AUGUSTA COUNTY
County Offices
18 Government Center Lane
Verona 540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
30 Ladd Road
Fishersville 540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
Nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia, picturesque Augusta County surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro but maintains its county seat of government in Verona. The area benefits from a strong and diversified economy led by manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, government, services, and trade sectors. Transportation efficiencies include Interstates 64 and 81 as well as US Routes 11, 250, and 340. Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave provides commercial air travel service.
Services
First-rate educational opportunities are available on every academic level, underlined by a public school system that includes a National Blue Ribbon high school and the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School (SVGS) that also houses the Valley Career and Technical Center. SVGS programs are designed to meet the needs of gifted and highly motivated students in three curriculum areas: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Visual Arts with Humanities, and Theatre Arts with Humanities. Private school options include Fishburne Military School with an Army JROTC program, and Stuart Hall for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Twelve public and private colleges and universities are available with a 45-minute drive from August County, including James Madison University, Washington and Lee University, and the acclaimed research institution of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. With eight schools and three professional programs, UVA offers the highly ranked Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law, and School of Medicine. Institutions of higher education within Augusta County include Blue Ridge Community College for career training and transfer programs, and the private institution of Mary Baldwin College—home to the Murphy Deming Graduate College of Health Sciences.
State-of-the-art healthcare facilities and services are available throughout Augusta County thanks to the presence of Augusta Health with its flagship campus in Fishersville. This nationally acclaimed institution has been recognized for a number of advanced programs that include a state-of-the-art cancer center. Considered as one of America’s finest community hospitals and ranked by Healthgrades among the 50 Best Hospitals, Augusta Health maintains a 255-bed hospital staffed by 225 full-time physicians. Augusta Health provides comprehensive services that include Urgent Care centers and Convenient Care Centers in the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Approximately 45 minutes from most Augusta County addresses, Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia Health System with a 570-bed Magnet® hospital, Level I Trauma Center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, and a Children’s Hospital. UVA Health also maintains primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia, staffed by professionals that have been recognized for clinical excellence in publications like US News & World Report, Best Doctors in America, and America’s Top Doctors.
Lifestyle
Natural beauty, friendly small communities, historic charm, and outstanding recreational opportunities are just a few of the assets that attract new residents to Augusta County. Throughout the countryside and urban centers, award-winning restaurants excel in serving cuisine with locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Eclectic shopping choices range from name-brand retailers to one of the nation’s largest antique malls and the charming downtown districts in the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. When the time comes to relax and refresh, popular craft breweries and lush wineries are establishing Virginia’s reputation as a beverage industry leader. The visual and performing arts are on display throughout the county in wonderful venues like Wayne Theatre’s Ross Performing Arts Center, the American Shakespeare Center, the Heifetz International Music Institute, the P. Buckley Ross Museum, and the Shenandoah Valley Art Center. Augusta County also invites you to follow Civic War Trails and explore the past at the Augusta Military Academy Museum, The Frontier Culture Museum, Waynesboro Heritage Museum and Plumb House, Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace, and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.
Home to geological treasures like Grand Caverns and Natural Chimneys, Augusta County also serves as a gateway to some of America’s most stunning and popular recreational destinations. Within a few minutes, residents can be driving Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, hiking the Appalachian Trail, or taking the Blue Ridge Parkway to the vast George Washington and Jefferson National Forests with nearly a million acres of wilderness. Bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west, Augusta County offers outdoor enjoyment and adventure around the four seasons. Popular pastimes include hiking, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, boating, birding and nature study. When the snow flies in the high country, residents are an easy drive from resorts like The Homestead, Wintergreen, and Massanutten for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Throughout the calendar year, throngs of visitors join local residents on the streets or in lush parks for events like the Staunton Music Festival, Red Wing Roots Music Festival, the African American Festival, Summer Blues and Brews, and Oktoberfest as well as block parties, parades, heritage celebrations, and holiday festivities. Whether you decide on a rustic farmhouse in the country, a restored home a few blocks from downtown, or a suburban neighborhood, Augusta County promises an active and exceptionally rich quality of life.
COMMUNITIES
Churchville, Swoope
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
Just west of the City of Staunton, the communities of Churchville and Swoope offer a rural setting near urban shopping, entertainment, and cultural enrichment. These friendly small towns are also surrounded by premier recreational sites in some of America’s most celebrated national parks and forest. Churchville is a small tree-lined town with a branch of the Augusta County Library and a few locally owned businesses. One of the highlights in Churchville is the historic Buckhorn Inn, serving travelers since 1811 including Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Today, the inn serves as a romantic getaway, a weekend retreat for families, and a special events center. Just 8 miles west of Staunton along State Routes 703 and 860, Swoope is the location of the high-achieving Buffalo Gap High School that serves the surrounding rural population. The housing selection in this area is eclectic, blending farms and older properties with vibrant new developments and generous lots for custom new-home construction.
