Lynchburg, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| City of Lynchburg | |
 Downtown Lynchburg in 2025. | |
| Nicknames: City of Seven Hills, The Hill City | |
 Location in Virginia | |
  Lynchburg Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°24′13″N79°10′12″W / 37.40361°N 79.17000°W /37.40361; -79.17000 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1786 |
| Incorporated (town) | January 10, 1805 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1852 |
| Named after | John Lynch |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–Manager |
| • Mayor | Larry Taylor (R) |
| • Vice Mayor | Curt Diemer (R) |
| • Council | Lynchburg City Council |
| Area | |
| 49.53 sq mi (128.27 km2) | |
| • Land | 48.97 sq mi (126.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2) |
| Elevation | 630 ft (192 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| 79,009 | |
• Estimate (2024) | 80,301 |
| • Rank | 11th in Virginia |
| • Density | 1,613.3/sq mi (622.90/km2) |
| • Urban | 125,596 (US:268th) |
| • Metro | 261,593 (US:190th) |
| • Demonym | Lynchburger |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 24501, 24502, 24503, 24504, 24505, 24551 |
| Area code(s) | 434 |
| FIPS code | 51-680 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1479007[2] |
| Website | lynchburgva |
Lynchburg is anindependent city in theCommonwealth of Virginia,United States. Located in thefoothills of theBlue Ridge Mountains along theJames River, it had a population of 79,009 at the2020 census, making it the11th most populous independent city in Virginia.[3] The city is nicknamed the"City of Seven Hills" or the "Hill City."[4] Lynchburg was founded in 1757 byJohn Lynch, aQuakerferry operator andabolitionist.[5] During theAmerican Civil War, Lynchburg’s strategic importance helped it remain the only major city in Virginia not recaptured byUnion forces before thewar’s end.[6]
Lynchburg anchors theLynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which lies near the geographic center of Virginia and is the fifth-largestMSA in the state with a population of 261,593. The city is a regional hub for education, home to several institutions of higher learning includingLiberty University, theUniversity of Lynchburg,Randolph College,Virginia University of Lynchburg, andCentral Virginia Community College.
Monacan Indian Nation and otherSiouanTutelo-speaking tribes had lived in the area for over 10,000 years, driving theVirginia Algonquians eastward to the coastal areas.[7] ExplorerJohn Lederer visited one of the Siouan villages (Saponi) in 1670, on the Staunton River at Otter Creek, southwest of the present-day city, as did theThomas Batts and Robert Fallam expedition in 1671.
Siouan peoples occupied this area until about 1702; they had become weakened because of high mortality from infectious diseases. TheSeneca people, who were part of theHaudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy based in New York, defeated them. The Seneca had ranged south while seeking new hunting grounds through theShenandoah Valley to the West. At the Treaty of Albany in 1718, theIroquois Five Nations ceded control of their land east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including Lynchburg, to theColony of Virginia; they confirmed this in 1721.
First settled by Anglo-Americans in 1757, Lynchburg was named for its founder,John Lynch.[8] When about 17 years old, Lynch started a ferry service at aford across theJames River to carry traffic to and fromNew London, where his parents had settled. The "City of Seven Hills" quickly developed along the hills surrounding Lynch's Ferry.[9]
In October 1786, Virginia's General Assembly recognized Lynchburg, the settlement by Lynch's Ferry on the James River.[5]: 22–23 TheJames River Company had been incorporated the previous year (and PresidentGeorge Washington was given stock, which he donated to charity) in order to "improve" the river down toRichmond, which was growing and was named as the new Commonwealth's capital. Shallow-draftJames River bateau provided a relatively easy means of transportation through Lynchburg down to Richmond and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean. Rocks, downed trees, and flood debris were constant hazards, so their removal became expensive ongoing maintenance. Lynchburg became a tobacco trading, then commercial, and much later an industrial center.
Eventually the state built a canal and towpath along the river to make transportation by the waterway easier, and especially to provide a water route around the falls at Richmond, which prevented through navigation by boat. By 1812, U.S. Chief JusticeJohn Marshall, who lived in Richmond, reported on the navigation difficulties and construction problems on the canal and towpath.
