Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville metropolitan area.
History
At the time the English began settling Virginia in the 1600s, the inhabitants of what is now Nelson County were members of a Siouan-speaking tribe, the Nahyssan. It is likely they were connected to the Manahoac.
Nelson County was created in 1807 from Amherst County. The government was formed the following year. 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.
Hurricane Camille
On the night of August 19–20, 1969, Nelson County was struck by disastrous flooding caused by Hurricane Camille. The hurricane hit the Gulf Coast two days earlier, weakened over land, and stalled on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, dumping a world-record quantity of of rain, mainly in a three-hour period. Over five hours, it yielded more than , while the previous day had seen a deluge of in half an hour, with the ground already saturated. There were reports of animals drowning in trees and people who needed to cup their hands around their mouth and nose to breathe.
thumb|left|Mudslide damage in Nelson County after the passage of Hurricane Camille
Flash floods and mudslides killed 153 people, 31 from Roseland, Tyro, and Massies Mill alone. Over 133 public bridges were washed out in Nelson County, while some communities were under water. In the tiny community of Davis Creek, 52 people were killed or could not be found; only 3 of 35 homes were left standing after the floodwaters receded.). The Hurricane Camille disaster did over $140 million (in 1969 dollars) in damage across Virginia, however in no other place in Virginia was the storm as devastating and deadly as in Nelson County, where one percent of the population was killed and where many bodies were never recovered. Visitors to Nelson County can participate on a self-guided tour of notable locations related to Hurricane Camille. There are exhibits dedicated to Hurricane Camille at the Oakland Museum.
Geology
Nelsonite, the Virginia state rock, is named for Nelson County. Nelsonite is a distinctive igneous rock composed primarily of the minerals ilmenite and apatite, and as such it's rich in both titanium and calcium phosphate.
Geography
right|thumb|The [[Tye River (James River)|Tye River flows through the mountains and low hills of Nelson County.]]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) 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
Nearby towns and cities
- Charlottesville
- Lynchburg
- Waynesboro
National protected areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- George Washington National Forest (part)
- United States National Radio Quiet Zone (part)
Major highways
thumb|right|I-64 in Nelson County
- (extreme northern Nelson County)
- (Thomas Nelson Highway)
- (Richmond Highway)
- (Rockfish Gap Turnpike)
- (Afton Mountain Road; River Road; joins US 29)
- (Crabtree Falls Highway; Tye Brook Highway; joins US 29 and US BUS 29 in Lovingston; James River Road)
- (Patrick Henry Highway; Rockfish Valley Highway)
Education
Nelson County Public Schools is a Virginia public school division. It operates two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school (Nelson County High School). The middle and high schools are connected and located just outside Lovingston, Virginia. Nelson County also provides free GED testing to all adults.
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Nelson County.