There’s really no way to narrow down the MOST beautiful part of Virginia. We are fortunate to have a little bit of the everything – rolling hills, majestic mountains, beautiful beaches, and breathtaking farmlands and countryside. At the end of the day, it just comes down to preference. So we’ve taken a look at some of the towns and cities across the state and found some of the top areas for stunning scenery – both in town and out.
- Old Town Alexandria
hrvargas / flickr
ehpien / flickr Situated on the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C., Old Town Alexandria offers a truly unique blend of history, culture and scenery. The streets of Old Town Alexandria are filled with elegantly preserved historic shops and homes, while the waterfront offers stunning river views, as well as boating and fishing opportunities.
- Culpeper
John Zacherle / flickr
Lewis Cressell / flickr This pretty little town offers plenty of charm with quaint shops, restaurants and a a beautiful historic downtown. But the beauty of Culpeper lies not just in town, but in the surrounding countryside filled with some of the state’s most beautiful farmland.
- Lexington
Lexington Virginia
Lexington Virginia Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, two historic colleges, Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University, call this small town home. During the Civil War, Lexington served as the home and burial place of Stonewall Jackson, and after the war, Robert E. Lee became the president of Washington College, which was renamed Washington and Lee after his death. Full of historic homes and museums, Lexington offers a beautifully preserved downtown that is on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places - as well as some of the state’s most stunning mountain views, like this one of House Mountain.
- Monterey
Highland County (photo by Vickie King) / Facebook
Highland County / Facebook Sometimes referred to as “Virginia’s Switzerland,” Monterey is home to only 147 people. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty. Located in Highland County, this small town delivers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and Blue Ridge Mountains from every angle.
- Blacksburg
Smash the Iron Cage [CC BY-SA 4.0] / Wikimedia Commons
Scott Teresi / flickr Best known as the home of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg is nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Often praised for its beauty, charm and strong sense of community, Blacksburg offers the best of small town living alongside the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding mountains.
- Middleburg
Town of Middleburg / Facebook
Town of Middleburg / Facebook Although it only takes up 6 blocks, this town is packed with history and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful horse country anywhere in the nation. The Middleburg Historic District, made up of many beautifully preserved 18th and 19th century buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the early 1900s, Middleburg has been a destination for fox hunting and steeplechase events, earning it the title of “Horse and Hunt Capital of the United States.”
- Onancock
Visit Onancock (Photo by Deb Torguson Pollio) / Facebook
Visit Onancock / Facebook Get past the funny name and Onancock is one of the greatest hidden gems of the Eastern Shore. Founded in 1680 as Port Scarborough, it has been called the Coolest Town in the South by Budget Travel and #1 Small Town in Virginia by CitiesJournal.com. With a live theater, award-winning restaurants, local artists, craftsmen, sculptors, actors, dancers, musicians and glass blowers, there’s no shortage of things to see and do - and best of all, you have all the beauty of Virginia’s Eastern Shore at your fingertips.
- Clarksville
Clarksville Historic District (Clarksville, Virginia) Photo by Byron Ellen Shaw / Facebook
Patrick Connelly / flickr Set on the banks of Kerr Lake in Southside Virginia, Clarksville is Virginia’s only lakeside town. Featuring an historic district that is on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia’s Historic Register, Clarksville is surrounded by natural beauty that includes the lake, as well as the nearby Occoneechee State Park.
- Ewing
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation / flickr This little town is rich with frontier history from both early Europeans and Native Americans. Located in the southwestern-most corner of the state, it sits just by the borders of Kentucky and Tennessee. While it is not an officially incorporated town, the post office was established in 1891 and today, Ewing is home to the Wilderness Road State Park.
- Chincoteague
brownpau / flickr
Ipfearn / flickr In a recent CNN report, BudgetTravel named Chincoteague as the #2 Coolest Small Town in America and few people who know this little town well would disagree. First settled in the 1700s, the town gained the spotlight in the 1960s with the publication of “Misty of Chincoteague,” a story about one of the island’s now famous wild ponies. Today, Chincoteague is best known for its Annual Pony Swim and Auction, but also offers pristine beaches and wetlands, as well as one of nation’s top wildlife refuge areas.