_Meeting_House_2.jpg)
The General Assembly recognized the settlement's growth by incorporating Lynchburg as a town on January 10, 1805[5]: 31 ; it was not incorporated as a city until 1852. In between, Lynch built Lynchburg's first bridge across the James River, a toll structure that replaced his ferry in 1812. A toll turnpike toSalem, Virginia was begun in 1817. Lynch died in 1820 and was buried in the burial ground of theSouth River Friends Meetinghouse. By the time of Lynch's death, many Quakers in the area had begun to abandon the town because of their moral opposition toslavery, which the cities economy had begun to rely upon.[10][11] Lynch himself would free all of his slaves in his lifetime, including the slave who was suspected of killing his son.[12][13]Presbyterians would took over the grounds of the meetinghouse in 1899, and would adapt it into their own church, later building a new church adjacent to the site.[10] They would later restore the Quaker meetinghouse to the buildings historical appearance.[10] The meeting house and burial ground are now preserved as ahistoric site.[14]
To avoid the many visitors atMonticello,Thomas Jefferson in 1806 developed a plantation and house near Lynchburg, calledPoplar Forest. He often visited the town, noting, "Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be useful to the town of Lynchburg. I consider it as the most interesting spot in the state." In 1810, Jefferson wrote, "Lynchburg is perhaps the most rising place in the U.S.... It ranks now next to Richmond in importance...."[15]
Early Lynchburg residents were not known for their religious enthusiasm. The established Church of England supposedly built a log church in 1765. In 1804, evangelistLorenzo Dow wrote: "...where I spoke in the open air in what I conceived to be the seat of Satan's Kingdom. Lynchburg was a deadly place for the worship of God'." That referred to the lack of churches, which was corrected the following year. ItinerantMethodistFrancis Asbury visited the town; Methodists built its first church in 1805. Lynchburg hosted the last Virginia Methodist Conference that bishop Asbury attended (February 20, 1815).[16] As Lynchburg grew, prostitution and other "rowdy" activities became part of the urban mix of the river town. They were often ignored, if not accepted, particularly in a downtown area referred to as the "Buzzard's Roost."[17][better source needed] Methodist preacher and later bishopJohn Early became one of Lynchburg's civic leaders; unlike early Methodist preachers who had urged abolition of slavery during theGreat Awakening; Early was of a later generation that had accommodated to this institution in the slave societies of the South.
On December 3, 1840, theJames River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond reached Lynchburg. It was extended as far asBuchanan, Virginia in 1851, but never reached a tributary of the Ohio River as originally planned.[18] Lynchburg's population exceeded 6,000 by 1840, and a water works system was built. Floods in 1842 and 1847 wreaked havoc with the canal and towpath. Both were repaired. Town businessmen began to lobby for a railroad, but Virginia's General Assembly refused to fund such construction. In 1848 civic boosters began selling subscriptions for theLynchburg and Tennessee Railroad.
By the 1850s, Lynchburg (along withNew Bedford, Massachusetts) was among the richest towns per capita in the US.[19] Tobacco (including the manufacture of plug tobacco in factories using rented slave labor), slave-trading, general commerce, and iron and steel manufacturing powered the economy.[20][21]
Railroads had become the wave of the future. Construction on the new Lynchburg and Tennessee railroad had begun in 1850 and a locomotive tested the track in 1852. A locomotive called the "Lynchburg" blew up inForest, Virginia (near Poplar Forest) later that year, showing the new technology's dangers.[failed verification] By the Civil War, two more railroads had been built, including theSouth Side Railroad fromPetersburg. It became known as theAtlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870, then a line in theNorfolk and Western Railway, and last as part of theNorfolk Southern Railway.[22] TheOrange and Alexandria Railroad stopped in Lynchburg.
During theAmerican Civil War, Lynchburg served as aConfederate transportation hub and supply depot. It had 30 hospitals, often placed in churches, hotels, and private homes.[23]
In June 1864,Union forces of GeneralDavid Hunter approached within 1-mile (1.6 km) as they drove south from theShenandoah Valley. Confederate troops under GeneralJohn McCausland harassed them. Meanwhile, the city's defenders hastily erected breastworks on Amherst Heights. Defenders were led by GeneralJohn C. Breckinridge, who was an invalid from wounds received at theBattle of Cold Harbor. Union GeneralPhilip Sheridan appeared headed for Lynchburg on June 10, as he crossed theChickahominy River and cut theVirginia Central Railroad. However, Confederate cavalry under GeneralWade Hampton, including the2nd Virginia Cavalry from Lynchburg under GeneralThomas T. Munford, defeated his forces at the two-dayBattle of Trevilian Station in Louisa County, and they withdrew. This permitted fast-marching troops under Confederate GeneralJubal Early to reach within four miles of Lynchburg on June 16 and tear up the tracks of theOrange and Alexandria Railroad to inhibit travel by Union reinforcements, while Confederate reinforcements straggled in from Charlottesville.
