Map of South Boston town

South Boston, formerly Boyd’s Ferry, is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census, down from 8,491 at the 2000 census. It is the most populous town in Halifax County.

South Boston town overview:
Name:	South Boston town
LSAD Code:	43
LSAD Description:	town (suffix)
State:	Virginia
County:	Halifax County
Elevation:	430 ft (130 m)
Total Area:	13.15 sq mi (34.07 km²)
Land Area:	13.06 sq mi (33.83 km²)
Water Area:	0.09 sq mi (0.24 km²)
Total Population:	8,142
Population Density:	580.92/sq mi (224.30/km²)
ZIP code:	24592
Area code:	434
FIPS code:	5173712
GNISfeature ID:	1501641
Website:	www.southboston.com

Online Interactive Map

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South Boston online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

South Boston location map. Where is South Boston town?

South Boston location on the U.S. Map. Where is South Boston town. — South Boston location on the U.S. Map.

South Boston location on the Virginia map. Where is South Boston town. — Location of South Boston in Virginia.

History

On December 8, 1796, the Virginia General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd’s Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for Boston, Massachusetts. Because this site proved vulnerable to flooding, it was eventually abandoned in favor of a new settlement on the north side. By the 1850s the Richmond and Danville Railroad passed through South Boston, which eventually developed into an important market for brightleaf tobacco. In 1884 it was incorporated as a town; in 1960 it became an independent city; and in 1995 it made history by being the first city in Virginia to revert to town status and rejoined Halifax County.

Within the town limits Berry Hill Plantation, E. L. Evans House, Reedy Creek Site, South Boston Historic District, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fourqurean House, Glennmary, Glenwood, Tarover, and Seaton are nearby.

South Boston was home to the National Tobacco Festival (a typically three day annual festival held every Fall) from its inception in 1935 to 1941, when it was suspended during World War II. In 1948, the festival was moved to Richmond, Virginia when it outgrew the town. It was held in Richmond until 1984, when it was canceled due to rising production costs and decreased interest. South Boston was the second largest producer of tobacco in the United States until the Great Depression.

South Boston Road Map

South Boston city Satellite Map

Geography

South Boston is located south of the center of Halifax County at 36°42′28″N 78°54′12″W / 36.70778°N 78.90333°W / 36.70778; -78.90333 (36.707722, −78.903388). It is bordered to the south by the unincorporated community of Riverdale. U.S. Route 501 passes through the center of the town, leading north 5 miles (8 km) to Halifax, the county seat, and south 23 miles (37 km) to Roxboro, North Carolina. U.S. Route 360 crosses the southeast corner of the town limits, leading northeast 37 miles (60 km) to Keysville and west 31 miles (50 km) to Danville. U.S. Route 58 passes through the southernmost part of South Boston with US 360, leading west with it to Danville but running east 48 miles (77 km) to South Hill.

According to the United States Census Bureau, South Boston has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.1 km), of which 13.1 square miles (33.8 km) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km), or 0.74%, are water. The Dan River, a tributary of the Roanoke River, flows to the east along the southern edge of the town.