Chatham, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chatham, Virginia
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North Main Street Chatham Virginia, 2022
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Location of Chatham, Virginia
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Virginia | |
| County | Pittsylvania | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.03 sq mi (5.26 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.03 sq mi (5.26 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) | |
| Elevation | 748 ft (228 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,232 | |
| • Density | 607.2/sq mi (234.4/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
24531
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| Area code(s) | 434 | |
| FIPS code | 51-15000 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498464 | |
Chatham is a small town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Pittsylvania County. In 2020, about 1,232 people lived there. Chatham is part of the larger Danville area.
The town was first called Competition. But on May 1, 1852, the Virginia General Assembly changed its name to Chatham.
Chatham is known for its schools. It is home to Chatham High School, Hargrave Military Academy, and Chatham Hall. Chatham Hall is a special high school for girls only, where students live at the school.
History of Chatham
Chatham has a very old building that has been used for a long time. It was an 18th-century tavern, which is like an old inn. Now, it is a house where teachers from Chatham Hall live.
Chatham has been the county seat for Pittsylvania County since 1777. This means it's where the county government offices are located. There is also a large U.S. Department of Agriculture office in town. This office helps local farmers. A small office of the U.S. Forest Service is also here.
A new state prison was built in Chatham. This led to better services for the town, like improved fire and water systems.
During the American Civil War, Chatham did not have any battles. It is located between Richmond, which was the capital of the Confederacy, and Danville. Danville had prisons for captured Union soldiers.
Every year on Confederate Memorial Day, a local group places flowers at a statue. This statue honors a Confederate soldier and stands in front of the historic Pittsylvania County Courthouse. You can take a walking tour of the historic downtown area. A map for this tour is available at the Town Hall. There are also several bed and breakfast places on Main Street. These are in beautiful old homes built in the Greek Revival style.
Geography of Chatham
Chatham covers about 2.0 square miles (5.3 square kilometers). All of this area is land. There is no water within the town limits.
People of Chatham
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 543 | — | |
| 1890 | 757 | 39.4% | |
| 1900 | 918 | 21.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,113 | 21.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,171 | 5.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,143 | −2.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,230 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,456 | 18.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,822 | 25.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,801 | −1.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,390 | −22.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,354 | −2.6% | |
| 2000 | 1,338 | −1.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,269 | −5.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,232 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 1,338 people living in Chatham. There were 554 households, and 350 of these were families. The town had about 655 people per square mile.
Most people in Chatham were White (71.52%) or African American (26.08%). A small number of people were Native American or from other backgrounds.
About 21.7% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (49.8%) were married couples. About 35.6% of households were single people living alone. The average household had 2.22 people.
The median age of people in Chatham was 43 years old. This means half the people were older than 43 and half were younger. About 19.6% of the population was under 18. About 20.8% were 65 or older.
The average income for a household in Chatham was $38,938. For families, it was $50,391. About 12.3% of the population had lower incomes.
Many adults in Chatham have a good education:
- About 77.4% of people 25 and older finished high school or higher.
- About 33.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher.
- About 13.2% have a graduate or professional degree.
The average time people spent traveling to work was about 20.8 minutes.
Climate in Chatham
Chatham has a climate with hot, humid summers. The winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.
| Climate data for Chatham, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1922–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
82 (28) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
105 (41) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.3 (8.5) |
51.0 (10.6) |
59.2 (15.1) |
69.4 (20.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
82.8 (28.2) |
86.3 (30.2) |
84.9 (29.4) |
78.9 (26.1) |
69.6 (20.9) |
59.4 (15.2) |
50.3 (10.2) |
67.9 (19.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.7 (2.1) |
38.4 (3.6) |
45.5 (7.5) |
55.0 (12.8) |
63.4 (17.4) |
71.4 (21.9) |
75.5 (24.2) |
74.0 (23.3) |
67.5 (19.7) |
56.2 (13.4) |
45.7 (7.6) |
38.6 (3.7) |
55.6 (13.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.2 (−4.3) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
40.6 (4.8) |
50.8 (10.4) |
59.9 (15.5) |
64.7 (18.2) |
63.2 (17.3) |
56.0 (13.3) |
42.9 (6.1) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) |
−7 (−22) |
0 (−18) |
17 (−8) |
25 (−4) |
33 (1) |
35 (2) |
38 (3) |
26 (−3) |
19 (−7) |
10 (−12) |
−3 (−19) |
−9 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.18 (106) |
2.79 (71) |
3.97 (101) |
3.85 (98) |
4.51 (115) |
4.24 (108) |
4.22 (107) |
4.12 (105) |
5.00 (127) |
3.46 (88) |
3.52 (89) |
3.84 (98) |
47.70 (1,212) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.9 (4.8) |
1.6 (4.1) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
5.8 (15) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 8.3 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 12.2 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 119.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Chatham (Virginia) para niños
