Everything about Charlottesville Virginia totally explained
Charlottesville is an
independent city located within the confines of
Albemarle County in the
Commonwealth of
Virginia,
United States, and named after
Sophia Charlotte of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the
queen consort of
King George III of the United Kingdom.
As of the 2005 census update, the city proper had a population of 40,437. It is the
county seat of
Albemarle County though the two are separate legal entities. The
Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes, bringing the total population to 118,398. The city is the heart of the
Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes Albemarle,
Fluvanna,
Greene and
Nelson counties. In 2004, Charlottesville was ranked the best place to live in the United States in the book
Cities Ranked and Rated by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander. Sperling and Sander ranked the cities based on cost of living, climate, and quality of life. Charlottesville is best known as the home to three US Presidents, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, as well as the home of the
University of Virginia, founded by
Thomas Jefferson. The city is also known for Jefferson's
Monticello, his renowned mountain-top home which attracts approximately half a million tourists every year.
Geography and history
Charlottesville is located in the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia along the
Rivanna River, a tributary of the
James, just west of the Southwest Mountains, itself paralleling the
Blue Ridge about 20 miles to the west. It was formed by charter in 1762 along a trade route called
Three Notched Road (present day
U.S. Route 250) which led from
Richmond to the
Great Valley. It was named for
Queen Charlotte, the
queen consort of King
George III of the United Kingdom.
During the
American Revolutionary War, the
Convention Army was imprisoned in Charlottesville between 1779 and 1781 at the
Albemarle Barracks. On
June 4,
1781,
Jack Jouett warned the Virginia Legislature meeting at
Monticello of an intended raid by
Banastre Tarleton, allowing a narrow escape.
Unlike much of Virginia, Charlottesville was spared the brunt of the
American Civil War. The only battle to take place in Charlottesville was the
Skirmish at Rio Hill, in which
George Armstrong Custer was repulsed by local Confederate militia. The city was later surrendered by the Mayor and others to spare the town from being burnt. The Charlottesville Factory, circa 1820-30, was accidentally burnt during General Sheridan's raid through the Shenandoah Valley in 1865. This factory was seized by the confederacy and used to manufacture woolen soldiers wear. The mill ignited when coals were taken by union troops to burn a near-by railroad bridge. The factory was rebuilt immediately after and known then on as the Woolen Mills until its liquidation in 1962.
The first Black church in Charlottesville was established in 1864. Previously, it was illegal for African-Americans to have their own churches, although they could worship in white churches. A current predominately African-American church can trace its lineage to that first church.
Charlottesville is the home of the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory headquarters, the
Leander McCormick Observatory and the
CFA Institute. It is served by two area hospitals, the
Martha Jefferson Hospital
founded in 1903, and the
UVa Hospital.
The
National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) is in the Charlottesville area. Other large employers include
Crutchfield,
GE Fanuc Automation,
PRA International,
PepsiCo and
SNL Financial.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.
Attractions & culture
Charlottesville has a large series of attractions and venues for its relatively small size. Visitors come to the area for wine tours, ballooning, hiking, and world-class entertainment. The area has played host to The Rolling Stones, Sting, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Justin Timberlake along with numerous smaller national acts that perform at one of the area's four larger venues. Sometimes referred to as the "city of the three presidents," the Charlottesville area was the home of
Thomas Jefferson,
James Madison, and
James Monroe.
Monticello, Jefferson's plantation manor, is located just a few miles from downtown. The home of
James Monroe,
Ash Lawn-Highland, is down the road from
Monticello. About 25 miles northeast of Charlottesville lies the home of James and
Dolley Madison,
Montpelier. During the summer, Ash-Lawn Highland also serves as the home of the renowned Ash-Lawn Opera Festival.
The nearby
Shenandoah National Park offers great recreational activities and beautiful scenery. It is famous for its rolling mountains and many hiking trails.
Skyline Drive is a well-known scenic drive that runs the length of the park, alternately winding through thick forest and emerging upon sweeping scenic overlooks.