Craigsville, Augusta Springs, Deerfield, Mount Solon
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
Those looking for rural tranquility in an area nestled between national forestland and Staunton urban amenities will want to explore the western Augusta County communities of Craigsville, Augusta Springs, Deerfield, and Mount Solon. This largely undeveloped area of scenic landscapes offers premier access to George Washington and Jefferson National Forests for quick and easy access to world-class outdoor enjoyment and recreation. Local commercial development is limited but residents enjoy a short commute to Staunton shops, restaurants, eateries, professional services, and cultural enrichment. Award-winning healthcare at Augusta Health Fishersville, regional airport, and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave are just a 45-minute drive. These communities are typical of rural Augusta County, a mix of families who have lived in the area for generations and newcomers who appreciate simple country pleasures and opportunities for lovely homes on generous lots or scenic acreage for new construction.
Fishersville, Crimora
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
With a location along US Route 250, Fishersville is one of Augusta County’s growth centers and the chosen site for Augusta Health’s state-of-the-art hospital. Opened in 1994, the new facility has established Fishersville as the healthcare hub of the Shenandoah Valley. Blending historic charm with attractive new neighborhoods and country manors on sweeping lots, the Fishersville area is also home to local businesses that grace the area with pastoral beauty, including Barren Ridge Vineyards and Andre Viette Nursery, a botanical wonder with six acres of artfully landscaped gardens. Five miles north of Waynesboro, Crimora nestles beneath Turk Mountain with a large boulder overlook that hikers can access from the Appalachian Trail. Crimora welcomes newcomers to attractive new subdivisions, an historic community center, and a lovely town park along the banks of the South River. Both communities offer easy access to urban shopping, fine dining, notable museums, visual and performing arts, and lively entertainment centers.
Stuarts Draft, Greenville, Middlebrook, Mint Spring, Sherando, Lyndhurst
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
The rural countryside south of Staunton and Waynesboro offers a medley of options for small-town living near urban amenities. Equidistant from both cities, Stuarts Draft serves as a regional employment center with large-scale distribution centers and factories that include a 1.6-million-square-foot Target Distribution Center and manufacturing facilities for the Hershey Company and McKee Foods. Newcomers will discover an attractive selection of lovely tree-shaded homes on large country lots as well as options for handsome townhomes and view lots for new construction. Recreational amenities include a county park with a swimming pool, sports fields, and multipurpose fields that host annual events. Other options for serene country living near Staunton include the small communities of Greenville, Middlebrook, and Mint Spring. Middlebrook is located along Route 252, while Greenville offers a quick trip to Staunton via Interstate 64. Mint Spring is the closest to Staunton via Route 11. Serving as a gateway to George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, the Lyndhurst-Sherando area is also home to one of the county’s premier recreational areas on Sherando Lake with a sandy beach, campsites, and trails for world-class camping, hiking, fishing, and swimming.
Verona, Fort Defiance, New Hope
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
Just a few minutes north of Staunton, the communities of Verona and Fort Defiance offer a pleasing selection of home styles and prices against the backdrop of Shenandoah Valley beauty. Newcomers will find affordable older homes shaded by mature greenery, handsome country manors on generous acreage, and view lots for new construction. Further north and more centrally located in Augusta County, the small community of New Hope offers easy access to both Staunton and Waynesboro. This area attracts new resident to a relaxed pace of life in an open setting where country-fresh produce is abundant and local shops owners greet their customers by name. At the same time, Staunton’s charming downtown district, fine dining, unique shops, and cultural attractions are just a few minutes from home. Nearby recreational sites include some of America’s most cherished and visited national parks, trails, and forests.
Weyers Cave
County Offices
540-245-5600
www.co.augusta.va.us
Chamber of Commerce
540-324-1133
www.augustava.com
Characterized as a small rural community, Weyers Cave nevertheless plays a major role in Augusta County life as the home of its regional airport and the main campus for Blue Ridge Community College. The presence of BRCC enriches the community educationally but also culturally, adding a 23,500-square-foot Fine Arts Center with a theater and art gallery. Primarily a general aviation facility, Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport also provides commercial airline service for thousands of travelers each year. Residents of Weyers Cave enjoy the natural beauty and slower pace of rural living with easy access to Interstates 64 and 81 and the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, and Grottoes. Recreational opportunities are available in every direction from Weyers Cave, from developed sports facilities in urban centers to Blue Ridge mountain majesty, Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail, vast national forests and nearby attractions like Grand Caverns. Newcomers will find a variety of home choices in country settings as well as opportunities for generous lots and acreage.
