Lynchburg, Virginia

Home » Appalachian Cities and Towns » Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg was a important transportation hub and center of commerce for Virginia in the 1800s. By 1840, the James River and Kanawha Canal reached Lynchburg from Richmond. Withing 10 years, the Lynchburg & Tennessee Railroad began construction, later changing its name to the Virginia & Tennessee.

Prior to the Civil War, two additional railroads reached Lynchburg:

  • Orange & Alexandria (Alexandria to Lynchburg VA)
  • Southside Railroad (Petersburg to Lynchburg VA)

After the Civil War, two additional railroads were built, and several of the existing rail lines were extended.

  • The Richmond & Allegheny Railroad followed the James River from Richmond to Lynchburg. This line eventually became the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
  • The Lynchburg and Danville extension was built southward to Danville and into North Carolina. It was part of the Richmond & Danville Railroad. This line, and the Orange & Alexandria would later become the mainline of the Southern Railway.
  • The Southside Railroad would extend to Roanoke and beyond, eventually becoming the mainline of the Norfolk and Western Railway.

Before the turn of the century, Lynchburg was a major rail hub, with the mainlines of Chesapeake & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, and Southern Railways crisscrossing through Lynchburg.

Lynchburg Railroads Today

The Norfolk & Western and the Southern merged to become the Norfolk Southern Railway with multiple lines in and around Lynchburg. The Chesapeake & Ohio is now part of CSX, still using the same line along the James River.

Throughout the decades, the Lynchburg railroads were improved and reconstructed. The older and redundant lines were fortunately preserved as greenways and hiking paths.

Lynchburg Stats

  • Coordinates: 37°24′13″N 79°10′12″W
  • Elevation: 630 feet above sea level
  • Named For: John Lynch
  • Nickname: City of Seven Hills, The Hill City
  • Incorporated: 1805
  • Formerly Known As: Lynch’s Ferry
  • Population: 79,009 (2020)
  • County: Campbell
  • Highlights: 5 colleges and universities, the James River, Appomattox Court House, foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Thomas Jefferson’s retreat: Poplar Forest, and the many greenways and trails that were once railroads.

More Rails Across the Appalachians information will be added to this page and website in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any questions, see any edits that should be made, or have any content you are willing to share. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in Appalachian Railroads, the region, or model railroading.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

Contact Us

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org