Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia is a town of 1,391 people in Wise County, Virginia, founded in 1898.
Why visit Appalachia
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails and 1 place to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Derby Historic District and John Fox, Jr. House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Appalachia
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Appalachia
Appalachia () is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Appalachia had a population of 1,432.
From the Wikipedia article Appalachia, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks9
Derby Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in Virginia, United States
John Fox, Jr. House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Big Stone Gap, Virginia, listed on the NRHP in Wise County, Virginia
June Tolliver House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Kelly View School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
One-room school in Appalachia, United States of America
Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Big Stone Gap, VA, listed on the NRHP in Virginia
Stonega Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic district in Virginia, United States
Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Building in Big Stone Gap, United States of America
United States Post Office and Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic building in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes1
Churches and places of worship7
_just_north_of_U.S._Route_23_Business_(Main_Street)_in_Appalachia,_Wise_County,_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Pine_Street_and_Virginia_Avenue_in_Appalachia,_Wise_County,_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Church building in Virginia, United States of America
David's Tabernacle Church
Place of worship · 0.9 mi
314 West Main Street, Appalachia
History
The Appalachia post office was established in 1898. The community was named for the surrounding Appalachian Mountains. The Derby Historic District, Kelly View School, and Stonega Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Appalachia was formerly home to three railroad companies. The "big three" were the Southern Railway, Louisville & Nashville, and the Interstate Railroad. As of 2022, the Norfolk Southern Railroad is the only operating line through Appalachia, hauling only coal and the occasional ammonium nitrate and limestone aggregate product. These hoppers can be easily identified behind Main Street with the markings of the former railroads painted on the ribbed sides, most reading "Southern" and some "Norfolk & Western".
In 2006, fourteen Appalachia residents, including mayor Ben Cooper and the police chief, were indicted on charges relating to an electoral fraud conspiracy. Cooper was convicted of intercepting absentee ballots and changing the votes on them; buying votes with beer, cigarettes, and pork rinds; and conspiring with his appointee, the police chief, to steal money and other items from residents, among 243 felony charges. Ten other conspirators pleaded guilty and received fines or short jail sentences.
From the History section of Appalachia, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of Appalachia
25 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 24°F | 4.9 in | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 26°F | 5.0 in | 2.9 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 33°F | 5.4 in | 1.3 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 41°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 59°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 63°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 43°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 3.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 27°F | 5.5 in | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Big Stone Gap (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Wise County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-04: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-10-01: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-29: Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Cumberland 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Whitesburg 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Jenkins 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Mount Carmel 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Bloomingdale 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Church Hill 28 mi south, about 44 min by car
- Harlan 29 mi west, about 47 min by car
- Kingsport 31 mi southeast, about 49 min by car
- Surgoinsville 31 mi south, about 49 min by car
- Hazard 33 mi northwest, about 53 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Appalachia, Virginia, pfly from Pugetopolis, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2017-06-12 12 54 13 View north along Virginia State Route 78 (Callahan Avenue) just north of U.S. Route 23 Business (Main Street) in Appalachia, Wise County, Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Appalachia downtown, Nyttend, Public domain
- 2017-06-12 12 57 39 View south along U.S. Route 23 Business (Main Street) between Pine Street and Virginia Avenue in Appalachia, Wise County, Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Powell River bridge at Appalachia, Nyttend, Public domain
- Kelly View School, Nyttend, Public domain
- Christ Episcopal Church 1892, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin corner shot, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Derby Church, James Shelton32, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Fox Jr. Home, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stonega Roman Catholic church then Baptist church, James Shelton32, CC BY-SA 4.0
- June Tolliver House, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Southwest VA Museum Frontside, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS061-E-27198 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-237818 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-100602 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-237819 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- 2017-06-12 13 38 48 View east along Virginia State Route 68 (Exeter Road) at Pigeon Creek in Imboden, Wise County, Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
_at_Pigeon_Creek_in_Imboden,_Wise_County,_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.