Bridgewater, Virginia
Bridgewater is a town of 6,708 people in Rockingham County, Virginia, founded in 1835.
Why visit Bridgewater
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 14 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Round Hill, Bridgewater Historic District, Contentment and Generations Park Ice Skating Rink.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Bridgewater
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bridgewater
Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,596 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Bridgewater, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks7
Bridgewater Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Rockingham County, Virginia
Contentment
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic home near Mount Crawford, Virginia, United States
Daniel Harrison House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Dayton Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Park in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States of America
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Peter Paul House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
Generations Park Ice Skating Rink
Sports field and stadium · 0.4 mi
Generations Park features ice skating during the winter season. The ice-skating season begins on Thanksgiving Day and is open daily...
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes14
Smiley's Ice Cream
Ice cream · 1.1 mi
205 Don Litten Parkway, Bridgewater
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 13:00-21:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza
630 North Main Street, Bridgewater
Mo-Th 10:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 10:00-23:00
2 more on the map.
History
William Magill first settled along the North River in 1746, and the area became known as Magill's Ford.
According to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, the book History of Rockingham County, Virginia said John Dinkle built a carding mill there around 1810 and the settlement came to be called Dinkletown. By 1815, the Dinkle family additionally had a sawmill, stave mill, and gristmill in operation and opened the Dinkle Tavern on South Main Street (SR 42) in a brick house that still stands. Dinkle is also spelled Dinkel; the current town's main east–west street (SR 257) still carries the name Dinkel Avenue within the town limits.
The first bridge across the North River was built in 1820 along the town's north–south axis (present-day SR 42 / Main Street); and, for a time, the young community was known as Bridgeport.
The Town received its charter from the Virginia General Assembly on February 7, 1835, then incorporated as Bridgewater. Every February 7, the town holds an annual Charter Day celebration to commemorate the granting of the charter.
Bridgewater College is located within the town, and was first established in 1880. The college has grown along with the town, now enrolling more than 1,800 students.
From the History section of Bridgewater, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
North River Baptist Church
Church · Baptist
99 Mount Crawford Avenue, Bridgewater
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Harrisonburg H.S. Governor'S Stem Academy
School · 4.8 mi
One Court Square, Harrisonburg
Map of Bridgewater
64 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 23°F | 2.7 in | 4.2 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 24°F | 2.2 in | 6.2 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 30°F | 3.2 in | 4.5 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 40°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 55°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 43°F | 2.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 32°F | 2.6 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Dale Enterprise Hcn (5 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
Rockingham County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-04: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-09-11: Hurricane Florence (Hurricane)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Dayton 2 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Belmont Estates 5 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Harrisonburg 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Staunton 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- Waynesboro 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Stuarts Draft 26 mi south, about 42 min by car
- Basye 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Charlottesville 36 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Lake Monticello 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Culpeper 53 mi east, about 1 h 30 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
- Bridgewater, VA, USA - panoramio - Idawriter (4), Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bridgewater VA Historic District Main St, Strawser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peter Paul House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Dayton VA Historic District Main St Sept 2013, Strawser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Daniel Harrison House in Dayton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Contentment near Mount Crawford, Nyttend, Public domain
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