Lunenburg County is a county in Virginia, United States, along the fall line between the Piedmont and the Southside tobacco belt. It had a population of 11,936 at the 2020 census and covers 432 square miles (1,120 km2) of land, plus 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of water, centred near 36°57′N 78°14′W.
Lunenburg is the county seat, and its postal code is 23952. The county has two incorporated towns (Kenbridge and Victoria), one unincorporated seat community, and several dozen smaller unincorporated crossroads and hamlets. It lies in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Lunenburg County
Lunenburg County has about 30 named places, only two of them incorporated towns. The rest are unincorporated communities and rural crossroads (marked “Unincorp.” below), most too small for the Census Bureau to report a separate population figure.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenbridge | Town | 1,112 | 23944 |
| Victoria | Town | 1,734 | 23974 |
| Lunenburg | CDP · seat | — | 23952 |
| Dundas | Unincorp. | — | 23938 |
| Fort Mitchell | Unincorp. | — | 23941 |
| Meherrin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rehoboth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arvins Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bacons Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bagleys Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bishops Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blevins Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gary | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gills Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kells Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lochleven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loves Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moores Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nutbush | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oral Oaks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plantersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plymouth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reekes Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rubermont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simplicity | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sneads Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stones Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wattsboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 23944 — Kenbridge
- 23974 — Victoria (also serves the county’s largest population)
- 23952 — Lunenburg (the county seat)
- 23938 — Dundas
- 23941 — Fort Mitchell (post office box delivery only)
The many rural crossroads communities such as Five Forks, Rehoboth and Plantersville share ZIP codes with the nearest post-office town and have no separate code of their own.
Geography
Lunenburg County sits in Virginia’s Southside region between the Appomattox and Meherrin river drainages, rolling farmland and pine woodland with no large lakes or towns of any size. US 360 runs diagonally across the county through Kenbridge and Victoria, the county’s two commercial centres.
Lunenburg County borders Prince Edward County and Nottoway County to the north, Brunswick County to the east, Charlotte County to the west, and Mecklenburg County to the south.
Demographics
Lunenburg County had 11,936 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 27.6 people per square mile. Victoria (1,734) and Kenbridge (1,112) are its two largest communities. Median household income runs well below the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting the county’s rural, tobacco- and timber-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry anchor the local economy — tobacco historically, now diversified into grain, cattle and timber — alongside small manufacturing and county government employment. Kenbridge and Victoria carry the county’s retail and small-business base, including family-owned shops around Kenbridge’s downtown blocks.
History
Lunenburg County was formed on May 1, 1746, from Brunswick County, and named for one of the titles of King George II, who was also Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg in Germany. In the run-up to the Civil War the county became known as the “old free state” after local leaders warned Virginia that Lunenburg would secede on its own if the Commonwealth did not join the Confederacy. Victoria was later laid out in 1906 as a planned railroad town on the Tidewater Railway, named for Queen Victoria, and grew into a major maintenance division point before the shift from steam to diesel locomotives ended that role in the 1950s.
Getting There
US 360 and State Routes 40, 49, 137 and 138 are the county’s main roads.
- Farmville, Virginia — about 20 miles northwest
- South Hill, Virginia — about 20 miles southeast
- Richmond, Virginia — about 75 miles northeast
- Danville, Virginia — about 55 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Richmond International Airport (RIC), roughly 75 miles northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lunenburg County, Virginia?
It sits in Virginia’s Southside region, bordered by Prince Edward, Nottoway, Brunswick, Mecklenburg and Charlotte counties.
What is the population of Lunenburg County?
11,936 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Lunenburg County?
432 square miles (1,120 km2) of land plus 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of water.
What is the Lunenburg County seat?
The unincorporated community of Lunenburg is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lunenburg County?
Two incorporated towns, Kenbridge and Victoria, plus about two dozen unincorporated communities and crossroads.
What ZIP codes are in Lunenburg County?
23944 (Kenbridge), 23974 (Victoria), 23952 (Lunenburg), 23938 (Dundas) and 23941 (Fort Mitchell).
Why is Lunenburg called the “old free state”?
The nickname dates to the lead-up to the Civil War, when local leaders threatened to secede from Virginia on their own if the Commonwealth did not join the Confederacy.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.