On June 18, 1864, in theBattle of Lynchburg, Early's combined forces, though outnumbered, repelled Union General Hunter's troops. Lynchburg's defenders had taken pains to create an impression that the Confederate forces within the city were much larger than they were in fact. For example, a train was continuously run up and down the tracks while drummers played and Lynchburg citizens cheered as if reinforcements were disembarking. Local prostitutes took part in the deception, misleading their Union clients about the large number of Confederate reinforcements.Narcissa Owen (Cherokee), wife of the president of theLynchburg and Tennessee Railroad, later wrote about her similar deception of Union spies.[24]
From April 6 to 10, 1865, Lynchburg served as the capital of Virginia after the Confederate government fled from Richmond. GovernorWilliam Smith and the Commonwealth's executive and legislative branches escaped to Lynchburg as Richmond surrendered on April 3.Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen.Ulysses S. Grant atAppomattox Courthouse, roughly 20-mile (32 km) east of Lynchburg, ending the Civil War. Lynchburg surrendered on April 12, to Union GeneralRanald S. Mackenzie.[25]
Ten days later, Confederate Brigadier GeneralJames Dearing died. He was a native of nearby Campbell County and descendant of John Lynch; he had been wounded on April 6 atHigh Bridge during that Appomattox campaign. Mackenzie had visited his wounded friend and former West Point classmate, easing the transition of power.[25]
The railroads that had driven Lynchburg's economy were destroyed by the war's end. The residents of the city deeply resented occupying forces under GeneralJohn Irvin Gregg, and worked more readily with his affable successor GeneralNewton Martin Curtis.[26]Thomas J. Kirkpatrick became superintendent for the public education established under Virginia's Reconstruction-era legislature and Constitution of 1869, and built four new public schools. Previously, the only education for students from poor families was provided throughSt. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Floods in 1870 and 1877 destroyed the city's bridges (which were rebuilt) and the James River and Kanahwa Canal (which was not rebuilt). The towpath was used as the bed for laying the rails of theRichmond and Allegheny Railroad, a project conceived five decades earlier.
The city limits expanded in 1874. In 1881 that railroad was completed to Lynchburg, and another railroad reached it through theShenandoah Valley. Lynchburg had a telegraph, about 15,000 residents, and the beginnings of a streetcar system. Many citizens, believing their city crowded enough, did not join the boosters who wanted Lynchburg to become the junction of that valley line and what became theNorfolk and Western Railroad, so the junction was moved to Big Lick. This later developed as the City ofRoanoke.
