Amherst Virginia Map

About Amherst, Virginia

Amherst is a locality in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of approximately 1,865. The population density is 167.3 people per km². Amherst is located at 37.5851°N, 79.0514°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 24521.

Amherst sits in a landscape where the Blue Ridge Mountains begin to soften, their ancient shoulders yielding to rolling hills and fertile valleys. It lies 12.8 miles north-north-east of Lynchburg, VA (from Lynchburg, VA: bearing 23°T), and is situated 7.1 miles north-east of Monroe. The air here, especially in the late afternoon, often carries the clean scent of pine and the damp earth, a subtle perfume that clings to the skin. Roads wind like slow rivers through this terrain, past fields of corn and tobacco, their stalks standing tall and proud against the wide Virginia sky. The James River, a silver ribbon, glides through the county, its banks fringed with trees that change from emerald green to fiery hues with the turning seasons. You can feel the land’s quiet strength here, a deep-rooted resilience that has shaped the character of Amherst and its people. The history of Amherst is deeply entwined with the agricultural bounty of its land, particularly tobacco, which once fueled its economy and shaped its early development. It’s a place where you can still glimpse the echoes of generations past, in the weathered barns and the enduring spirit of its residents. The local economy, while diversified now, retains a connection to its agrarian roots, with farms still dotting the countryside and contributing to the region's identity. Amherst has also drawn scholars and thinkers, its proximity to higher learning institutions weaving a thread of intellectual curiosity into its cultural fabric. The pace of life in Amherst encourages a thoughtful engagement with the present, a gentle unfolding of days that allows for both hard work and quiet contemplation.

About This Amherst Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Amherst, Virginia — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 37.585141, -79.051413. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Amherst and Amherst County.

Detailed location data for Amherst includes the ZIP code (24521), telephone area code (276), county seat of Amherst County (Amherst), and school district assignment (Amherst County Public Schools). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Amherst is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.