Floyd County

Floyd County, Virginia

Floyd County has a land area of 383 square miles and is located in the Blue Ridge province of the southwest part of Virginia. The county seat, the town of Floyd, is 40 miles southwest of Roanoke on US 221. Buffalo Mountain, at 3,971 feet, is the highest point in the county.

Situated atop a high plateau of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which divides the eastward flowing from the westward flowing waters. It is said that no water flows into Floyd County. The county is drained primarily by Little River and its tributaries, which flow into the New River below the Claytor Lake Dam and, in turn, by way of the Kanawha, the Ohio and the Mississippi, into the Gulf of Mexico.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the local economy was dominated by agriculture. Textile manufacturing rose and fell during this time. The construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway during the Great Depression brought some needed work to the County, and more importantly created a linear park and access way to introduce travelers to the arts, crafts and music of Floyd County.

Mabry Mill, located in Floyd County, is one of the most visited and photographed sites along the 469-mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Rocky Knob recreation area along the Parkway also features hiking, camping and panoramic views.

By the 1970’s, Floyd County was “discovered” by the back-to-the-landers seeking rural refuge. Many of the new residents were artists or artisans. In Floyd County, they found a land of natural beauty, a unique geography with all waters flowing out, rich hand-craft and music traditions, and open opportunities for creative, rural living. These same assets and the culture of creativity now attract many travelers to Floyd, which has seen a dramatic increase in tourism.

Thanks in part to the natural, cultural and technological amenities, the population of Floyd County in 2000 was up 16% over 1990, to 13,872 people. Floyd County is served by an advanced and scalable (underground) 200 Gbps open-access fiber network giving amazing and affordable access to the world.

From the 1700’s to now, as Americans still seek their own piece of ground, a better way of life, and a safe place to be, they continue to re-discover Floyd County.