In the latter 19th century, Lynchburg embraced manufacturing (the city being sometimes referred to as the "Pittsburgh of the South").[citation needed] On a per capita basis, it became one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. In 1880, Lynchburg residentJames Albert Bonsack invented the first cigarette-rolling machine. Shortly thereafter Dr.Charles Browne Fleet, a physician and pharmacological tinkerer, introduced the firstmicro-enema to be mass marketed over the counter. By the city's centennial in 1886, banking activity had increased sixfold over the 1860 level, which some attributed to slavery's demise. The Lynchburg Cotton Mill and Craddock-Terry Shoe Co., which would become the largest shoe manufacturer in the South, were founded in 1888.[27] TheReusens hydroelectric dam began operating in 1903 and soon delivered more power.[28]
In 1886, Virginia Baptists founded a training school, the Lynchburg Baptist Seminary. It began to offer a college-level program to African-American students in 1900. Now named theVirginia University of Lynchburg, it is the city's oldest institution of higher learning. Not far outside town,Randolph-Macon Woman's College andSweet Briar College were founded as women's colleges in 1893 and 1901, respectively. In 1903, theChristian Church (Disciples of Christ) foundedLynchburg Christian College (laterLynchburg College) in what had been the Westover Hotel resort, which went bankrupt in thePanic of 1901. During the 2018–19 school year, the college's name was changed to theUniversity of Lynchburg, reflecting its expansion of graduate-level programs and research. Lynchburg's first public library, theJones Memorial Library, opened in 1907.[28]
During World War I, the city's factories supported the war effort, and the area also supplied troops. The city powered through the Roaring Twenties and survived theGreat Depression. Its first radio station, WLVA, began in 1930, and its airport opened in 1931. In 1938, the former fairgrounds were redeveloped as side-by-side baseball and football stadiums.[28]
Lynchburg's factories again worked 24 hours daily duringWorld War II. The Craddock-Terry Shoe Co. would be supported by contracts granted by the U.S. Government to create footwear for soldiers during the war.[29] In 1955, bothGeneral Electric andBabcock & Wilcox built high technology factories in the area.[28]
Lynchburg lost its bid to gain access to an interstate highway. In the late 1950s, interested citizens, including Virginia SenatorMosby G. Perrow Jr., asked the federal government to change its long-planned route for the interstate highway, now known as I-64, betweenClifton Forge and Richmond.[30]
Since the 1940s, maps of the federal interstate highway system showed a proposed northern route, bypassing the manufacturing centers at Lynchburg and Roanoke. But federal officials assured Virginia that the state would decide the route.[31] Although initially favoring that northern route, Virginia's State Highway Commission eventually supported a southern route from Richmond via US-360 and US-460, which connected Lynchburg and Roanoke via US-220 from Roanoke to Clifton Forge, then continued west following US-60 into West Virginia.[32] However, in July 1961, GovernorJ. Lindsay Almond and US Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges announced that the route would not be changed.[33] Lynchburg was left as the only city with a population in excess of 50,000 (at the time) that was not served by an interstate.[34]
TheVirginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded (now known as the Central Virginia Training School), was established outside Lynchburg inMadison Heights. For several decades throughout the mid-20th century, the state of Virginia authorized compulsory sterilization of the mentally retarded for the purpose ofeugenics. The operations were carried out at the institution. An estimated 8,300 Virginians were relocated to Lynchburg and sterilized there, making the city a "dumping ground" of sorts for the feeble-minded, poor, blind, epileptic, and those otherwise seen as genetically "unfit".[35]Carrie Buck challenged the state sterilization, but it was finally upheld by theUnited States Supreme Court inBuck v. Bell. She was classified as "feeble-minded" and sterilized while a patient at the Virginia State Colony.
Sterilizations were carried out for 35 years until 1972, when the operations were halted. Later in the late 1970s, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union filed aclass-action lawsuit against the state of Virginia on behalf of the sterilization victims. In the settlement, victims received formal apologies from the state and counseling if they chose, but the judiciary denied requests for the state to pay for reverse sterilization operations. In 1994, Buck's sterilization and litigation were featured as a television drama,Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story.[citation needed] TheManic Street Preachers address the issue in their song "Virginia State Epileptic Colony" on their 2009 albumJournal for Plague Lovers.
Liberty University, founded in 1971 as Lynchburg Baptist College and renamed in 1985, is one of the country's largest institutions of higher education and the largest employer in the Lynchburg region. The university states that it generates over $1 billion ineconomic impact to the Lynchburg area annually.[36][37][38]
Lynchburg has ten recognized historic districts, four of them in the downtown residential area.[39][40] Since 1971, 40 buildings have been individually listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[41]
Downtown Lynchburg has undergone significant revitalization, with hundreds of new loft apartments created through adaptive reuse of historic warehouses and mills. Since 2000, downtown has attracted private investments of more than $110 million, and business activity increased by 205% from 2004 to 2014.[42] In 2014, 75 new apartment units were added to downtown Lynchburg, with 155 further units under construction, increasing the number of housing units downtown by 48% from 2010 to 2014.[42]
In 2015, the $5.8-million Lower Bluffwalk pedestrian street zone opened.[43] Notable projects underway in downtown by the end of 2015 include the $25-million Virginian Hotel restoration project, a $16.6-million restoration of the Academy Center of the Arts, and $4.6-million expansion of Amazement Square Children's Museum.[44][45][46][47]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.6 square miles (128.5 km2), of which 49.2 square miles (127.4 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (1.0%) is water.[63]
The first neighborhoods of Lynchburg developed upon hills adjacent to the original ferry landing. These neighborhoods include:
Other major neighborhoods include Tinbridge Hill, Boonsboro, Trents Ferry, Rivermont, Fairview Heights (Campbell Ave corridor), Jackson Heights, Federal Hill (Federal Street, Jackson Street, Harrison Street) Fort Hill, Forest Hill (Old Forest Rd. Area), Timberlake, Windsor Hills, Sandusky, Sheffield, Linkhorne, Cornerstone and Wyndhurst.
