Nelson County is a county in Virginia, United States, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the James River. It had a population of 14,775 at the 2020 census and covers 474 square miles (1,230 km2) centred near 37°47′N 78°53′W.
Lovingston is the county seat, and its postal code is 22949. Nelson County has no incorporated cities or towns — it is one of the small number of Virginia counties governed entirely as unincorporated territory, with seven census-designated places and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities. The county has no civil townships. It sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Nelson County
The table below lists 58 named places in Nelson County. Seven are census-designated places (CDP) with their own Census Bureau population counts; the rest are unincorporated communities, crossroads, and former mill or post-office settlements without separately tabulated populations.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adial | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Afton | CDP | — | 22920 |
| Allens Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arrington | CDP | — | 22922 |
| Avon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bryant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buffalo Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caskie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colleen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Durrett Town | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Faber | Unincorp. | — | 22938 |
| Five Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Four Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freshwater | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gladstone | Unincorp. | — | 24553 |
| Gordon Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gullysville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hendersons Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jonesboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingswood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeview Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lanes Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawthorne Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lodebar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lovingston | CDP · seat | 503 | 22949 |
| Lowesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martins Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Massies Mill | Unincorp. | — | 22929 |
| Midway Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montebello | Unincorp. | — | 24464 |
| Nash | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nellysford | CDP | — | 22958 |
| Norwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Myndus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Onan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ottoway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piedmont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney River | Unincorp. | — | 22964 |
| Poplar Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ramsey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Apple Orchard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockfish | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roseland | Unincorp. | — | 22967 |
| Roses Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Schuyler | CDP | — | 22969 |
| Shady Lane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shipman | CDP | — | 22971 |
| Twin Poplars | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tye River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tyro | Unincorp. | — | 22976 |
| Warminster | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Rock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wingina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wintergreen | CDP | — | 22958 |
| Woods Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
Gladstone sits on the Nelson–Buckingham county line on the James River, and Montebello lies close to the Rockbridge County line high in the Blue Ridge — both are counted here as they carry Nelson County addresses. Wintergreen shares its ZIP code with Nellysford, the CDP that serves the resort community below the mountain.
ZIP Codes
- 22949 — Lovingston (also serves Adial, Allens Creek, Beech Grove)
- 22920 — Afton (also serves Greenwood-area addresses north of Rockfish Gap)
- 22922 — Arrington
- 22929 — Massies Mill
- 22938 — Faber
- 22958 — Nellysford (also serves Wintergreen)
- 22964 — Piney River
- 22967 — Roseland
- 22969 — Schuyler
- 22971 — Shipman
- 22976 — Tyro
- 24464 — Montebello
- 24553 — Gladstone
Most of the county’s smaller crossroads communities — Five Forks, Greenfield, Onan, Warminster and similar — use the ZIP of the nearest post office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Nelson County straddles the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the crest forming its western boundary and the land dropping into rolling piedmont hills toward the James River, which marks the county’s southern edge. The James, Tye, Piney, Rockfish, and Buffalo rivers all run through the county, and the Tye and Rockfish join the James near Norwood and Wingina. Wintergreen Resort occupies part of the mountain crest at over 3,700 feet, while the piedmont bottomlands along the James sit below 600 feet.
Nelson County borders Augusta County to the northwest, Albemarle County to the northeast, Buckingham County to the southeast across the James River, Appomattox County to the south, Amherst County to the south and west, and Rockbridge County to the west.
Demographics
Nelson County had 14,775 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 471 square miles of land for a density of about 31 people per square mile — one of the more sparsely settled counties in central Virginia. Nellysford and Lovingston are the largest population centers, with Wintergreen adding a substantial seasonal and second-home population that is not fully captured in the year-round count. Household income in the county runs below the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting the county’s rural, agricultural, and tourism-based economy rather than the Richmond or Charlottesville commuter markets nearby.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism, orchards, vineyards, and craft breweries anchor Nelson County’s economy. Wintergreen Resort is the county’s largest single employer and draws skiers in winter and golfers and hikers in summer. The county is part of Virginia’s Blue Ridge wine and cider region, with numerous wineries and orchards around Afton, Nellysford, and Roseland, and it sits along the popular Brew Ridge Trail of craft breweries. Rockfish River Elementary, Nelson Middle, and Nelson County High School, all county-run, serve the school-age population; Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and small-scale timber and agriculture round out the rural economy. The Charlottesville, Virginia metropolitan area to the northeast draws a share of Nelson’s workforce.
History
Nelson County was formed in 1807 from part of Amherst County and named for Thomas Nelson Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Virginia’s wartime governor in 1781. On August 19–20, 1969, the remnants of Hurricane Camille stalled over the Blue Ridge above the county and dropped as much as 27 inches of rain in about three hours, triggering flash floods and landslides that killed 153 people in Nelson County alone and destroyed more than 130 bridges — one of the deadliest single-storm disasters in Virginia history. The county’s mountain communities, including Massies Mill and Davis Creek, were hit hardest.
Getting There
Interstate 64 crosses the northern edge of the county at Rockfish Gap and Afton, and US Routes 29, 60, and 250 along with Virginia Routes 6, 56, and 151 provide the main road network.
- Charlottesville, Virginia — 25 miles northeast
- Lynchburg, Virginia — 35 miles south
- Waynesboro, Virginia — 15 miles northwest
- Amherst, Virginia — 20 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), about 30 miles from Lovingston.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nelson County, Virginia?
It is in the Blue Ridge foothills of central Virginia, along the James River southwest of Charlottesville.
What is the population of Nelson County?
Nelson County had a population of 14,775 at the 2020 census.
How big is Nelson County?
The county covers 474 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 471 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Nelson County?
Lovingston is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Nelson County?
Nelson County has no incorporated towns or cities. It has seven census-designated places — Afton, Arrington, Lovingston, Nellysford, Schuyler, Shipman, and Wintergreen — plus dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Nelson County?
ZIP codes include 22949 (Lovingston), 22958 (Nellysford/Wintergreen), 22920 (Afton), 22922 (Arrington), 22969 (Schuyler), and 22971 (Shipman), among others.
What happened in Nelson County during Hurricane Camille?
In August 1969, Camille’s remnants dropped up to 27 inches of rain over the county in about three hours, causing flash floods that killed 153 people, one of Virginia’s deadliest natural disasters.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.