- Marion
Town of Marion / Facebook
Virginia State Parks / flickr Starting with its slogan, “America’s Coolest Hometown,” Marion is a small town with big personality. Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Marion serves as both a Virginia Main Street Community and a National Main Street Community. Marion is home to Hungry Mother State Park and is surrounded by some of the state’s most beautiful mountains and countryside.
Now we would love to hear about YOUR favorite parts of Virginia. Do you live in any of these cities or towns? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
hrvargas / flickr
ehpien / flickr
Situated on the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C., Old Town Alexandria offers a truly unique blend of history, culture and scenery. The streets of Old Town Alexandria are filled with elegantly preserved historic shops and homes, while the waterfront offers stunning river views, as well as boating and fishing opportunities.
John Zacherle / flickr
Lewis Cressell / flickr
This pretty little town offers plenty of charm with quaint shops, restaurants and a a beautiful historic downtown. But the beauty of Culpeper lies not just in town, but in the surrounding countryside filled with some of the state’s most beautiful farmland.
Lexington Virginia
Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, two historic colleges, Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University, call this small town home. During the Civil War, Lexington served as the home and burial place of Stonewall Jackson, and after the war, Robert E. Lee became the president of Washington College, which was renamed Washington and Lee after his death. Full of historic homes and museums, Lexington offers a beautifully preserved downtown that is on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places - as well as some of the state’s most stunning mountain views, like this one of House Mountain.
Highland County (photo by Vickie King) / Facebook
Highland County / Facebook
Sometimes referred to as “Virginia’s Switzerland,” Monterey is home to only 147 people. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty. Located in Highland County, this small town delivers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and Blue Ridge Mountains from every angle.
Smash the Iron Cage [CC BY-SA 4.0] / Wikimedia Commons
Scott Teresi / flickr
Best known as the home of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg is nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Often praised for its beauty, charm and strong sense of community, Blacksburg offers the best of small town living alongside the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding mountains.
Town of Middleburg / Facebook
Although it only takes up 6 blocks, this town is packed with history and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful horse country anywhere in the nation. The Middleburg Historic District, made up of many beautifully preserved 18th and 19th century buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the early 1900s, Middleburg has been a destination for fox hunting and steeplechase events, earning it the title of “Horse and Hunt Capital of the United States.”
Visit Onancock (Photo by Deb Torguson Pollio) / Facebook
Visit Onancock / Facebook
Get past the funny name and Onancock is one of the greatest hidden gems of the Eastern Shore. Founded in 1680 as Port Scarborough, it has been called the Coolest Town in the South by Budget Travel and #1 Small Town in Virginia by CitiesJournal.com. With a live theater, award-winning restaurants, local artists, craftsmen, sculptors, actors, dancers, musicians and glass blowers, there’s no shortage of things to see and do - and best of all, you have all the beauty of Virginia’s Eastern Shore at your fingertips.
Clarksville Historic District (Clarksville, Virginia) Photo by Byron Ellen Shaw / Facebook
Patrick Connelly / flickr
Set on the banks of Kerr Lake in Southside Virginia, Clarksville is Virginia’s only lakeside town. Featuring an historic district that is on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia’s Historic Register, Clarksville is surrounded by natural beauty that includes the lake, as well as the nearby Occoneechee State Park.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation / flickr
This little town is rich with frontier history from both early Europeans and Native Americans. Located in the southwestern-most corner of the state, it sits just by the borders of Kentucky and Tennessee. While it is not an officially incorporated town, the post office was established in 1891 and today, Ewing is home to the Wilderness Road State Park.
brownpau / flickr
Ipfearn / flickr
In a recent CNN report, BudgetTravel named Chincoteague as the #2 Coolest Small Town in America and few people who know this little town well would disagree. First settled in the 1700s, the town gained the spotlight in the 1960s with the publication of “Misty of Chincoteague,” a story about one of the island’s now famous wild ponies. Today, Chincoteague is best known for its Annual Pony Swim and Auction, but also offers pristine beaches and wetlands, as well as one of nation’s top wildlife refuge areas.
Town of Marion / Facebook
Virginia State Parks / flickr
Starting with its slogan, “America’s Coolest Hometown,” Marion is a small town with big personality. Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Marion serves as both a Virginia Main Street Community and a National Main Street Community. Marion is home to Hungry Mother State Park and is surrounded by some of the state’s most beautiful mountains and countryside.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