Lynchburg has a four-seasonhumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa), with cool winters and hot, humid summers. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 35.9 °F (2.2 °C) in January to 76.0 °F (24.4 °C) in July.[64] Nights tend to be significantly cooler than days throughout much of the year due in part to the moderate elevation. In a typical year, there are 27.4 days with a high temperature 90 °F (32 °C) or above, and 6.2 days with a high of 32 °F (0 °C) or below.[64][65] Snowfall averages 11.6 inches (29 cm) per season but this amount varies highly with each winter; the snowiest winter is 1995–96 with 56.8 in (144 cm) of snow, but the following winter recorded only trace amounts, the least on record.[66] The average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak innor'easter activity. The plant hardiness zone is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 5 °F (−15 °C).
Temperature extremes range from 106 °F (41 °C), recorded on July 10, 1936, down to −11 °F (−24 °C), recorded onFebruary 20, 2015.[64] However, several decades may pass between 100 and 0 °F (38 and −18 °C) readings, with the last such occurrences being July 8, 2012 and February 20, 2015, respectively.[64]
| Climate data for Lynchburg, Virginia (Lynchburg Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1893–present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 82 (28) | 92 (33) | 95 (35) | 100 (38) | 104 (40) | 106 (41) | 105 (41) | 102 (39) | 98 (37) | 85 (29) | 79 (26) | 106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.8 (19.3) | 69.7 (20.9) | 78.8 (26.0) | 85.7 (29.8) | 88.8 (31.6) | 93.1 (33.9) | 95.2 (35.1) | 93.8 (34.3) | 90.4 (32.4) | 84.3 (29.1) | 74.9 (23.8) | 68.1 (20.1) | 96.0 (35.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.0 (7.8) | 49.6 (9.8) | 58.2 (14.6) | 68.8 (20.4) | 75.9 (24.4) | 83.2 (28.4) | 86.9 (30.5) | 85.2 (29.6) | 78.9 (26.1) | 68.9 (20.5) | 58.2 (14.6) | 49.0 (9.4) | 67.4 (19.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.9 (2.2) | 38.8 (3.8) | 46.4 (8.0) | 56.1 (13.4) | 64.2 (17.9) | 72.0 (22.2) | 76.0 (24.4) | 74.5 (23.6) | 68.0 (20.0) | 57.0 (13.9) | 46.5 (8.1) | 38.9 (3.8) | 56.2 (13.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 34.6 (1.4) | 43.5 (6.4) | 52.5 (11.4) | 60.7 (15.9) | 65.0 (18.3) | 63.8 (17.7) | 57.1 (13.9) | 45.1 (7.3) | 34.8 (1.6) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 45.0 (7.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 7.5 (−13.6) | 12.3 (−10.9) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 38.0 (3.3) | 49.5 (9.7) | 56.0 (13.3) | 54.5 (12.5) | 43.4 (6.3) | 29.9 (−1.2) | 20.9 (−6.2) | 14.5 (−9.7) | 5.1 (−14.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −10 (−23) | −11 (−24) | 5 (−15) | 20 (−7) | 30 (−1) | 40 (4) | 49 (9) | 45 (7) | 35 (2) | 21 (−6) | 8 (−13) | −4 (−20) | −11 (−24) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.46 (88) | 2.91 (74) | 3.76 (96) | 3.45 (88) | 3.98 (101) | 3.82 (97) | 4.19 (106) | 3.22 (82) | 3.96 (101) | 3.12 (79) | 3.39 (86) | 3.50 (89) | 42.76 (1,086) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.5 (8.9) | 3.6 (9.1) | 2.4 (6.1) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.0 (5.1) | 11.6 (29) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 9.5 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 12.1 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 9.7 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 9.4 | 118.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.7 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 167.0 | 168.2 | 221.7 | 243.7 | 272.3 | 287.5 | 273.4 | 256.6 | 226.5 | 215.4 | 169.6 | 155.9 | 2,657.8 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 54 | 56 | 60 | 62 | 62 | 65 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 55 | 52 | 60 |
