Amherst County

Amherst County is located near the geographic center of Virginia just north of the City of Lynchburg. The county was created in 1761 from Albemarle County and is named for Major-General Jeffery Amherst, a hero of the battle of Ticonderoga. It is bounded on the northwest by Rockbridge County, to the south and southwest by Bedford County, Campbell County and the City of Lynchburg and on the northeast by Nelson County. James River borders the county on the south and east, with the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains forming the western boundary. According to the American Community Survey, Amherst County’s population dropped by 1.09 percent to 31,999 between 2010 and 2016. Half the population is located in the south central portion of the county near the City of Lynchburg and around Madison Heights. The Town of Amherst is within the county and being the county seat. According to Virginia's Career and Workforce-Labor Market Information, the top five largest employers of Amherst County (excluding local government) in 2019 are Glad Manufacturing Company, Greif Packaging LLC, WalMart, Sweet Briar College, and Johnson Health Center.