Greene County is a county in Virginia in the eastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,552. Its county seat is Stanardsville.
Greene County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In recent years, Greene County has become a tourist destination for metropolitan areas to escape to the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia's scenic foothills.
History
thumb|left|[[Nathanael Greene, for whom the county was named.]]
Greene County was established in 1838 from Orange County. The county is named for American Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), who was a general in the Continental Army.
A major incident occurred on October 24, 1979, when a natural gas main ruptured, causing an explosion. The resulting fire destroyed the bell tower of the county courthouse and county office building. However, quick action by the firefighters on the scene saved the county records secured in the vault.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Virginia by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Rockingham County – west
- Page County – northwest
- Madison County – northeast
- Orange County – southeast
- Albemarle County – south
National protected areas
- Shenandoah National Park (part)