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'Southside' is the colloquial name given to a broad swath of southeastern and/or south-central Virginia, USA. The term ''Southside'' can be used in two senses:
★ It can refer to the south side of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. In this sense, the term always includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk as well as Surry County and Isle of Wight County.
★ It can also refer to the south-central part of the state, roughly bounded by the James River on the north, the Blue Ridge Mountains on the west, and the South Hampton Roads area on the east. The major center of the "Southside Virginia" area is generally considered to be Danville. An exception to this general geographic definition is the Richmond-Petersburg area, which is usually not included in the above senses of the term, where the term "Southside of Richmond" may apply instead.
The term 'Southside Virginia' is generally used to refer to the second area, and not the first. The area east of Southampton and Prince George counties is not considered part of Southside Virginia, but rather, is known as South Hampton Roads (or locally, simply the "Southside" as opposed to Hampton and Newport News as the "Peninsula". These areas are also divided by the James River.
The majority of Southside Virginia is in the Piedmont region, which is generally characterized by rolling hills that usually become steeper the further one goes west. Most of the area is forested or grassy fields from former agricultural use. The area's soil is primarily red clay, which, while good for farming because of its water retention properties, often needs significant conditioning to prevent water from pooling up.
Southside's climate is unique from much of Virginia's. Summers are typically hot, with highs generally in the upper 80's to low 90's; quite often 5-7 degrees hotter than in Richmond. Winters are generally mild, and nighttime lows often drop below freezing; frequently 5-7 degrees cooler than Richmond or Norfolk. Much of this has to do with the lack of the temperature moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean.
Snow and frozen precipitation usually falls every year in Southside (usually less than a foot), with the western and northern fringes of the area getting several inches more snow than the rest.
Southside, along with much of the mid-atlantic area, is well known for its tobacco crop. The nutrient-rich soil, along with frequent spring rains, provided ideal growing conditions for tobacco as well as soybeans and some cold-hardy cotton plants.
Beginning in the 1940s various textile mills opened up in the Southside area. The textile industry found it an ideal place due to inexpensive labor (costs of living in much of southside is low), while the southside workforce found textile work to be much more lucrative than the low incomes that frequently come with farming. Along with tobacco manufacturing, the southside area was becoming a prosperous area.
Beginning in the 1970s, however, many of the textile mills closed up and outsourced work to countries such as Mexico, China, and India, where the labor costs were significantly lower. Furthermore, the waning demand for tobacco products hurt southside somewhat.
The 1990s brought some new manufacturing jobs to the area, often for industrial-grade metals and ceramics. Numerous prisons are in the area, bringing high-paying jobs with them.
Today, southside is primarily known for its most popular product, the budget-priced ''Bailey's'' cigarette, which are produced in Keysville
Television stations are receivable from all parts of southside, with the eastern parts receiving Richmond TV stations and the western parts receiving Roanoke/Lynchburg TV stations. In addition, some viewers on the northern or southern edges of the region receive Charlottesville and Raleigh TV stations, respectively.
While most people receive large-market radio stations from the same places as their TV stations, southside has a large variety of local radio. Country stations tend to dominate southside radio, though local classic rock, adult contemporary, Top 40, and public radio formats exist.
All of southside can receive Virginia's largest newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In addition, all the towns listed below (and others) have local newspapers, and they are generally weekly publications.
Blackstone
Lynchburg ''May be considered by some to be in Southwest Virginia''
South Boston
Danville
Farmville
Appomattox
Emporia
Martinsville
Rocky Mount
★ It can refer to the south side of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. In this sense, the term always includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk as well as Surry County and Isle of Wight County.
★ It can also refer to the south-central part of the state, roughly bounded by the James River on the north, the Blue Ridge Mountains on the west, and the South Hampton Roads area on the east. The major center of the "Southside Virginia" area is generally considered to be Danville. An exception to this general geographic definition is the Richmond-Petersburg area, which is usually not included in the above senses of the term, where the term "Southside of Richmond" may apply instead.
The term 'Southside Virginia' is generally used to refer to the second area, and not the first. The area east of Southampton and Prince George counties is not considered part of Southside Virginia, but rather, is known as South Hampton Roads (or locally, simply the "Southside" as opposed to Hampton and Newport News as the "Peninsula". These areas are also divided by the James River.
| Contents |
| Geography and Climate |
| Southside Industries |
| Media |
| Cities associated with Southside |
Geography and Climate
The majority of Southside Virginia is in the Piedmont region, which is generally characterized by rolling hills that usually become steeper the further one goes west. Most of the area is forested or grassy fields from former agricultural use. The area's soil is primarily red clay, which, while good for farming because of its water retention properties, often needs significant conditioning to prevent water from pooling up.
Southside's climate is unique from much of Virginia's. Summers are typically hot, with highs generally in the upper 80's to low 90's; quite often 5-7 degrees hotter than in Richmond. Winters are generally mild, and nighttime lows often drop below freezing; frequently 5-7 degrees cooler than Richmond or Norfolk. Much of this has to do with the lack of the temperature moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean.
Snow and frozen precipitation usually falls every year in Southside (usually less than a foot), with the western and northern fringes of the area getting several inches more snow than the rest.
Southside Industries
Southside, along with much of the mid-atlantic area, is well known for its tobacco crop. The nutrient-rich soil, along with frequent spring rains, provided ideal growing conditions for tobacco as well as soybeans and some cold-hardy cotton plants.
Beginning in the 1940s various textile mills opened up in the Southside area. The textile industry found it an ideal place due to inexpensive labor (costs of living in much of southside is low), while the southside workforce found textile work to be much more lucrative than the low incomes that frequently come with farming. Along with tobacco manufacturing, the southside area was becoming a prosperous area.
Beginning in the 1970s, however, many of the textile mills closed up and outsourced work to countries such as Mexico, China, and India, where the labor costs were significantly lower. Furthermore, the waning demand for tobacco products hurt southside somewhat.
The 1990s brought some new manufacturing jobs to the area, often for industrial-grade metals and ceramics. Numerous prisons are in the area, bringing high-paying jobs with them.
Today, southside is primarily known for its most popular product, the budget-priced ''Bailey's'' cigarette, which are produced in Keysville
Media
Television stations are receivable from all parts of southside, with the eastern parts receiving Richmond TV stations and the western parts receiving Roanoke/Lynchburg TV stations. In addition, some viewers on the northern or southern edges of the region receive Charlottesville and Raleigh TV stations, respectively.
While most people receive large-market radio stations from the same places as their TV stations, southside has a large variety of local radio. Country stations tend to dominate southside radio, though local classic rock, adult contemporary, Top 40, and public radio formats exist.
All of southside can receive Virginia's largest newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In addition, all the towns listed below (and others) have local newspapers, and they are generally weekly publications.
Cities associated with Southside
Blackstone
Lynchburg ''May be considered by some to be in Southwest Virginia''
South Boston
Danville
Farmville
Appomattox
Emporia
Martinsville
Rocky Mount
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