South Boston, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
South Boston, Virginia
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Town
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South Boston Historic District
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| Nickname(s):
SoBo
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Location of South Boston, Virginia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Halifax |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.15 sq mi (34.07 km2) |
| • Land | 13.06 sq mi (33.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.24 km2) |
| Elevation | 430 ft (130 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,966 |
| • Density | 605.57/sq mi (233.81/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
24592
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| Area code(s) | 434 |
| FIPS code | 51-73712 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1501641 |
South Boston is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. It was once known as Boyd's Ferry. In 2020, about 7,966 people lived there. South Boston is the largest town in Halifax County.
Contents
Discovering South Boston's Past
South Boston has a long and interesting history. It was first called Boyd's Ferry. The town was officially started on December 8, 1796. It was named after Boston, Massachusetts.
Early Beginnings and Challenges
The first location of South Boston was on the south side of the Dan River. However, this area often flooded. Because of the floods, the town moved to a new, safer spot on the north side of the river.
Growth and Tobacco Trade
By the 1850s, the Richmond and Danville Railroad came through South Boston. This helped the town grow a lot. South Boston became a very important place for selling brightleaf tobacco.
The town was officially made a town in 1884. Later, in 1960, it became an independent city. But in 1995, South Boston made history. It was the first city in Virginia to change back to being a town. It then rejoined Halifax County.
Historic Places to See
Several important places in South Boston are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include Berry Hill Plantation, E. L. Evans House, Reedy Creek Site, and the South Boston Historic District. Other historic spots nearby are Fourqurean House, Glennmary, Glenwood, Tarover, and Seaton.
The National Tobacco Festival
South Boston was once home to the National Tobacco Festival. This big event happened every fall from 1935 to 1941. It stopped during World War II. In 1948, the festival moved to Richmond, Virginia. It had grown too big for South Boston. The festival continued in Richmond until 1984. South Boston was the second largest producer of tobacco in the United States until the Great Depression.
Exploring South Boston's Location
South Boston is located in the southern part of Halifax County. It is at coordinates 36°42′28″N 78°54′12″W / 36.70778°N 78.90333°W. The community of Riverdale is just south of the town.
Major Roads and Connections
U.S. Route 501 goes through the middle of South Boston. It leads north about 5 miles to Halifax, which is the county seat. Going south on Route 501, you can reach Roxboro, North Carolina, about 23 miles away.
U.S. Route 360 crosses the southeastern part of the town. It goes northeast about 37 miles to Keysville. To the west, it leads about 31 miles to Danville. U.S. Route 58 also passes through the southern part of South Boston with US 360. It goes west to Danville and east about 48 miles to South Hill.
Rivers and Waterways
The United States Census Bureau says that South Boston covers about 13.15 square miles (34.07 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part, about 0.09 square miles (0.24 square kilometers), is water. The Dan River flows along the southern edge of the town. It is a branch of the Roanoke River.
Important Highways
US 58
US 360
US 501
SR 34
SR 129
SR 304
South Boston's Weather
| Climate data for South Boston, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1977–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
87 (31) |
80 (27) |
104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.7 (10.4) |
54.0 (12.2) |
61.9 (16.6) |
71.8 (22.1) |
78.7 (25.9) |
86.2 (30.1) |
90.0 (32.2) |
88.3 (31.3) |
82.6 (28.1) |
72.8 (22.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
53.8 (12.1) |
71.1 (21.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 38.6 (3.7) |
41.1 (5.1) |
48.1 (8.9) |
57.5 (14.2) |
66.0 (18.9) |
74.3 (23.5) |
78.7 (25.9) |
77.1 (25.1) |
70.8 (21.6) |
59.3 (15.2) |
48.6 (9.2) |
41.6 (5.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.5 (−3.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
34.2 (1.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
62.5 (16.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
65.9 (18.8) |
59.0 (15.0) |
45.7 (7.6) |
34.7 (1.5) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
45.8 (7.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) |
1 (−17) |
9 (−13) |
18 (−8) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
42 (6) |
39 (4) |
29 (−2) |
21 (−6) |
10 (−12) |
−4 (−20) |
−7 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.56 (90) |
2.95 (75) |
4.03 (102) |
3.67 (93) |
4.35 (110) |
4.88 (124) |
4.01 (102) |
3.82 (97) |
4.69 (119) |
3.43 (87) |
3.40 (86) |
3.58 (91) |
46.37 (1,178) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.0 (7.6) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.4 (1.0) |
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 (0.0) |
1.0 (2.5) |
5.5 (14) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.4 | 9.4 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 10.3 | 116.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of South Boston
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 328 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,789 | 445.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,851 | 3.5% | |
| 1910 | 3,516 | 90.0% | |
| 1920 | 4,338 | 23.4% | |
| 1930 | 4,841 | 11.6% | |
| 1940 | 5,252 | 8.5% | |
| 1950 | 6,057 | 15.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,974 | −1.4% | |
| 1970 | 6,889 | 15.3% | |
| 1980 | 7,093 | 3.0% | |
| 1990 | 6,997 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 8,491 | 21.4% | |
| 2010 | 8,142 | −4.1% | |
| 2020 | 7,966 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 8,491 people living in South Boston. There were 3,502 households and 2,185 families. The town had about 694.7 people per square mile.
Population Makeup
The town's population was made up of different groups. About 50.63% were White, and 47.25% were African American. A small number were Native American or Asian. About 1.45% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Households and Families
Out of all households, 29.0% had children under 18 living with them. About 39.0% were married couples. Around 20.0% were female householders without a husband. Many households (34.9%) were made up of individuals living alone. About 16.3% of these were people aged 65 or older.
The average household had 2.26 people. The average family had 2.90 people.
Age and Income
The population was spread out by age. About 23.7% were under 18. About 20.6% were 65 or older. The average age in the town was 41 years old.
The average income for a household in the town was $25,964. For families, the average income was $34,848. About 20.4% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 24.2% of those under 18.
Notable Places in South Boston
- Southern Virginia Higher Ed Center
Famous People from South Boston
South Boston is home to many talented people. These include athletes, artists, and leaders.
- Jeremy Jeffress: A former pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays baseball teams.
- Michael Tucker: Another Major League Baseball player.
- William M. Tuck: He was the 55th Governor of Virginia. He was born in Halifax County, Virginia and is buried in South Boston.
- Walter B. Scates: He was the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was also the Illinois Attorney General. He was born in South Boston.
- The Burton Family (NASCAR): Ward and Jeff Burton are brothers from South Boston. They trained for their racing careers at South Boston Speedway. Their children, Jeb (Ward's son) and Harrison (Jeff's son), are also from the city and are racing drivers.
- Tyrone Davis: An NFL player who played for the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.
- Robert Llewellyn: A professional photographer born in Roanoke, Virginia. He grew up in South Boston.
- Grandmaster Slice: An American hip-hop musician.
- Greg Vanney: A former professional soccer player. He is now the head coach of the LA Galaxy soccer team.
- G. C. Waldrep: A poet and historian who was born and grew up in South Boston.
- Tisha Waller: An Olympic high jumper.
- Jay Blackton: He won an Academy Award for Best Music for the film Oklahoma!. He is buried in South Boston.
- Colin Garrett: A racing driver.
Images for kids
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South Boston Historic District
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Location of South Boston, Virginia
See Also
In Spanish: South Boston (Virginia) para niños
