Ettrick, Virginia
Ettrick is a community of 5,910 people in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Why visit Ettrick
Townapedia lists 56 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 41 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, City Market, Folly Castle Historic District and Ettrick Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Ettrick
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ettrick
Ettrick is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,241. The town is home to Virginia State University and the Petersburg Amtrak train station.
From the Wikipedia article Ettrick, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge
Bridge · 1.7 mi
Bridge in Virginia, United States of America
Museums and landmarks56
City Market
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic commercial building in Virginia, United States
9 East Old Street, Petersburg
Folly Castle Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Petersburg, Virginia, USA
Petersburg City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Rathaus in Petersburg, United States of America
Petersburg Old Town Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Petersburg, Virginia, United States
Second Presbyterian Church
Monument and historic site · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Church building in Virginia, United States of America
419 West Washington Street, Petersburg
Violet Bank Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic plantation house and museum in Colonial Heights, Virginia
303 Virginia Avenue, Colonial Heights
Anna P. Bolling Junior High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
School building in Petersburg, Virginia
Appomattox Iron Works
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic iron foundry complex located at Petersburg, Virginia
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Commercial and Industrial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic district in Virginia, United States
Azurest South
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Battersea
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in Virginia, USA
_at_East_River_Road_(Virginia_State_Secondary_Route_1107)_at_Virginia_State_University_in_Ettrick,_Chesterfield_County,_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
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Blandford Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia
44 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Appomattox River Trail: University Blvd/Petersburg Patton Park Trailhead
Hiking and trails · 1.3 mi
Restaurants and cafes41
29 more on the map.
History
Ettrick was named around 1765 by the foreign merchant Neil Buchanan, who dubbed the eventual village Ettrick Banks for its similarities to his native Ettrick area of Selkirk, Scotland.
Capt. Christopher Newport led expeditions in this area. Near Petersburg, which developed as an industrial city, Ettrick also developed industry. It had cotton mills, as it was on the Fall Line and could use water power.
During the American Civil War, the Confederate Army established a large hospital here. In the late nineteenth century, the biracial state legislature established the first state-supported black college, founded here in 1882 as Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute (now Virginia State University). John Mercer Langston, who founded the Law School at Howard University, was its first president. He was elected as a US Congressman from Virginia from here. Vawter Hall and Old President's House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
One of the longstanding landmarks is Campbell's Bridge, first built around 1810. It has been reconstructed several times and is the only direct thoroughfare from the village across the river into Petersburg.
From the History section of Ettrick, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship20
Tabb Street Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
27 West Tabb Street, Petersburg
Blandford Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
First Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.2 mi
235 West Washington Street, Petersburg
Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.4 mi
620 Lafayette Avenue, Colonial Heights
Faith Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.8 mi
1226 Roslyn Road, Colonial Heights
Faith United Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.7 mi
624 Hinton Street, Petersburg
High Street United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.6 mi
607 High Street, Petersburg
Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.7 mi
505 Lakeview Avenue, Colonial Heights
Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.8 mi
1124 West Washington Street, Petersburg
Morning Star Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.6 mi
1209 Upper Appomat Street, Petersburg
Saint Johns Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.8 mi
846 West Washington Street, Petersburg
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries33
Appomattox Regional Governor'S School
School · 1.8 mi
512 W Washington St, Petersburg
Central St. Hosp. Ed. Pr.
School · 2.7 mi
West Washington St Extended, Petersburg
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy
School · 4.1 mi
155501 Harrowgate Road, Chester
Colonial Heights Technical Center
School · 2.6 mi
3451 Conduit Road, Colonial Heights
Healthcare3
Colonial Heights Health Department
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
200 Highland Avenue, Colonial Heights
Map of Ettrick
177 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 28°F | 3.0 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 29°F | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 36°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 46°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 78°F | 55°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 64°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 69°F | 4.7 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 67°F | 5.3 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 61°F | 4.6 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 48°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 62°F | 37°F | 3.2 in |
| Dec | 53°F | 31°F | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Petersburg (2 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
Chesterfield County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2021-05-10: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-12-18: Tropical Storm Michael (Hurricane)
- 2018-10-15: Hurricane Florence (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Dinwiddie County Airport (PTB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Colonial Heights 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Petersburg 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Chester 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Hopewell 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Enon 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Meadowbrook 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Bensley 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Rockwood 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Brandermill 18 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Richmond 20 mi north, about 32 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
- 2017-07-07 18 13 14 View south along Virginia State Route 327 (Matthews Jefferson Drive) at East River Road (Virginia State Secondary Route 1107) at Virginia State University in Ettrick, Chesterfield..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ettrick Elementary School, Packer1028, CC0
- Ettrick Cemetery, Packer1028, CC0
- Ettrick-Matoaca Library, Packer1028, CC0
- 2ndPresbPetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- FollyCastlePetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- CityMarketPetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- Downtown Petersburg, Virginia - Sarah Stierch, Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
- TabbStPresby, Smallbones, Public domain
- Colonial Hgts4, Corvokarasu at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- CityHallPetersburgVA, Katherine Wetzel, HABS employee, Public domain
- Pocahontas Island (1541379387), Taber Andrew Bain from Richmond, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sutherland house, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Burlington entrance, Dinwiddie County, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lee Memorial Park, Mojo Hand, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Appomattox Iron Works, 20-28 Old Street (Petersburg city, Virginia), David Sharpe, Photographer, Public domain
- Anna P. Bolling Junior High School - Sarah Stierch, Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
- Central st hosp chapel, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Centre hill houses, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mayfield cottage, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nathaniel Friend Jr. House, 27-29 Bollingbrook Street (Petersburg city, Virginia), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- AdamsWytheHouse, Smallbones, Public domain
- IndustrialDistrictPetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- Petersburg Courthouse District, Jweaver28, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Hill, 151 Carroll Avenue, (Colonial Heights, Virginia), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Petersburg Courthouse, Cockadecity at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- BlanfordCemetery, Smallbones, Public domain
- Trailways Bus Terminal; Petersburg, VA - 003, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mansfield from Mark, Nyttend, Public domain
- Ellerslie gate, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Vawter Hall at VSU, Jweaver28, CC BY-SA 4.0
- BlandfordChurchPetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- WallaceHousePetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
- McKenney House Petersburg, Jweaver28, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SwiftCreekMill2017, Mojo Hand, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MahoneHouse, Smallbones, Public domain
- Historic home in Poplar Lawn Historic District - Stierch, Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
- Mcilwaine house, Nickmorgan2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peabody School Petersburg, Jweaver28, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MethodistChurchPetersburg, Smallbones, Public domain
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