Charlottesville's bustling
downtown is the center of business for
Albemarle County. It is home to the
Downtown Mall, one of the longest outdoor pedestrian malls in the nation, with many stores, restaurants, and civic attractions. The renovated
Paramount Theater hosts various events, including Broadway shows and concerts. Local theatrics downtown are highlighted by Charlottesville's professional level community theater
Live Arts, and a new addition,
Play On! Theatre. Outside downtown are
New Lyric Theatre and
Heritage Repertory Theatre at UVa. Other attractions on the Downtown Mall are the
Virginia Discovery Museum and a 3500 seat outdoor amphitheater, the
Charlottesville Pavilion. Court Square, just a few blocks from the Downtown Mall, is the original center of Charlottesville and several of the historic buildings there date back to the city's founding in 1762.
Charlottesville is also home to the
University of Virginia (most of which is legally in Albemarle County). During the academic year, more than 20,000 students pour into Charlottesville to attend the university. UVa's main grounds are located on the west side of Charlottesville, with
Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village, known as
the Lawn, as the centerpiece. The Lawn is a long esplanade crowned by two prominent structures,
The Rotunda (designed by Jefferson) and Old Cabell Hall (designed by
Stanford White). Along the Lawn and the parallel
Range are dormitory rooms reserved for distinguished students. The
University Programs Council is a student-run body that programs concerts, comedy shows, speakers and other events open to the students and the community, such as the annual "Lighting of the Lawn."
The Corner is the commercial district abutting the main grounds of UVa, along University Avenue. This area is full of college bars, eateries, and UVa merchandise stores, and is busy with student activity during the school year. Much of the University's
Greek life is on nearby
Rugby Road. West Main Street, running from the Corner to the Downtown Mall, is a commercial district of restaurants, bars and other businesses.
Charlottesville is host to the annual
Virginia Film Festival, in October, the Festival of the Photograph in July, and the
Virginia Festival of the Book, in March. In addition, the Foxfield Races are a
steeplechase race held in April and October of each year. A
Fourth of July celebration, including a
Naturalization Ceremony, is held annually at Monticello, and a
First Night celebration has been held on the Downtown Mall since 1982.
Common to many college towns, Charlottesville has a significant
liberal community that coexists with the university students in creating art and music scene and an intellectual environment. The city is home to numerous music venues, bars, and coffee shops that cater to a wide variety of tastes. Musically, Charlottesville is known as both the launching pad and home of the
Dave Matthews Band as well as myriad local and regional acts.
Sports
Charlottesville has no professional sports teams, but is home to the University of Virginia's athletic teams, the
Cavaliers, who have a wide fan base throughout the region. The Cavaliers field teams in sports from soccer to basketball, and have modern facilities that draw spectators throughout the year. Cavalier
football season draws the largest crowds during the academic year, with football games played in
Scott Stadium. The stadium hosts large musical events, including concerts by the
Dave Matthews Band and
The Rolling Stones.
John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006, is the home arena of the Cavalier
basketball teams, in addition to serving as a site for concerts and other events. The arena is one of the largest basketball venues in the
Atlantic Coast Conference, being the biggest not located in a major metropolitan area. In its first season in the new arena concluded in
March 2007, the Virginia men's basketball team tied with
UNC for 1st in the ACC.
Both men's and women's
lacrosse have become a significant part of the Charlottesville sports scene. The Virginia Men's team won their first
NCAA Championship in 1972; in 2006, they won their fourth National Championship and became the first NCAA Men's lacrosse team to become undefeated Champions. Virginia's Women's team has three
NCAA Championships to its credit, with wins in 1991, 1993, and 2004. The soccer program is also strong; the Men's team shared a national title with Santa Clara in 1989 and won an unprecedented four consecutive NCAA Division I Championships (1991-1994). Their coach during that period was
Bruce Arena, who later won two MLS titles at D.C. United and coached the U.S. National Team during the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
Charlottesville area high school sports have been prominent throughout the state. Charlottesville is a hotbed for lacrosse in the country, with teams such as
St. Anne's-Belfield School,
The Covenant School,
Tandem Friends School,
Western Albemarle High School and
Albemarle High School. St. Anne's-Belfield School won its fourth state championship in ten years in football in 2006. The Covenant School won the state title for boys cross country in 2007-8 school year, the second win in as many years, and that year the girls cross country team won the state title.
