Amherst County, Virginia

Amherst County
Amherst County Courthouse
Amherst County Courthouse
Flag of Amherst County
Official seal of Amherst County
Official logo of Amherst County
Map of Virginia highlighting Amherst County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°37′N 79°08′W / 37.61°N 79.14°W / 37.61; -79.14
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1761
Named forJeffery Amherst
SeatAmherst
Largest townAmherst
Area
 • Total479 sq mi (1,240 km2)
 • Land474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water4.9 sq mi (13 km2)  1.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total31,307
 • Density65/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district5th
Websitewww.countyofamherst.com

Amherst County is a county, located in the Piedmont region and near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is also named Amherst.[1]

Amherst County was created in 1761 out of Albemarle County, and it was named in honor of Lord Jeffery Amherst, the so-called "Conqueror of Canada". In 1807 as population increased, the county was reduced in size in order to form Nelson County. Tobacco was the major cash crop of the county during its early years. The labor-intensive crop was worked and processed by enslaved Africans and African Americans before the American Civil War.

As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 31,307.[2]

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  2. ^ "Amherst County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.