Wythe County is a county in Virginia, United States, in the ridge-and-valley country of the southwestern part of the commonwealth, where Interstate 77 crosses Interstate 81. It had a population of 28,290 at the 2020 census, covers 462 square miles (1,200 km2) of land, and is centred near 36°55′N 81°05′W.
Wytheville is the county seat, and its postal code is 24382. The county has two incorporated towns, four census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities. It sits in the Eastern time zone, and its FIPS code is 51197.
Towns & Villages in Wythe County
Wytheville anchors the county at the I-77/I-81 interchange; the rest of Wythe County is small towns, CDPs strung along the New River valley, and rural crossroads communities.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wytheville | Town · seat | 8,265 | 24382 |
| Rural Retreat | Town | — | — |
| Austinville | CDP | — | — |
| Fort Chiswell | CDP | — | — |
| Ivanhoe | CDP | — | — |
| Max Meadows | CDP | — | — |
| Barren Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cripple Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crockett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Speedwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 24382 — Wytheville (also serves Fort Chiswell and Max Meadows)
Rural Retreat, Austinville, Ivanhoe, and the county’s crossroads communities share carrier routes with Wytheville or neighboring post offices; a confirmed standalone ZIP for each was not available at publication.
Geography
Wythe County lies in the Ridge-and-Valley physiographic province, with parallel forested ridges running northeast to southwest and the New River cutting through the eastern part of the county. Jefferson National Forest covers part of the county’s higher ground, and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area reaches into its southern edge. Of the county’s total area, 462 square miles are land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) are water, most of it the New River and its impoundments.
Wythe County borders Bland County to the north, Pulaski County to the east, Carroll County to the southeast, Grayson County to the south, and Smyth County to the west.
- Bland County — north
- Pulaski County — east
- Carroll County, Virginia — southeast
- Grayson County, Virginia — south
- Smyth County — west
Demographics
Wythe County had 28,290 residents at the 2020 census, edging down to an estimated 27,983 in more recent Census Bureau figures. Wytheville, with 8,265 residents, is by far the largest place in the county, followed by the town of Rural Retreat. Median household income in the county runs well below Virginia’s statewide figure of $89,931, typical of the rural southwestern part of the commonwealth. Population density is light, at roughly 61 people per square mile across the county’s 462 square miles of land.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing and food processing anchor the local economy: a Gatorade bottling plant and a Pepsi facility both operate in the county, alongside furniture and wood-products manufacturers that have long been fixtures of the I-81 corridor. Wytheville’s revitalized downtown has added breweries, restaurants, and small shops around its historic core. Historically, lead and zinc mining at Austinville drove the local economy from the 1790s until the mines closed in 1982 under new federal environmental standards. The Wythe County Fair, held each summer, remains one of the area’s largest annual gatherings.
History
Wythe County was formed in 1790 out of Montgomery County and named for George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the law professor who taught Thomas Jefferson. The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower near Austinville, built to drop molten lead into water below for ammunition production, dates to the county’s early industrial era. The county’s history includes a dark chapter in August 1926, when a Black man named Raymond Byrd was lynched at the county jail in Wytheville, an event the community has since publicly acknowledged.
Getting There
Interstates 77 and 81 cross at Wytheville, giving the county direct highway access north, south, east, and west; the interchange includes a short wrong-way concurrency where the two routes overlap.
- Roanoke, Virginia — about 65 miles northeast
- Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee — about 65 miles southwest
- Pulaski, Virginia — about 20 miles northeast
- Marion, Virginia — about 20 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport; Amtrak does not currently serve Wythe County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is Wytheville, Virginia in?
Wytheville is the county seat of Wythe County, Virginia.
What is the Wytheville postcode?
Wytheville’s ZIP code is 24382.
What is the population of Wythe County?
Wythe County had a population of 28,290 at the 2020 census.
How big is Wythe County?
The county covers 462 square miles (1,200 km2) of land plus 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) of water.
What river runs through Wythe County?
The New River flows through the eastern part of the county.
Which counties border Wythe County?
Bland County to the north, Pulaski County to the east, Carroll County to the southeast, Grayson County to the south, and Smyth County to the west.
Where does Wythe County get its name?
It was named for George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, when the county was formed in 1790 from Montgomery County.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.