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Smith Mountain Lake Virginia Map

Explore Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

How to Use This Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Virginia or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Smith Mountain Lake.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Smith Mountain Lake
State	Virginia (VA)
County	Franklin County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Eastern Time (America/New_York)

Latitude	37.049713
Longitude	-79.639398
Population	8,200
Density	55.0 /km²
Incorporated	N/A
ZIP Codes	24121, 24104
Area Code	276, 540
County Seat	Rocky Mount

🌦 Goto Smith Mountain Lake Weather Page: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Smith Mountain Lake is a locality in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of approximately 8,200. The population density is 55.0 people per km². Smith Mountain Lake is located at 37.0497°N, 79.6394°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP codes: 24121, 24104.

Smith Mountain Lake commands the central landscape as a vast, man-made reservoir that dominates the surrounding topography with its sprawling, irregular fingers of water. It lies 22.6 miles southeast of Roanoke, VA (from Roanoke, VA: bearing 132°T), and is situated 2.5 miles south-southeast of North Shore. The Blackwater River feeds into this complex system, its currents shaping the drainage patterns of the local hillsides and woodlands. To the west, the distant Appalachian Mountains rise against the sky, standing as a rugged, purple-hued backdrop to the gentler terrain of the Piedmont. The nearby Broad Ridge Hollow offers a quiet, topographical contrast to the expansive water, while Smith Mountain Lake State Park provides a protected expanse of forest and shoreline for those seeking a deeper connection to the regional flora and fauna. Sunlight at dusk catches the surface of the water, turning the deep blue expanse into a shimmering plane of hammered copper that feels both ancient and entirely engineered.

Smith Mountain Lake emerged from the mid-twentieth century as a deliberate transformation of the land, shifting the regional narrative from agrarian traditions toward a focus on hydroelectric power and recreation. The local economy relies heavily on the steady pulse of seasonal tourism and the maintenance of property infrastructure that lines the winding banks. Historically, the surrounding region drew strength from the soil and the processing of timber, legacies that linger in the quiet, hardworking character of the surrounding settlements. While the industry has evolved to serve the needs of vacationers and retirees, the underlying rhythm remains tethered to the seasonal cycles of the reservoir. The technical achievement of damming the water remains a defining marker of the local timeline, representing a permanent alteration of the geography to fuel the wider region’s growth.

Smith Mountain Lake fosters a culture defined by the unpretentious hospitality of the Old Dominion and a shared reverence for the water that serves as the region’s primary gathering point. Community life finds its focus in the recreational opportunities provided by Smith Mountain Lake State Park, where the trails and shoreline access draw residents together for quiet recreation. While the area maintains a modest, unassuming atmosphere, it has occasionally served as a retreat for those seeking privacy, including the notable singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby, who has maintained ties to the broader region. Local events often center on the shifting seasons, marking the transition from the vibrant greens of spring to the muted, golden hues of autumn across the hills. The pace of daily existence here is dictated by the slow, deliberate movement of the water, creating a setting where the modern world feels distant and the immediate landscape holds the primary focus.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Smith Mountain Lake State Park (State Park) — 2.3 mi, 033° NE
Smith Mountain Lake Community Park (Local Park) — 2.7 mi, 030° NE
James Turner Smith Farm (Local Park) — 3.7 mi, 278° W
Smith Mountain Cooperative Wildlife Management Area (State Conservation Area) — 4.2 mi, 152° SE
Bourassa State Forest (State Resource Management Area) — 6.2 mi, 071° E
Booker T. Washington National Monument (National Monument) — 6.4 mi, 309° NW · 244 acres
Westlake Cinema (Cinema) — 6.5 mi, 317° NW
Turkeycock Wildlife Management Area (State Conservation Area) — 14.8 mi, 187° S
Bethany Church (Historic Ruins) — 14.8 mi, 067° NE
Jeremiah’s Corner (Monument) — 16.6 mi, 114° SE
Gretna Theatre (Cinema) — 16.8 mi, 114° SE
Caboose (Museum) — 17.6 mi, 285° W
Roark Mill (Historic Ruins) — 17.8 mi, 087° E
Roanoke River Overlook (Viewpoint) — 19.0 mi, 318° NW
John L. Hurt, Jr. Monument (Monument) — 19.1 mi, 079° E
Piper L-4 Grasshopper (Attraction) — 20.2 mi, 016° N
Rhinoceros (Public Artwork) — 20.7 mi, 011° N
Vinton War Memorial (Monument) — 21.1 mi, 319° NW
Roanoke Star (Attraction) — 21.3 mi, 311° NW
Roanoke Fine Arts Center (Arts Centre) — 21.9 mi, 308° NW
Roanoke Pinball Museum (Museum) — 22.5 mi, 313° NW
O. Winston Link Museum (Museum) — 22.6 mi, 313° NW
Jupiter Missile (Attraction) — 22.8 mi, 313° NW
Norfolk Southern 8661 (Attraction) — 22.8 mi, 313° NW
Blue Ridge Farm Museum (Museum) — 22.9 mi, 248° W
Jefferson National Forest (National Forest) — 25.0 mi, 345° N · 733k acres
Appalachian National Scenic Trail (National Trail) — 27.7 mi, 331° NW · 110k acres
Thunder Ridge Wilderness (Wilderness Area) — 33.1 mi, 012° N · 2,427 acres
James River Face Wilderness (Wilderness Area) — 36.7 mi, 014° N · 8,849 acres
George Washington National Forest (National Forest) — 37.9 mi, 024° NE · 1.1M acres

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