Monticello High School won the Group AA state football title in 2007.
Transportation
Charlottesville is served by
Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, the
Charlottesville Amtrak Station, and a
Greyhound Lines intercity bus terminal. Limited intercity bus service is also provide by the
Starlight Express. The
Charlottesville Transit Service provides area bus service, augmented by
JAUNT, a regional
paratransit van service. The highways passing through Charlottesville are
I-64, its older parallel east-west route
US 250, and the north-south
US 29.
Rail transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Charlottesville with two routes: The
Cardinal (service between Chicago and New York City via central Virginia and Washington, D.C.) and the
Crescent (service between New York City and New Orleans). The Cardinal operates three times a week and the Crescent daily in both directions.
Charlottesville was once a major rail hub, at one time being served by multiple trains daily by both the
C&O and
Southern Railway Lines. The first train service to Charlottesville was by the Louisa Railroad Company, which later became the Central Virginia Railroad before becoming the Chesapeake and Ohio, and now referred to as the C&O. The Southern Railway started service to Charlottesville around the mid 1860s with a north-south route crossing the C&O east-west tracks. The new depot which sprang up at the crossing of the two tracks was called Union Station. In addition to this new rail line by Southern, they also located a major repair shop which produced competition between the two rail companies and bolstered the local economy. The Queen Charlotte hotel went up on West Main street along with multiple restaurants for the many new railroad workers.
The former C&O station on East Water Street was turned into offices in the mid 1990s. Union Station, still a functional depot for Amtrak, is located on West Main street between 7th & 9th streets where the tracks of the former C&O Railway (now
CSX) and Southern (now
Norfolk Southern Railway) lines cross. Amtrak and the city of Charlottesville finished refurbishing the station just after 2000, upgrading the depot and adding a full-service restaurant. Norfolk Southern has two north/south tracks crossing one CSX east/west track which follows
U.S. Route 250. The CSX line rejoins the Norfolk Southern line near
Orange, Virginia.
There are proposals to extend
Virginia Railway Express, the
commuter rail line connecting
Northern Virginia to
Washington, DC, to Charlottesville.
Media
Charlottesville has a main daily newspaper:
The Daily Progress. Weekly publications include
C-Ville Weekly and
The Hook, along with the monthly magazines
Blue Ridge Outdoors and
Albemarle Magazine. A daily newspaper,
The Cavalier Daily, is published by an independent student group at UVa. The monthly newspaper
Echo covers holistic health and related topics.
Charlottesville is served by most of the major national networks:
WVIR 29 (NBC),
WHTJ 41 (PBS),
WCAV 19 (CBS),
WAHU 27 (FOX), and
WVAW 16 (ABC). News radio in Charlottesville can be heard on
RadioIQ 89.7,
WINA 1070,
WCHV 1260, and
WVAX 1450. There are also several community radio stations operated out of Charlottesville, including
WNRN and
WTJU.
Charlottesville Blogs aggregates many area blogs. Notable blogs are
Cvillenews,
The Hook News Blog, and
cVillain.
Charlottesville Tomorrow covers growth and development issues.
Education
Charlottesville is served by the
Charlottesville City Public Schools. The school system operates six elementary schools,
Buford Middle School, and
Charlottesville High School. The area is also home to several private schools, including
Charlottesville Catholic School,
Charlottesville Waldorf School,
The Covenant School,
Field School of Charlottesville,
The Miller School of Albemarle,
Montessori Community School,
North Branch School,
Peabody School,
Renaissance School,
St. Anne's-Belfield School,
Tandem Friends School,
Village School,Murray High School,and
The Virginia Institute of Autism. The
Albemarle County Public School System operates public education outside of the Charlottesville city limits.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 40,099 people, 16,851 households, and 7,633 families residing in the city. The metropolitan area population is 185,000. The
population density was 4,389.7 people per square mile (1,695.3/km²). There were 17,591 housing units at an average density of 1,714.1/sq mi (662.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.56%
White, 22.22%
Black or
African American, 0.11%
Native American, 4.93%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 1.02% from
other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. 2.45% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 16,851 households out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% were
married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.7% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
Further Information
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