8 Most Beautiful College Towns In Virginia
Virginia's endless beauty encompasses more than what meets the eye. The college towns hang onto some of the state's most gorgeous scenery in quiet corners, like Williamsburg. Charlottesville is famously home to Monticello and the Jeffersonian masterpiece of the state university, while Lexington presides amidst the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. History comes alive along the streets, museums, sites, and nature trails minutes from class.
Not just campuses, but real college estates boast some of the best-maintained landscapes in Virginia. Home to more than 125 public and private degree-granting institutions of higher learning, collegiate charm and state history unite in this southern state. Spanning the Blue Ridge and peaking over the Chesapeake Bay, education becomes a privilege in the eight most beautiful college towns in the Old Dominion.
Blacksburg
Home to the state's third-largest university, Virginia Tech's 2,600-acre main campus is a place of tradition. Some 31,000 undergrads enjoy classic and historic dormitories, sorority houses, fraternities, and apartments. Centered around the oval Drillfield, this local "fairgrounds," since 1894, is popular for strolls, studying, or just a relaxing picnic backed by trees and architecture. Among its unforgettable pieces, the Collegiate Gothic-style Burruss Hall and the Pylons add a worldly appeal, while the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation is a beautiful Tudor-style.
The Hahn Horticulture Garden draws students for a stroll amidst mixed flora along a fish-teeming stream before a game at the adjacent Lane Stadium. Beyond the campus, the sparkling blue Pandapas Pond Day Use Area is a quick drive or bike ride north for a sunny day outing, plus Clover Hollow Covered Bridge, minutes onward. Visiting families shouldn't miss the Historic Smithfield, a 1700s touchstone, and shows at the campus' Center for the Arts, including plays, symphonies, modern music, and dance right along the main attractive strip.
Charlottesville
Known for its storied campus and the nearby Monticello, attending school at the University of Virginia is like stepping directly into history. Designed by Thomas Jefferson and formally established in 1819, the public-private university is known worldwide. The unique Jeffersonian architecture exudes potent sophistication across the campus, framed by nonetheless spectacular natural landmarks. The Lawn, where students have studied for two centuries, is flanked by retro-style dormitories, including one of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Looking ahead, the dome-shaped Palladian-style Rotunda was modeled after Rome’s Pantheon. Finished in 1826, it is one part of the US's only three designated UNESCO World Heritage Site structures. The Saunders-Monticello Trail meanders through an 89-acre park with an arboretum, a pond, and paved trails. The focal 1769 mansion, Monticello, Jefferson's stately home and slave plantation, offers tours, a museum, and a cafe. Meanwhile, the Riverview Park feels starkly casual on the Rivanna River to chill out adjacent to a trail.
Emory
Emory & Henry University opened in 1836 in the natural scenery of the Appalachian highlands. The intimate private college blends remote vibes right along the highway. Ranked among the nation's top liberal arts institutions, some 1,100 undergraduates attain more than an education in over 90 academic fields of study. The campus and beyond are places of outstanding beauty in Southwest Virginia. Totalling 335 acres, 167 acres remain blissfully undeveloped to explore hidden beauty.
Wrapping around architecture, it features columned buildings, several stadiums, and cultural institutions like the E&H McGlothlin Center for the Arts. Falls Of Logan Creek is minutes north across the North Fork Holston River for a refreshing picnic at the doorstep of the Channels Natural Area Preserve, named after the “channels” between rock formations that form a labyrinth. Watauga Trail Head Creeper Trail is a popular dog-friendly hike south or an easy ride to Damascus along chestnut and sycamore trees.
Farmville/Hampden-Sydney
Just an hour west of Richmond, Farmville is home to the public Longwood University and the all-male Hampden-Sydney College for liberal arts, both comprised of beautiful, stately red buildings. Founded in 1775, Hampden-Sydney College is one of the US's oldest and the oldest private charter in the South, minutes south of Farmville in a census-designated area after which it was named. William Henry Harrison, 9th U.S. President, was a member of the Class of 1791, the year he joined the army, while Patrick Henry served on the first Board of Trustees.
