Dickenson County is a county in Virginia, United States, tucked into the coalfields of the Appalachian Plateau along the Kentucky line. It had a population of 14,124 at the 2020 census and covers 334 square miles (870 km2) of mountainous terrain, centred near 37°09′N 82°27′W.
Clintwood is the county seat, and its postal code is 24228. The county has three incorporated towns (Clintwood, Haysi and Clinchco) and dozens more unincorporated communities, organised into five magisterial districts — Clintwood, Ervinton, Sandlick, Kenady and Willis. Virginia has no civil townships, so places here are grouped only by district, not by township government. The county sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Dickenson County
Dickenson County’s map is dotted with more than 50 named places, almost all unincorporated coal-camp settlements strung along Route 63, Route 83 and the branches of the Russell Fork and Pound River. Only three — Clintwood, Haysi and Clinchco — are incorporated towns; everything else below is an unincorporated community (Unincorp.), most too small to carry their own census count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clintwood | Town · seat | 1,377 | 24228 |
| Haysi | Town | — | 24256 |
| Clinchco | Town | — | 24226 |
| Aily | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bartlick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bee | Unincorp. | — | 24217 |
| Birchleaf | Unincorp. | — | 24220 |
| Breaks | Unincorp. | — | 24607 |
| Bucu | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carrie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darwin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delano | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dwale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flat Top | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flemingtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Foraker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freeling | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fremont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Georges Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Herald | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Isom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lockhart Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longfork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McClure | Unincorp. | — | 24269 |
| Millard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nancy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nealy Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nora | Unincorp. | — | 24272 |
| Norland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Omaha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Open Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ramsey Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Skeetrock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steinman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stratton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tandy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tarpon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tenso | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tiny | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tivis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trammel | Unincorp. | — | 24278 |
| Viers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wakenva | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Dante | Unincorp. | — | — |
One name from the old list was dropped as not a verifiable Dickenson County place: “Blowing Rock” is a well-known town name in North Carolina, and no record of a Dickenson County community by that name could be confirmed.
ZIP Codes
- 24228 — Clintwood (also serves Aily, Baden and the county’s central district)
- 24256 — Haysi (also serves Georges Fork and Open Fork)
- 24226 — Clinchco
- 24220 — Birchleaf
- 24217 — Bee
- 24272 — Nora
- 24607 — Breaks (shared with Breaks Interstate Park across the Kentucky line)
- 24269 — McClure
- 24278 — Trammel
Most of the smaller hollows and coal camps in the table above share the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Dickenson County lies entirely within the Appalachian Plateau, its ridge-and-hollow terrain cut by the Pound River, the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River, and Cranesnest River. Breaks Interstate Park, shared with Kentucky, sits on the county’s western edge around a gorge locally called the “Grand Canyon of the South.” Elevations range from under 1,300 feet along the river bottoms to over 3,200 feet on Sandy Ridge and Pine Mountain.
The county borders Buchanan County to the northeast, Russell County to the southeast, Wise County to the southwest, and Pike County, Kentucky to the northwest.
Demographics
Dickenson County’s population was 14,124 at the 2020 census. Clintwood, the seat, is the largest incorporated place at 1,377 residents, followed by the smaller towns of Clinchco and Haysi. The county’s median household income runs well below the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting the decline of the coal industry that once anchored the local economy. Population density is roughly 43 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining built Dickenson County and, though scaled back from its mid-20th-century peak, remains part of the local economy alongside forestry, small manufacturing and public-sector employment through Dickenson County Public Schools. Tourism has grown around Breaks Interstate Park, popular for whitewater rafting and hiking, and around the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, which honors the bluegrass and old-time music pioneer who was born in the county.
History
Dickenson County was formed in 1880 from parts of Buchanan, Russell and Wise counties, making it the youngest of Virginia’s counties. It was named for William J. Dickenson, a delegate to the Virginia General Assembly who sponsored the legislation creating it, the one-hundredth county in the state. Clintwood, the county seat, was founded in 1829 as “Holly Creek” and later renamed for Major Henry Clinton Wood, a Confederate officer. In 1948 Clintwood elected an all-female town council, nicknamed the “Petticoat Government,” whose reforms to sanitation, parking and fire protection drew international press coverage, including a Voice of America broadcast.
Getting There
Virginia State Routes 63, 83 and 80 are the main roads through the county, connecting to U.S. Route 23 to the west.
- Norton, Virginia — 25 miles southwest
- Grundy, Virginia — 20 miles northeast
- Pikeville, Kentucky — 30 miles west
- Abingdon, Virginia — 55 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Tri-Cities Airport near Bristol/Blountville, Tennessee, roughly a 90-minute drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dickenson County, Virginia?
It sits in the far southwestern tip of the state, bordering Kentucky, in the Appalachian coalfields.
What is the population of Dickenson County?
14,124 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Dickenson County?
334 square miles (870 km2), of which 331 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Dickenson County?
Clintwood is the county seat.
How many towns are in Dickenson County?
Three incorporated towns — Clintwood, Haysi and Clinchco — plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Dickenson County?
Nine, including 24228 (Clintwood), 24256 (Haysi) and 24226 (Clinchco).
What is Dickenson County known for?
Breaks Interstate Park, the Ralph Stanley Museum, and its 1880 founding as Virginia’s youngest county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.