Amherst, Virginia

About Amherst

Amherst is a small town in central Virginia with an estimated population of 2,128.

Amherst holds the status of an incorporated town — local government on a neighborly scale. The community covers 4.9 square miles, giving it wide-open spaces and a spread-out, rural feel at roughly 434 residents per square mile.

📰 Amherst News Today

• Amherst County schools lift secure status after bomb threat search finds no danger, officials say WSLS · Oct 7
• Developer uses public comment period at Amherst County meeting to unveil plans for a nuclear power project Cardinal News · Oct 6
• Virginia’s first small nuclear reactor could be built in Amherst Virginia Business · Oct 8
• Developer proposes small modular nuclear reactor in Amherst County WDBJ7 · Oct 7
• Most Amherst County schools improve state scores, but high school sees biggest drop WSET · Oct 8

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

📰 Local News

Read the latest Virginia headlines on our news site, Bless News Daily.

What Makes Amherst Unique

• One of 7 places in the US named Amherst — but the Virginia one has a character all its own.
• Part of the fabric of Virginia — one of 688 recognized communities statewide.

Why People Love It Here

• Small-town pace of life: less traffic, more community, and neighbors who wave.
• Cost of living typically runs below the big-metro average.
• Easy reach of Lynchburg (15 mi) — commute to the city, live where it's calm.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Amherst

• Baine's (café)
• Hangout on Main (café)
• The Amherst Corner Restaurant — american
• Vito's Pizza Bar & Grill — italian
• Bonfire Burgers & Bourbon — american
• Daisy’s Café (café)
• Dogwood Cafe (café)
• No. 1 Wok — chinese
• Toy Town Soul Food — american (café)

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · click a restaurant to read or write reviews.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• Amherst County Historical Museum · Museum
• Monacan Ancestral Museum · Museum
• Sweet Briar Museum · Museum
• Train Station and Caboose · Museum
• Saint Paul's Mission School · Museum

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Amherst

• Amherst Wayside reviews ★
• Carry Nature Sanctuary · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Coolwell Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Amherst

• Amherst County High
• Amherst Elementary
• Amherst Middle
• Central Elementary
• Temperance Elementary

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

⚡ Quick Facts

🌤️ Current Weather

Full forecast →

Source: National Weather Service

🗺️ Map of Amherst

🏘️ Nearby Communities