| Source:NOAA (sun 1961–1990)[64][65][67] | |||||||||||||
One of the most prominent nicknames of Lynchburg is the "City of Seven Hills." This is due to one prominent feature of its geography, the seven hills that are spread throughout the region. The seven hills are: College Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill, Federal Hill, Diamond Hill, White Rock Hill, and Franklin Hill.[68]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 4,630 | — | |
| 1840 | 6,395 | 38.1% | |
| 1850 | 8,071 | 26.2% | |
| 1860 | 6,853 | −15.1% | |
| 1870 | 6,825 | −0.4% | |
| 1880 | 15,959 | 133.8% | |
| 1890 | 19,709 | 23.5% | |
| 1900 | 18,891 | −4.2% | |
| 1910 | 29,494 | 56.1% | |
| 1920 | 30,070 | 2.0% | |
| 1930 | 40,661 | 35.2% | |
| 1940 | 44,541 | 9.5% | |
| 1950 | 47,727 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 54,790 | 14.8% | |
| 1970 | 54,083 | −1.3% | |
| 1980 | 66,743 | 23.4% | |
| 1990 | 66,049 | −1.0% | |
| 2000 | 65,269 | −1.2% | |
| 2010 | 75,568 | 15.8% | |
| 2020 | 79,009 | 4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[69] 1790–1960[70] 1900–1990[71] 1990–2000[72] 2010[73] 2020[74] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[73] | Pop 2020[74] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 47,574 | 47,654 | 62.96% | 60.31% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 21,984 | 21,228 | 29.09% | 26.87% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 200 | 200 | 0.26% | 0.25% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,852 | 1,752 | 2.45% | 2.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 27 | 34 | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 184 | 669 | 0.24% | 0.85% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,447 | 3,592 | 1.91% | 4.55% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,300 | 3,880 | 3.04% | 4.91% |
| Total | 75,568 | 79,009 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the U.S. Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
As of the2010 census,[75] there were 75,568 people, 25,477 households, and 31,992 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,321.5 people per square mile (510.2 people/km2). There were 27,640 housing units at an average density of 559.6 units per square mile (216.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.0%White, 29.3%African American, 0.2%Native American, 2.5%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.63% fromother races, and 1.7% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 25,477 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.
The age distribution of the city had: 22.1% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,234, and the median income for a family was $40,844. Males had a median income of $31,390 versus $22,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,263. About 12.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Lynchburg ranks below the 2006 median annual household income for the U.S. as a whole, which was $48,200, according to the US Census Bureau.[76]
In 2009, almost 27% of Lynchburg children lived in poverty. The state average that year was 14%.[77]
Of Virginia's larger metro areas,Forbes Magazine ranked Lynchburg the fifth best place in Virginia for business in 2006, with Virginia being the best state in the country for business.[78] In the same survey, Lynchburg achieved the rank of 109th in the nation.
