfares were the only centers of trade, until the emergence of Danville. (Clement 23)" The city of Danville's history up through the antebellum period overall is an expression of the relationship between the town and the planters who influenced its development.

• Illustration — Loading hay, Blairs, Pittsylvania County, 1939. Marion Post Wolcott According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 978 sqmi, of which 969 sqmi is land and 9 sqmi (0.9%) is water. It is the largest county in Virginia by land area and second-largest by total area. The county is bounded on the north by the Roanoke River (this stretch of the river is known as the Staunton River), bisected by the Banister River running eastward through the center, and is drained on the south by the Dan River, flowing eastward.

The county is divided into seven districts: • Banister • Callands-Gretna • Chatham-Blairs • Dan River • Staunton River • Tunstall • Westover

In Virginia: • Bedford County - Northwest (across Smith Mountain Lake) • Campbell County - North/Northeast • Franklin County - West/Northwest • Halifax County - East • Henry County - West/Southwest • Danville - South (independent city on North Carolina border, but otherwise surrounded by Pittsylvania County) In North Carolina: • Caswell County, North Carolina - South/Southeast • Rockingham County, North Carolina - South/Southwest

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 60,501. The median age was 47.3 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.9 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 73.8% White, 20.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.8% of the population. 10.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 89.1% lived in rural areas. There were 25,315 households in the county, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 29,369 housing units, of which 13.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.8% were owner-occupied and 24.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%.

According to the 2010 United States census, there are 60,949 people, and 26,687 households in the county. The population density was 65.5 /mi2. There were 31,656 housing units at an average density of 32 /mi2. There were 26,687 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93. The median income for a household in the county was $44,356. The per capita income for the county was $23,597. About 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line.

Pittsylvania County is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Supervisors. Management of the county is vested in a Board-appointed County Administrator. Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors • Name — Party — First Election — District • — Ken Bowman — Rep — 2023 — Chatham-Blairs • Darrell Dalton — Ind — 2021 — Callands-Gretna • Robert M. Tucker Jr. (Chair) — Ind — 2022 — Banister • — Justin Brown — Rep — 2025 — Dan River • — Tim Dudley — Rep — 2019 — Staunton River • William 'Vic' Ingram (Vice Chair) — Ind — 2019 — Tunstall • Murray Whittle — Ind — 2023 — Westover There are also five elected Constitutional Officers: • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Angie Reece Harris (R) • Commonwealth's Attorney: Robert Bryan Haskins (R) • Sheriff: Michael "Mike" Taylor (I) • Commissioner of Revenue: Robin Goard (I) • Treasurer: Vanessa Scearce (R)

Pittsylvania County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democrat to carry the county was John F. Kennedy in 1960 (although Independent candidate George Wallace won it in 1968).

• Chatham • Gretna • Hurt

• Blairs • Motley • Mount Hermon

• Ajax • Bachelors Hall • Banister • Beaver Park • Brosville • Brights • Brutus • Buford • Callahans Hills • Callands • Cartersville • Cascade • Cedar Forest • Cedar Hill • Chalk Level • Climax • Coles Hill • Dry Fork • Dundee • Ebenezer • Flint Hill • Galveston • Glenland • Grady • Green Acres • Green Pond • Greenfield • Grit • Henrys Mill • Hermosa • Hill Grove • Hinesville • Hollywood • Hopewell • Java • Keeling • Kentuck • Lakewood • Laniers Mill • Laurel Grove • Leaksville Junction • Level Run • Lucks • Markham • Motleys Mill • Mount Airy • Mount Cross • Mountain Hill • Museville • Natal • Peytonsburg • Pickaway • Pickerel • Pittsville • Pleasant Gap • Pleasant Grove • Pullens • Ray • Red Oak Hollow • Redeye • Renan • Riceville • Ridgeway • Ringgold • Rondo • Sandy River • Sharon • Sheva • Shockoe • Soapstone • Sonans • Spring Garden • Stony Mill • Straightstone • Sutherlin • Swansonville • Sycamore • Tightsqueeze • Toshes • Transco Village • Weal • West Fork • Whitfield • Whitmell • Whittles • Witt • Woodlake Park • Woodlawn • Worlds • Vance • Vandola