Danville, Virginia

Danville, Virginia
Worsham Street overlook, Main & Ridge St. intersection, Masonic building (River City Towers), Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, municipal building from Union Street, repurposed Dan River Fabrics "Home" sign.(Clockwise from the top)
Worsham Street overlook, Main & Ridge St. intersection, Masonic building (River City Towers), Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, municipal building from Union Street, repurposed Dan River Fabrics "Home" sign.(Clockwise from the top)
Flag of Danville, Virginia
Official seal of Danville, Virginia
Official logo of Danville, Virginia
Nicknames: 
River City,
City of Churches,
DanVegas,
D'ville
Motto: 
Reimagine That
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Danville is located in Virginia
Danville
Danville
Location of Danville in Virginia
Danville is located in the United States
Danville
Danville
Danville (the United States)
Coordinates: 36°35′14″N 79°24′16″W / 36.58722°N 79.40444°W / 36.58722; -79.40444
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyNone (Independent city)
Named forDan River
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorAlonzo Jones
 • Vice MayorGary P. Miller
 • CouncilDanville City Council
Area
 • Total
43.70 sq mi (113.19 km2)
 • Land42.80 sq mi (110.84 km2)
 • Water0.90 sq mi (2.34 km2)
Elevation
531 ft (162 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
42,590
 • Density970/sq mi (380/km2)
DemonymDanvillian
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
24540-24541, 24543
Area code434
FIPS code51-21344[2]
GNIS feature ID1492837[3]
Websitewww.danville-va.gov

Danville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The city is located in the Southside Virginia region and on the fall line of the Dan River.

The city was a center of tobacco production and was an area of Confederate activity during the American Civil War,[4] due to its strategic location on the Richmond and Danville Railroad. In April 1865, Danville briefly served as the third and final capital of the Confederacy before its surrender later that year.

Danville has maintained an African American majority population since the Reconstruction era. During this time, the city was represented politically by African American members of the Readjuster Party. However, this changed following the Danville Massacre of 1883, after which Democrats regained control both locally and statewide.[5][6] Decades later, during the civil rights era, Danville again became a flashpoint for racial violence and resistance to desegregation efforts.

Danville is the principal city of the Danville, Virginia Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with surrounding Pittsylvania County for statistical purposes. The population was 42,590 at the 2020 census.[7] It is bounded by Pittsylvania County to the north and Caswell County, North Carolina to the south. It hosts the Danville Otterbots baseball club of the Appalachian League.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ DeNordendorff, Charles. "Map of Danville Defences 1863". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  5. ^ Schneider, Gregory (September 19, 2020). "Reckoning in a small town: Civil War meets civil rights in the Last Capital of the Confederacy". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Work Castle, Molly (October 19, 2021). "In the 1800s, election fraud and a massacre stopped black progress". Word in Black. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Danville city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2022.

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