Galax, Virginia
Galax is a city of 6,726 people in Galax city, Virginia, founded in 1906.
Why visit Galax
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 33 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Twin County Cinema 3, Main Street Produce, A. G. Pless, Jr. House and Dr. Virgil Cox House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Galax
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Galax
Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720.
From the Wikipedia article Galax, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Main Street Produce
Farm and orchard · 0.7 mi
101 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-18:00
Museums and landmarks7
A. G. Pless, Jr. House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Dr. Virgil Cox House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Galax Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Galax, Virginia
Gordon C. Felts House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Old Grayson County Courthouse and Clerk's Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Courthouse in Virginia, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes33
Applebee's
Diner · American · 2.5 mi
1126 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-00:00
Curo's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 2.5 mi
1138 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Mo-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00
El Rio Grande
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
1055 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
El Torito
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
528 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Kyoto
Restaurant · Japanese · 2.0 mi
1075 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Su-Th 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-21:30
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.3 mi
951 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Su-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00
RJ's Pizza and Subs
Restaurant · Italian · 1.7 mi
1006 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Bamboo Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.1 mi
1093 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Su-Mo,We-Sa 11:00-20:30
County Line Cafe
Diner · American · 1.4 mi
956 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Mo-Fr 06:00-20:00; Sa 06:00-11:00
New China Buffet
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.3 mi
949 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Mo-Su 10:30-22:00
21 more on the map.
History
The area that later became Galax was part of an 800-acre (320 ha) land grant given to James Buchanan in 1756 by the British Crown. The first plat map for Galax is dated December 1903; the town founders selected the site for the city on a wide expanse of meadowland bisected by Chestnut Creek and sitting at an altitude of 2,500 feet (760 m) on a plateau. The Virginia General Assembly officially chartered the town of Galax in 1906.
The town is named for Galax urceolata, an evergreen groundcover plant found throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. At the time, the plant was gathered and sold by many people in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina as an ornamental plant; a Norfolk and Western Railway Company official suggested that the town be named for the plant. The first Galax Agricultural Fair took place in September 1908, when Galax had 600 residents.
In the past, Galax was an industrial town; by the 1960s, Galax was home to six furniture factories, a mirror factory, at least four textile companies, two large department stores, a lumber company, Carnation Milk, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and Clover Creamery.
The Town of Galax was separated from Carroll and Grayson counties and became an independent city on December 6, 1953.
From the History section of Galax, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship22
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Healthcare8
Carilion Clinic Family & Internal Medicine - Galax
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
544 East Stuart Drive, Galax
Map of Galax
118 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 | 3.7 in | 4.6 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 26°F | 3.1 in | 5.8 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 32°F | 3.8 in | 3.4 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 39°F | 4.1 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 57°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 61°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 41°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 3.3 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 27°F | 3.4 in | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Galax Radio Wbrf (0 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
Galax city has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter 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)
- 2018-12-18: Tropical Storm Michael (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wilkes County Airport (IKB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 32 miles away.
- Sparta 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Mount Airy 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Flat Rock 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- Dobson 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Elkin 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Jonesville 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Pilot Mountain 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Hays 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Dublin 33 mi north, about 53 min by car
- Radford 37 mi northeast, 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
- Main St Galax Va, Cyoung9, Public domain
- OldGraysonCountyCourthouse, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FeltsHouseGalaxVA, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DrCoxHouse, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A.G. Pless, Jr. House, Nyttend, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.