Virginia County/City Highpoints

The Highpoints of Virginia

Virginia has 130 counties and independent cities. I have wondered why Virginia has independent cities;ie, ones which are not a part of the county in which they lie. I learned these cities have there own governmental structure, courts, and law enforcement; in essence the same structure as a county. They were established by an amendment to the Virginia State Constitution in 1972. (I welcome any better explanation as I am not an attorney.)

While there are some SP pages for the summits in SW Virginia, the majority of SP pages concern peaks in and around the Shenandoah National Park. Be aware that I have placed counties into geographic areas that best suite the county (I'm also not a geographer). Unfortunately the divisions are less clear cut than in North Carolina. While a county may lie in one geographic area its highpoint may lie in another (for example Washington county lies in the Valley and Peak region but its highpoint lies in the Blue Ridge).

The county highpointers is the authoritative for information of county highpoints.

Geography of Virgina

Virginia is composed of 5 geographic regions; the Appalachian Plateau, the Appalachian Valley and Ridge, the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont and the Tidewater. While this site is concerned about summits and mountains, this page would not be complete without mention of all the highpoints.

The Appalachian Plateau is also called the Allegheny Plateau further north along the central WVa/Va state line. The Plateau region contains the far Southwestern counties in Virginia and is composed of rugged country cut out by stream erosion. This is part of a great coal seam that runs from Alabama to Pennsylvania. The bottom lands are narrow, the valleys small.

Further east are the Appalachian Valleys and Ridges. There are long ridges running SSW to NNE; for example Clinch, Big Walker, Iron and Massanuttan. These mountains parallel long flowing rivers: the Powell, Clinch, and Holsten flow SSW to the Tennessee and the Shenandoah to the NNE. Cutting across the mountains are the New flowing W to the Ohio, Roanoke and James to E. What is known as the Great Valley is a wide north/south valley between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghany mountains of West Virginia. The upper reaches of this valley lie near Roanoke and the valley stretches almost 200 miles north to the Potomac River. It is bisected by Massanutton mountain.

The Blue Ridge is the name of the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountains from Virginia to Georgia. Only a few miles wide at Front Royal, the Blue Ridge widens to a breadth of 50 miles along the North Carolina border. The tallest mountains in Virgina are located in this wide southern area, what are refered to as Grayson Highlands.

The Piedmont and Tidewater regions lie east of the Blue Ridge and stretch to the Atlantic ocean. (see the Geology of Virginia)

Applachian Plateau

Buchanan County - Big A Mtn (3,706 feet)
Dickenson County - Birch Knob on Pine Mtn (3,149 feet)
Norton City - on city line (3,960+ feet)
Wise County - High Knob (4,223 feet)

Appalachian Valley and Ridge

Alleghany County - Big Knob (4,072 feet)
Augusta County - Elliott Knob (4,463 feet)
Bath County - Paddy Knob (4,477 feet)
Bland County - Chestnut Knob (4,409 feet)
Bristol City - BM Wallace 9 (2,129 feet)
Clarke County - two areas on Blue Ridge (1,920+ feet)
Covington City - one area with BM Nettleton (1,680+ feet)
Craig County - White Rocks on Potts Mtn (3,940+ feet)
Frederick County - Pinnacle on Great North Mtn (2,844 feet)
Giles County - Bald Knob on Salt Pond Mtn (4,361 feet)
Harrisonburg City - two areas (1,760+ and 1,767 feet)
Highland County - spot elevation (4,546 feet)
Lee County - at north county corner near Potato Hill (3,760+ feet)
Lexington City - two areas (1,180+ feet)
Page County - Hawksbill Mtn (4,050 feet)
Pulaski County - three areas on Walker Mtn (3,680+ and 3,699 feet)
Radford City - Ingles Mtn (2,353 feet)
Rockbridge County - Rocky Mtn (4,072 feet)
Rockingham County - Flagpole Knob (4,360+ feet)
Russell County - Beartown Mountain (4,689 feet)
Scott County - on county line near Camp Rock (3,880+ feet)
Shenandoah County - Mill Mtn (3,293 feet)
*Smyth County - Mount Rogers - the state highpoint (5,729 feet)
Staunton City - BM City Park on Betsey Bell (1,940+ feet)
Tazewell County - BM Maiden on Garden Mtn (4,710 feet)
Warren County - Hogback Mtn 3,474 feet)
Washington County - Whitetop Mtn (5,520+ feet)
Waynesboro City - one area (1,740+ feet)
Wythe County - Comers Rock (4,080+ feet)

Blue Ridge

Botetourt County Apple Orchard Mtn - (4,225 feet)
Carroll County - Fishers Peak (3,560+ feet)
Floyd County - Buffalo Mtn (3,971 feet)
Galax City - on city line northwest of Ward Knob (2,900+ feet)
*Grayson County - Mt Rogers - the state highpoint (5,729 feet)
Montgomery County - one area on Poor Mtn (3,760+ feet)
Patrick County - Rocky Knob (3,572 feet)
Roanoke City - Mill Mtn (1,740+ feet)
Roanoke County - Poor Mtn (3928 feet)