Industries within the Lynchburg MSA include nuclear technology, pharmaceuticals, and material handling. A diversity of small businesses with the region has helped maintain a stable economy and has minimized the impacts of nation-wide economic downturns.[79][80]
Lynchburg has several local and state-designated historic districts:Court House Hill–Downtown,Daniel's Hill,Diamond Hill,Fifth Street,Federal Hill,Garland Hill,Kemper Street,Lower Basin,Pierce Street,Rivermont, andTwelfth Street.[92]
Lynchburg is home to sporting events and organizations including:
Lynchburg uses a council-manager system. The Lynchburg City Council is composed of seven members that each serve a four-year term. There are four wards that elect a member; the remaining three are elected in at-large elections in which the top three candidates obtain a seat. The City Council is also responsible for appointing a city manager, city attorney, and city clerk.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 861 | 38.06% | 1,400 | 61.89% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1884 | 1,760 | 47.75% | 1,926 | 52.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 1,796 | 46.52% | 2,054 | 53.20% | 11 | 0.28% |
| 1892 | 1,358 | 35.63% | 2,422 | 63.55% | 31 | 0.81% |
| 1896 | 1,647 | 48.92% | 1,657 | 49.21% | 63 | 1.87% |
| 1900 | 660 | 37.65% | 1,081 | 61.67% | 12 | 0.68% |
| 1904 | 292 | 22.44% | 995 | 76.48% | 14 | 1.08% |
| 1908 | 473 | 32.64% | 962 | 66.39% | 14 | 0.97% |
| 1912 | 111 | 6.03% | 1,487 | 80.82% | 242 | 13.15% |
| 1916 | 353 | 19.16% | 1,465 | 79.53% | 24 | 1.30% |
| 1920 | 609 | 22.30% | 2,096 | 76.75% | 26 | 0.95% |
| 1924 | 606 | 21.49% | 2,086 | 73.97% | 128 | 4.54% |
| 1928 | 2,730 | 57.88% | 1,987 | 42.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,200 | 24.31% | 3,656 | 74.07% | 80 | 1.62% |
| 1936 | 1,373 | 26.96% | 3,697 | 72.60% | 22 | 0.43% |
| 1940 | 1,966 | 29.65% | 4,656 | 70.22% | 9 | 0.14% |
| 1944 | 2,396 | 35.69% | 4,302 | 64.08% | 15 | 0.22% |
| 1948 | 2,373 | 35.17% | 2,480 | 36.76% | 1,894 | 28.07% |
| 1952 | 7,090 | 64.75% | 3,848 | 35.14% | 11 | 0.10% |
| 1956 | 6,806 | 64.81% | 3,362 | 32.01% | 334 | 3.18% |
| 1960 | 7,271 | 59.33% | 4,961 | 40.48% | 24 | 0.20% |
| 1964 | 10,044 | 59.66% | 6,758 | 40.14% | 32 | 0.19% |
| 1968 | 9,943 | 54.34% | 4,305 | 23.53% | 4,051 | 22.14% |
| 1972 | 13,259 | 74.11% | 4,208 | 23.52% | 423 | 2.36% |
| 1976 | 14,564 | 61.18% | 8,227 | 34.56% | 1,013 | 4.26% |
| 1980 | 15,245 | 62.44% | 7,783 | 31.88% | 1,389 | 5.69% |
| 1984 | 18,047 | 67.41% | 8,542 | 31.91% | 183 | 0.68% |
| 1988 | 15,323 | 64.04% | 8,279 | 34.60% | 324 | 1.35% |
| 1992 | 12,518 | 50.13% | 9,587 | 38.40% | 2,864 | 11.47% |
| 1996 | 11,441 | 49.72% | 10,281 | 44.68% | 1,290 | 5.61% |
| 2000 | 12,518 | 53.25% | 10,374 | 44.13% | 614 | 2.61% |
| 2004 | 14,400 | 54.67% | 11,727 | 44.52% | 213 | 0.81% |
| 2008 | 17,638 | 51.36% | 16,269 | 47.37% | 434 | 1.26% |
| 2012 | 19,806 | 54.34% | 15,948 | 43.76% | 694 | 1.90% |
| 2016 | 17,982 | 50.43% | 14,792 | 41.48% | 2,883 | 8.09% |
| 2020 | 17,097 | 47.02% | 18,048 | 49.63% | 1,218 | 3.35% |
| 2024 | 19,574 | 52.87% | 16,664 | 45.01% | 785 | 2.12% |
Lynchburg has traditionally been a conservative stronghold. This predates the influence ofLiberty University; it was one of the first areas of the state where the old-lineByrd Democrats began splitting their tickets at the national level in the 1950s. However, conservative Democrats continued to hold most local offices well into the 1970s.
However, theDemocratic Party has seen a gradual increase in popularity in the city since the 1990s, and Lynchburg's political atmosphere has become increasingly moderate. In the2020 United States presidential election, a plurality of voters in Lynchburg voted for Democratic challengerJoe Biden over Republican incumbentDonald Trump.[134] Biden was the first Democrat to carry Lynchburg sinceHarry S. Truman in 1948.
Trump flipped the city back in2024, though he won it by a slightly smaller margin than in 2016.
