Why visit Chilhowie
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks and 3 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include A.C. Beatie House and Aspenvale Cemetery.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Chilhowie
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chilhowie
Chilhowie is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States, on the Middle Fork of the Holston River. As of the 2020 census, Chilhowie had a population of 1,654. The name Chilhowie is said to come from a Cherokee word meaning "valley of many deer". It is also notable for having only one traffic light in the entire city.
From the Wikipedia article Chilhowie, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks5
A.C. Beatie House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Aspenvale Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic cemetery in Virginia, United States
Downtown Chilhowie Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Virginia, United States
H.L. Bonham House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Preston House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Restaurants and cafes3
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Churches and places of worship6
Chilhowie Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Church building in Chilhowie, United States of America
Shopping1
History
Chilhowie was often the starting point of longhunter expeditions in the 1700s. In 1748 the area was visited by Colonel James Patton and Dr. Thomas Walker. They constructed a small fort, likely just a blockhouse. An early settler was Samuel Stalnaker (1715-1769) who converted Patton's fort into a tavern known as the Town House, and lived there until the late 1760s. The town sustained severe damage from an EF-2 tornado during the 2011 Super Outbreak.
A.C. Beatie House, H.L. Bonham House, Chilhowie Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Downtown Chilhowie Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Chilhowie, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Map of Chilhowie
25 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 23°F | 3.8 in | 1.9 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 25°F | 3.8 in | 4.2 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 31°F | 4.3 in | 1.6 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 39°F | 4.3 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 75°F | 49°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 58°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 61°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 54°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 41°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 26°F | 4.1 in | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Saltville 1N (8 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
Smyth County has had 14 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
Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Cedar Bluff 20 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Mountain City 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Bristol 29 mi southwest, about 47 min by car
- Jefferson 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- West Jefferson 31 mi south, about 49 min by car
- Bristol 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
- Castlewood 34 mi west, about 55 min by car
- Walnut Hill 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Bluefield 38 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Boone 41 mi south, about 1 h 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
- Chilhowie Historic District, James Shelton32, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Smyth, Preston House, Nyttend, Public domain
- H. L. BONHAM HOUSE, CHILHOWIE, SMYTH COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Smyth, Aspenvale Cemetery, Nyttend, Public domain
- A. C. BEATIE HOUSE, CHILHOWIE, SMYTH COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- I 81 STA60439 (3844497885), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS028-E-34300 - View of the Atlantic Ocean, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-67187 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-117608 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-67186 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- I 81 STA60441 (3844498079), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- I 81 STA60437 (3845288752), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Scholle Packaging Plant - panoramio, Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- I 81 STA60436 (3844497587), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- I 81 STA60435 (3845288482), Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
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