Smith Mountain Lake encompasses three counties. Of those three I hear a lot about Franklin County and Bedford County, but for some reason, I rarely hear much about Pittsylvania County. The interesting thing is that Pittsylvania County is the largest county in Virginia, consisting of roughly 980 square miles of lovely Virginia real estate.
I think it is quite interesting to know a little bit about our neighboring counties since each one is an important part of the Smith Mountain Lake Community.
Situated in the south-central Piedmont plateau region, Pittsylvania County land is rolling to hilly with elevations averaging from 400 to 800 feet above sea level. The highest point in the county is Smith Mountain which is 2,043 feet high.
The county borders North Carolina and is adjacent to the city of Danville. Chatham, the county seat, is 140 miles from Richmond, 68 miles from Roanoke, 50 miles from Lynchburg, and 96 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina.
The county was formed in 1767 from Halifax County and assumed its present boundaries in 1777. It was named for William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, a British Statesman.
You can visit the Pittslyvania County Website for more information.