Piedmont and Tidewater

Accomack County - one area (60+ feet)
Albemarle County - Big Flat Mtn (3,389 feet)
Alexandria City - one area (280+ feet)
Amelia County - two areas (520+ feet)
Amherst County - Bald Knob, Mt Pleasant, and Rocky Mtn (4,040+ and 4,072 feet)
Appomattox County - Kyles Mtn (1,161 feet)
Arlington County - Minor Hill (460+ feet)

Bedford City - one area (1,180+ feet)
Bedford County - Apple Orchard Mtn (4,225 feet)
Brunswick County - five areas (470+ feet)
Buckingham County - Spears Mtn (1,604 feet)
Buena Vista City - on city line (1,340+ feet)

Campbell County - three areas on Long Mtn (1,420+ feet)
Caroline County - one area (350+ feet)
Charles City (County) - 69 areas (150+ feet)
Charlotte County - two areas (790+ feet)
Charlottesville City - one area (760+ feet)
Chesapeake City - several areas (30+ feet)
Chesterfield County - five areas (400+ feet)
Colonial Heights City - four areas (100+ feet)
Culpeper County - on county line (1,080+ feet)
Cumberland County - nine areas (520+ feet)

Danville City - fourteen areas (660+ feet)
Dinwiddie County - one area (410+ feet)

Emporia City - one area (150+ feet)
Essex County - 28 areas (200+ feet)

Fairfax City - two areas (480+ feet)
Fairfax County - three areas (520+ feet)
Falls Church City - one area (440+ feet)
Fauquier County - Blue Mtn (2,205 feet)
Fluvanna County - two areas (550+ feet)
Franklin City - two areas (90+ feet)
Franklin County - Cahas Mtn (3,571 feet)
Fredericksburg City - several areas (250+ feet)

Gloucester County - two areas (140+ feet)
Goochland County - nine areas (520+ feet)
Greene County - at north county corner near Hazeltop (3,640+ feet)
Greensville County - three areas (320+ feet)

Halifax County - one area (750+ feet)
Hampton City - four areas (30+ feet)
Hanover County - two areas (390+ feet)
Henrico County - ten areas (340+ feet)
Henry County - two areas on Turkeycock Mtn (1,840+ feet)
Hopewell City - seven areas (90+ feet)

Isle of Wight County - three areas (95+ feet)

James City (County) - six areas (140+ feet)

King and Queen County - one area (210+ feet)
King George County - 21 areas (220+ feet)
King William County - two areas (210+ feet)

Lancaster County - six areas (130+ feet)
Loudoun County - two areas on Blue Ridge (1,920+ feet)
Louisa County - one area (570+ feet)
Lunenburg County - five areas (630+ feet)
Lynchburg City - one area (1,320+ feet)

Madison County - Hawksbill Mtn (4,050 feet)
Manassas City - one area (320+ feet)
Manassas Park City - one area (320+ feet)
Martinsville City - one area (1,160+ feet)
Mathews County - one area (70+ feet)
Mecklenburg County - three areas (600+ and 606 feet)
Middlesex County - 17 areas (120+ feet)

Nelson County - Maintop Mtn (4,040+ feet) and two areas on The Priest (4,040+ and 4,063 feet)
New Kent County - one area (180+ feet)
Newport News City - one area (90+ feet)
Norfolk City - several areas (45+ feet)
Northampton County - one area (70+ feet)
Northumberland County - five areas (150+ feet)
Nottoway County - on county line (600 feet)

Orange County - Cowherd Mtn (1,197 feet)

Petersburg City - four areas (180+ feet)
Pittsylvania County - Smith Mtn (2,038 feet)
Poquoson City - multiple areas (10+ feet)
Portsmouth City - one area (30+ feet)
Powhatan County - one area (490+ feet)
Prince Edward County - two benchmarks on Lyle Mtn (780+ feet)
Prince George County - multiple areas (170+ feet)
Prince William County - BM Jackson in Bull Run Mtns (1,279 feet)

Rappahannock County - two areas on the Pinnacle (3,720+ and 3,730 feet)
Richmond City - two areas (370+ feet)
Richmond County - thirteen areas (180+ feet)


Salem City - on city line (1,460+ feet)
Southampton County - multiple areas (140+ feet)
Spotsylvania County - four areas (540+ feet)
Stafford County - spot elevation (467 feet)
Suffolk City - three areas (100+ feet)
Surry County - multiple areas (130+ feet)
Sussex County - three areas (270+ feet)

Virginia Beach City - three or four areas (85+ feet)

Westmoreland County - fifteen areas (190+ feet)
Williamsburg City - two areas (100+ feet)
Winchester City - on county line (940 feet)

York County - one area (130+ feet)

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Images

View Virginia County/City Highpoints Image Gallery - 4 Images