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Greene County is one of the few gateways to the Blue Ridge. It is one of the final stops before the Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains. But more than that, Greene County is a place to find relaxation, beauty, to open your heart and feel the wonder of the land around you. The county is part of a stunning horizon for pedestrian, biker of visitor.
Greene County, Virginia
Courtesy of the Greene County Economic Development Authority
Description
Greene County is one of the few gateways to the Blue Ridge. It is one of the final stops before the Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains. But more than that, Greene County is a place to find relaxation, beauty, to open your heart and feel the wonder of the land around you. The county is part of a stunning horizon for pedestrian, biker or visitor.
Coming to Greene County is also a wise decision for any business who wants to enjoy uninhibited growth and easy access all across Virginia and beyond. Greene has huge tracts of land, expedient zoning and building processes, easy access to several large universities, and equal proximity to the largest parts of Virginia.
Greene County is also the perfect place to pursue the Appalachian culture, history and settings from the Shenandoah National Park to the Battle of Stanardsville. Place yourself where we make business easy and life a pleasure.
Location
Greene County lies in the north-central portion of Virginia just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skyline Drive, encased in the perennially picturesque Shenandoah National Park, appropriately forms the western boundary of the fertile and growing Greene County. Despite its placement within the metropolitan region of Charlottesville and its location on the US 29 corridor, Greene County offers considerable open space for development and growth. Downtown Charlottesville is approximately 20 miles south of the county seat of Stanardsville (via US 29). Richmond, the Virginia state capital, is 90 miles to the southeast (via nearby Rt. 64), and Washington, D.C. is about 100 miles northeast of the County (via US 29).
Community Facilities
The Greene Care Clinic offers excellent regular out-patient care, with other physicians, dentists and assisted living facilities available in the county. The exceptional health care facilities of the University of Virginia are also easily accessible to all Greene County residents.
There is more than one Christian church for every 1,000 residents in Greene County, spanning the full spectrum of Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church. Nearby Charlottesville and Albemarle County have many additional places of worship including Greek Orthodox churches, Jewish synagogues, and soon an Islamic Mosque as well.
Downtown Stanardsville, the seat of Greene County, is home to a branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system. The Greene County Library offers not only complete transferable access to the system’s large collection of more than 276,000 volumes but also book discussion groups and a Wednesday night film series. Additional library holdings are available in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia's Alderman Library, with over two million volumes, and at Piedmont Virginia Community College’s 53,000 volume collection.
Retailers of all kinds are available on an ever-expanding basis along US Route 29 in Ruckersville. There are three distinct shopping centers, including a large brand new center anchored by Wal-Mart & Lowe’s on the northern side of the Rt. 33 / US 29 intersection. This corridor features everything from comfortable, laid-back local foods to many antique stores to the best home-brewing and winemaking supply store anywhere in the region. Larger and more commercial shopping opportunities are available at the Fashion Square Mall and the downtown mall nearby in Charlottesville.
Lifestyle
There could not be a better place than Greene County for an escape to a natural setting with all the amenities. With more than a dozen superlative Inns and B&Bs scattered throughout the County among vineyards, golf courses and natural parks, there is never a great distance between comfort and activity. There are particularly endless opportunities for exploration in Greene County’s parks. The western side of the County is formed out of the Shenandoah National Park including the Appalachian Trail and Skyline Drive. Camping, picnicking and hiking are more than welcome in the Park, as well as seasonal hunting for the abundant deer and small game. The Rapidan Wildlife Management Area along the northern border of the County has over 1,200 acres in the Conway and South River watersheds perfect for fishing. Directions for three popular biking trails can be found at the Greene County Visitor Center, but within the parks and back ways of the County, any beautiful space can be made into a memorable hiking, biking or driving route.
Despite its small size, Greene County hosts two golfing facilities, a full 18-hole course with amenities at the Greene Hills Country Club and a leisurely driving range and putt-putt course at Highlands Golf Park. The inviting local park is home to playgrounds, soccer fields, extensive walking trails and an 18-hole Frisbee golf course.
Greene County is in the center of Virginia’s wine country and enjoys an important placement in the Monticello Wine Trail with the featured Stone Mountain Vineyards. The County boasts two additional vineyards as well, the 30-year-old, award winning Autumn Hill Vineyards and the brand new Moss Vineyards. If these vineyards are not enough to quench one’s thirst, there are over 25 wineries within a 30 mile radius of Greene County.
Greene County is also in the middle of one of the most historic regions in the nation. The town of Stanardsville, with its many pre-1900 buildings, is both a State and National Historic District. Incorporated in 1794, it was once a stagecoach stop on the way to and through the Shenandoah Valley. During the American Civil War, there were several incidents occurring in Greene including a skirmish between 1,500 marching Union forces under General George Custer and the rather surprised and small Confederate forces stationed at Rio Hill. Another brilliant and beautiful piece of history is the campus of the Blue Ridge School, which includes two National Historic Sites of its own. Not much farther away, just outside of Greene County, is an assortment of nationally-known historic homes such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier, James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland and the 225-year-old Michie Tavern. All of the historic sites in and around Greene County are available for curious visitors.
In addition to the bountiful treasures of Greene County, the larger towns of Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, with the University of Virginia and James Madison University respectively, are each little more than a half-hour drive away. Meanwhile Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, are both only about two hours away. The day-travel distance to these dense cities gives Greene residents access to more cosmopolitan cultural events while preserving the natural and historic peace and beauty of the County.
Contact
Greene County Economic Development Authority
96 Main St., Suite B
Stanardsville, VA 22973
http://www.ComeToGreene.com/
(p) (434) 985-6663
(f) (434) 985-3414
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