Wheeler, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wheeler, Virginia
|
|
---|---|
Unincorporated community
|
|
Country | United States |
State | Virginia |
County | Lee |
Elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Area code(s) | 276 |
GNIS feature ID | 1500308 |
Wheeler is a small, unincorporated community located in Lee County, Virginia. An "unincorporated community" means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city with its own local government.
You can find Wheeler along U.S. Route 58, which is a major road. It's about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) east-northeast of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. This community is special because it's the very southwesternmost populated place in the entire state of Virginia!
It's quite interesting to note that Wheeler is actually closer to the capital cities of nine different states than it is to Virginia's own capital, Richmond. Richmond is 414 miles away! For example, Wheeler is closer to Frankfort, Nashville, and Charleston. It's also closer to big cities like Memphis and Savannah than it is to other major Virginia cities like Alexandria or Norfolk.
A Look Back: Wheeler's History
The community of Wheeler probably got its name from the Wheeler family. They were some of the first pioneer settlers who came to live in this area a long time ago.