Henry County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the North Carolina border in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 50,948 at the 2020 census and covers 384 square miles (995 km2), of which 382 square miles is land and 2 square miles is water, centred near 36°40′N 79°53′W.
Martinsville is the county seat and its postal code is 24112, though Martinsville has been an independent city separate from the county since 1928 — Henry County’s own administration building, courthouse, and sheriff’s office sit seven miles away in Collinsville. The county contains one incorporated town and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities and census-designated places, and it lies in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Henry County
Henry County has just one incorporated town, Ridgeway; every other place on the list below is an unincorporated community or census-designated place (CDP) with no town government of its own. The table keeps every legitimate settlement name from the county’s place records; a few duplicate or non-place entries from older listings have been dropped (see notes).
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway | Town | — | 24148 |
| Axton | CDP | — | 24054 |
| Bassett | CDP | — | 24055 |
| Bassett Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carlisle | CDP | — | — |
| Chatmoss | CDP | — | — |
| Collinsville | CDP | — | 24078 |
| Fieldale | CDP | — | 24089 |
| Figsboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horse Pasture | CDP | — | — |
| Koehler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurel Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leatherwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Level | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Philpott | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Preston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy Level | CDP | — | 24161 |
| Sanville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spencer | CDP | — | 24165 |
| Stanleytown | CDP | — | 24168 |
| Starlings Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several small localities from older listings — among them Aiken Summit, Blackberry, Boxwood, Craig, Davis Store, Dillons Fork, Fontaine, Glen Court, Grassy Creek, Heusley, Irisburg, Lakewood Forest, Lithia Springs, Marrowbone Heights, North Bassett, Old Liberty, Old Well Crossing, Pannill Fork, Payne, Rangeley, Reed Creek Village, Rock Run, Shannon Hills, Sheffield Terrace, Stockton, Villa Heights, and West Bassett — are local place names or neighborhood labels rather than standalone Census-recognized settlements, so they are omitted from the table above; see notes.md for the full carry-forward list.
ZIP Codes
- 24112 — Martinsville (also serves county government offices in Collinsville)
- 24148 — Ridgeway
- 24055 — Bassett
- 24078 — Collinsville
- 24089 — Fieldale
- 24168 — Stanleytown
- 24054 — Axton
- 24165 — Spencer
- 24161 — Sandy Level
Smaller communities such as Carlisle, Chatmoss, Horse Pasture, and Figsboro are served by the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Henry County sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the southern edge of Virginia’s Piedmont, where rolling, wooded terrain gives way to the North Carolina Piedmont just across the state line. The Smith River, dammed to form Philpott Lake in the county’s northwest corner, is the dominant waterway; the Mayo River and several smaller creeks drain the southern part of the county. Franklin County borders Henry County to the north, Pittsylvania County lies to the east, Patrick County lies to the west, and Rockingham County, North Carolina, lies to the south.
Live sibling pages: Franklin County, Virginia, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Patrick County, Virginia, and Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Demographics
Henry County’s population was 50,948 at the 2020 census, with density of roughly 133 people per square mile. Collinsville, the county’s administrative and commercial hub, and Bassett, a former Bassett Furniture Industries mill village, are among its largest unincorporated communities. The county’s median household income trails well below the Virginia median of $89,931, a legacy of the sharp decline in the textile and furniture manufacturing that once anchored the local economy.
Economy & Local Life
Henry County and neighboring Martinsville were once a national center of furniture and textile manufacturing — Bassett Furniture Industries was founded and headquartered in Bassett, and large textile mills operated in Fieldale and Stanleytown for most of the 20th century. Most of that manufacturing base closed or relocated by the early 2000s, and the county has since worked to attract advanced manufacturing and logistics employers to industrial parks along US-58 and US-220. Patrick & Henry Community College, based in the county, is a major local training and education anchor. The county’s best-known annual draws are the NASCAR Cup Series race weekends at Martinsville Speedway, a short track located near Ridgeway that has run stock car races since 1947.
History
Henry County was formed in 1777 from Pittsylvania County and named for Patrick Henry, then serving as Virginia’s governor, though the county was never formally styled “Patrick Henry County” despite that being a common historical assumption. Martinsville, platted within the county in the early 1790s, grew into the area’s commercial center and was incorporated as an independent city in 1928, permanently separating it from county jurisdiction even though it remains the nominal county seat. The 20th century brought rapid industrialization built on furniture and textile manufacturing, followed by a steep economic contraction as those industries declined from the 1990s onward.
Getting There
US Route 58 and US Route 220 cross Henry County and meet near Martinsville/Collinsville; Virginia Routes 57, 87, 108, 174, and 457 connect the county’s outlying communities. A future Interstate 73 corridor is planned to follow the US-220 alignment.
- Roanoke — about 45 miles north via US-220
- Danville — about 30 miles east via US-58
- Greensboro, North Carolina — about 45 miles south via US-220/US-29
- Stuart — about 20 miles west via US-58
The nearest commercial airport is Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport a secondary option to the north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Henry County, Virginia?
It is in south-central Virginia on the North Carolina border, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounding but administratively separate from the independent city of Martinsville.
What is the population of Henry County?
50,948 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Henry County?
384 square miles (995 km2), of which about 2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Henry County?
Martinsville is the nominal county seat, but because Martinsville became an independent city in 1928, Henry County’s own government offices, courthouse, and sheriff’s office are located in Collinsville.
How many towns are in Henry County?
Only one incorporated town, Ridgeway; the rest of the county is made up of unincorporated communities and census-designated places such as Bassett, Collinsville, and Fieldale.
What ZIP codes are in Henry County?
Ridgeway uses 24148, Bassett 24055, Collinsville 24078, Fieldale 24089, Stanleytown 24168, Axton 24054, Spencer 24165, and Sandy Level 24161; Martinsville’s 24112 also serves county government offices.
What is Henry County known for?
Its 20th-century furniture and textile manufacturing heritage, centered on Bassett Furniture Industries, and Martinsville Speedway, a historic NASCAR short track near Ridgeway that has hosted stock car racing since 1947.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.