The city is served by theLynchburg City Public Schools system, which is overseen by theLynchburg City School Board, which is appointed by the Lynchburg City Council.
Lynchburg is also home to theCentral Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology located inHeritage High School. This magnet school consists of juniors and seniors selected from each of the Lynchburg-area high schools. As one of eighteenGovernor's Schools in Virginia, the Central Virginia Governor's School focuses on infusing technology into both the math and science curriculum.
The city is also home to a number of religious and non-religious private schools, including Appomattox Christian Academy, Desmond T Doss Christian Academy,James River Day School,Liberty Christian Academy, New Covenant Classical Christian School, Timberlake Christian Academy,Virginia Episcopal School, and New Vistas School.
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Lynchburg shares a television and radio market with Roanoke.
TheGreater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) operates the localpublic transport bus service within the city. The GLTC additionally provides the shuttle bus service on the Liberty University campus.
TheGLTC selected a property directly across fromLynchburg-Kemper Street Station as its top choice of sites upon which to build the new transfer center for their network of public buses. They were interested in facilitatingintermodal connections between GLTC buses and the intercity bus and rail services which operate from that location. The project was completed and opened to the public on June 16, 2014.[156][157]
On August 23, 2017, the GLTC launched The Hopper, a free downtown circulator bus with a $479,348 grant from the Virginia Smart Scale program.[158][159] On June 29, 2019, the GLTC ended service for The Hopper due to "consistently low ridership" and the expiration of a $117,820 state grant that covered operating costs.[160]
Intercitypassenger rail and bus services are based out ofKemper Street Station, a historic, three-story train station recently restored and converted by the city of Lynchburg to serve as anintermodal hub for the community. The station is located at 825 Kemper Street.[161]
Greyhound Lines located their bus terminal in the main floor ofKemper Street Station following its 2002 restoration.[161] Greyhound offers transport to other cities throughout Virginia, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Amtrak's long distanceCrescent and aNortheast Regional connect Lynchburg withBoston,New York,Philadelphia,Baltimore,Washington,Charlotte,Atlanta,Birmingham,New Orleans and intermediate points.
In October 2009, Lynchburg became the southern terminus for aNortheast Regional that previously had overnighted in Washington. The forecast ridership was 51,000 for the 180-mile extension's first year, but the actual count was triple that estimate, and the train paid for itself without any subsidy.[162] By FY 2015, theRegional had 190,000 riders. The Lynchburg station alone served a total of 85,000 riders in 2015. It is located in the track level ground floor ofKemper Street Station.[163]
Lynchburg has two major freight railroads. It is the crossroads of twoNorfolk Southern lines. One is the former mainline of theSouthern Railway, upon which Kemper Street Station is situated. NS has aclassification yard located next to the shopping mall. Various yard jobs can be seen.Railfans who wish to visit the NS Lynchburg yard are advised to inquire with an NS official.CSX Transportation also has a line through the city and a small yard.
Lynchburg Regional Airport is solely served byAmerican Eagle to Charlotte, North Carolina. American Eagle, a subsidiary ofAmerican Airlines, is the only current scheduled airline service provider, with seven daily arrivals and departures toCharlotte Douglas International Airport. In recent years air travel has increased, with 157,517 passengers flying in and out of the airport in 2012, representing 78% of the total aircraft load factor for that time period.
Primary roadways includeU.S. Route 29,U.S. Route 29 Business,U.S. Route 501,U.S. Route 221, running north–south, andU.S. Highway 460 (Richmond Highway), running east–west. Portions of US 501 and US 29 Bus. form afreeway called the Lynchburg Expressway. While Lynchburg is the largest city in Virginia not served by an Interstate, parts of US 29 have been upgraded toInterstate standards and significant improvements have been made to US 460 in the immediate vicinity of Lynchburg and in suburban areas.
Glauchau,Saxony, Germany
Rueil-Malmaison,Île-de-France, FranceIn the meantime, at the prompting of stockholders and a firm hired to assess the company's corporate operations, officers began the development of a capital restructuring plan, which was accomplished with the transfer of assets to the Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation in 1939 and a substantial issuance of stock in this new entity. This marked a fresh start for the company, frankly aided by government contracts for footware for American armed forces during World War II and by the opportunity to get out from under a withering corporate debt by the pay-off of a series of bank loans.
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