The designated National Historic Preservation Zone immortalizes its significance in US and Virginia history, among pretty lake features and sites like Bortz Library. Collegiate charm meets inspiring views and remote vibes through the nearby surroundings and hidden treasures. It is minutes to a sunny day outing by the Sandy River Reservoir, its boat ramp, and quiet shores for fishing. The stunning High Bridge Trail State Park sits nearby with an all-accessible trail approach to the historic bridge, particularly during the golden hour or in fall foliage.
Harrisonburg
Founded in 1908, James Madison University is a public research university with degrees in business, sciences, art, administration, and fine arts. Centered on Newman Lake and Wilson Hall, named after the former president, the campus offers ample opportunity to unwind in the fresh air. In addition to the arboretum, its botanical garden, and trails, 92 acres of quiet forests inspire mindless wanderings minutes from class. Incredible public art scattered downtown reveals unique snippets from the past with over 30 murals and statues.
Students enjoy relaxing in the scenery on a sunny day along the expansive lawn. Adventures begin from trails along the Shenandoah River or a short drive to Shenandoah River State Park. Over 500 miles worth of trails traverse Shenandoah National Park, with its waterfalls, wildflowers, vistas, and wooded hollows. Shenandoah Heritage Market is an unmissable part of town with a throwback vibe and stores including everything from antique shops to fine cheeses, a toy store, and a dining area.
Lexington
Lexington is a beautiful college town driven by academia. Off to the western edge, Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden offers dog-friendly trails with a woodsy appeal and water features. Jordan's Point Park is an island amidst the Maury River, where you can fish, swim, kayak, or relax with pretty views against the rushing waters. The adjacent Chessie Nature Trail features a bridge and follows the river for many miles south along rocky gorge walls and mountains, plus bald eagles and herons overhead.
Washington & Lee University, a private liberal arts university, crowns 325 acres between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Its historic allure is heightened by the National Historic Landmarks, the red brick Colonnade, and the late Victorian-style Lee Chapel, named for the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The stately stone George C. Marshall Foundation exhibits the papers and the Nobel Peace Prize of the man behind the Marshall Plan. Its imposing architecture is naturally framed by the forever beautiful Shenandoah Valley.
Sweet Briar
This charming college town is just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Established in 1901 as a women-only institution, Sweet Briar College is considered the sister school of Hampden-Sydney, one of only three all-men’s liberal arts colleges in the US. The 3,250-acre campus hits a sweet spot for studying and recreation, with wide green and meticulous gardens throughout, and views of the mountains. The peaking architectural elements, like the 21 buildings listed on the US Historic Register, enhance the appeal.
Students enjoy quick hikes to scenic vantages at Monument Hill and the Sweet Briar Overlook. Sweet Briar’s equestrian program is world-renowned, with stables and resident beauties impatient to get your ride on its lush rolling meadows or pristine practice grounds. Natural Bridge State Park is under an hour west, with its 215-foot, bridge-shaped gorge, karst landscape, valley, and forest trails. Meandering among the formations, picnicking, and endless opportunities for a photo will surely take your mind off of studies.
Williamsburg
Ah, the Colonial Williamsburg. Between the York and James Rivers, Williamsburg welcomes visitors into one of the state's most significant historic corners. Royally founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, William & Mary was America's second higher learning institution, after Harvard. Such prestige comes bursting through natural beauty. There's so much life, history, and enchantment in this college town, like the leafy, Europe-themed amusement park known as Busch Gardens, with rides, coasters, shows, and riverfront dining.
The sprawling campus is largely woodland, surrounding the impressive Lake Matoaka, with shores to relax, reflect, and recreate. Students and visitors alike enjoy the trails throughout, perfect for decompressing. The Botanical Garden and Freedom Park Arboretum offer strolls among native flora, a butterfly garden, and a picnic pavilion. The Old Campus' Sunken Garden feels hidden and serene within a lowland. Crossing the arched storybook bridge over Crim Dell pond is perfect for a commemorative selfie.
Discover Your Place in Virginia
Virginia is home to the second-established university in America, William & Mary, which is also the ninth oldest in all of the English-speaking world. Boasting presidential history and proximity to Washington, DC, it feels like getting education firsthand from the founding fathers in the same views enjoyed for centuries.
One need not be a scholar but have a soft spot for nature. These eight Virginia towns are ideal for starting a journey or settling for a lifetime. Each opens you up to surprises around the corner, like another overlook or the next significant landmark, rushing rivers and vineyards, or whatever inspires you.
