Downtown Lynchburg Skyline and the
John Lynch Bridge across the James River
Downtown Lynchburg Skyline and the
John Lynch Bridge across the James River
Lynchburg is a scenic city located in the
eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia. The area
has an extensive history beginning with its founding on the James River in
the 1760's by John Lynch as "Lynch's Ferry." Today the city has an urban
population of over 96,000, including the suburbs of Madison Heights,
Timberlake and Forest. The 1990 census by the U.S. Census Bureau lists
the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lynchburg (which includes Amherst,
Bedford and Campbell counties and the cities of Bedford and Lynchburg)
as having a population of 193,928.
Lynchburg's economy is based on the many high-tech manufacturing companies located here including cellular communications, nuclear energy, and machinery. This manufacturing and research orientation represents a shift from the mill-based economy of the past, which included foundries, shoes and textiles. Education is well-represented here with four area private colleges and a public community college. Health care includes two hospitals, one of which, Lynchburg General, has been recently renovated into a state-of-the-art facility for the next century.
pictured to the right is Monument Terrace on Church St. and the
steps leading to Court St. and the Lynchburg Courthouse
