Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

At the time of English settlement in Virginia in the 17th century, the inhabitants of what became Nelson County were a Siouan-speaking tribe known as the Nahyssan. They were probably connected to the Manahoac.^[3]

Nelson County was created in 1807, when it was separated from Amherst County. The government was formed the following year.^[4]The county is named for Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, who served as Governor of Virginia in 1781. An earlier Virginia county, also named in his honor, became part of Kentucky when it separated from Virginia in 1792.

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Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,228 km²), of which 472 square miles (1,223 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5 km²) (0.41%) is water. The Blue Ridge Mountains form the northwest boundary of the county; the James River forms the boundary to the southeast. Internally, Nelson consists of the Rockfish, Tye and Piney rivers, along with many known creeks.

Adjacent counties

• Augusta County – northwest
• Albemarle County – northeast
• Buckingham County – southeast
• Appomattox County – south
• Amherst County – southwest
• Rockbridge County – west

National protected areas

• Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
• George Washington National Forest (part)
• United States National Radio Quiet Zone (part)

Unincorporated towns

There are no cities or incorporated towns in Nelson County. Unincorporated communities include but are not limited to:

• Afton
• Arrington
• Bryant
• Gladstone
• Lodebar
• Lovingston
• Massies Mill
• Montebello
• Nellysford
• Roseland
• Schuyler
• Shipman
• Tyro
• Wingina
• Woods Mill

Source: Wikipedia