Rural hideaway between bustling college towns
Nestled within the New River Valley countryside is Belview, a small census-designated community less than 5 miles away from the city of Radford and Radford University. “A lot of places like this are essentially just little pockets of larger surrounding towns,” says Judy Ronan, a long-time resident of nearby Christiansburg. Approximately 10 miles northeast is Blacksburg, which is home to the sprawling Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or simply Virginia Tech. Directly northwest of Belview sits the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, a large manufacturing complex. Despite the proximity to densely populated college towns and factories, Belview succeeds in maintaining a cozy, rural atmosphere where residents can live privately surrounded by nature.
Homes surrounded by forests and farmland
Most of the single-family homes in Belview are located on large, secluded lots that line winding backcountry roads and are surrounded by trees and farmland. A handful of homes also line Route 114, or Peppers Ferry Road, the main thoroughfare that runs through the community. Ranch-style homes and bungalows that tend to range in price between $180,000 and $400,000 are common here. Belview also encompasses Massie's Mobile Home Park and Forest Hills at Belview, a townhouse apartment complex with a residential community center. Homes for sale in this neighborhood sell after approximately 17 days on the market, which is significantly lower than the national average of 43 days.
Kayak and fish along the New River
Just outside the neighborhood is the New River, which Ronan says is a popular local outdoor recreation spot. “You can go kayaking there, you can go tubing, you can go fishing,” she says. “There are a lot of different things people can do on the New River. It’s a cool place.” Locals with personal kayaks or canoes can launch their craft into the river at Peppers Ferry Boat Launch, which is situated just across the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge. Approximately 5 miles away is the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, a daily fee public facility featuring a driving range, putting green and a golf course that stretches along 2.5 miles of riverfront.
Belview Elementary School located in the neighborhood
Students here are zoned for the Montgomery County Public School district, which receives an overall A-minus rating from Niche and was named one of Niche’s top 20 best school districts in Virginia for 2024. Young learners start their education at the B-rated Belview Elementary School, which serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is located in the middle of the community. Older students can then head to B-minus rated Christiansburg Middle and Christiansburg High School, which is rated B. Christiansburg High School is home to an award-winning marching band and three choral groups, which did so well in competitions that the high school has been recognized as a Virginia Blue Ribbon school. CHS also offers more than a dozen Career and Technical Education programs.
Basic groceries sold at Dollar General
At the intersection of Prices Fork Road and Route 114 is a small shopping area home to Christy’s Corner Mart, a Marathon gas station and a laundromat called Coin Laundry. At Christy’s Corner Mart, locals can find a variety of convenience items, grab fresh coffee from a brew station, or order hot food from Hunt Brother’s Pizza. A little farther down the street is a Dollar General, which offers a selection of household necessities and basic groceries. For fresh produce, residents drive less than 5 miles down the road to the Radford Shopping Plaza, which features a Walmart Supercenter and Lowe’s Home Improvement. The shopping center is also home to several chain eateries, including Subway, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Haunted Halloween trail at Fithian Farms
To get into the Halloween spirit, locals can buy tickets to trek a haunted mile-long trail through the forest called Dark Woods, which is located at Fithian Farms. The attraction operates from mid-to-late October on the weekends and is not recommended for children under the age of 10. Just north of Belview is Coal Hollow Tunnel, a historic landmark along Route 705 that runs below a set of railroad tracks.
Radford Army Ammunition Plant located nearby
Only a couple of miles away from Belview is the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, a massive ammunition manufacturing facility for the United States military. The complex encompasses more than 4,500 acres and over 1,000 industrial buildings; the plant also houses 18 additional tenants specializing in various other industries, including cellular communications and railcar repair services. In 2015, the base announced it would make efforts to reduce pollution and open-air waste burning with plans to construct a new enclosed energetic waste incinerator – the project broke ground in 2023, and the plant reported a 50% reduction in open-ground burning emissions since 2017 due to various other environmental initiatives.
Written By
Kayleigh Hughes
Video By
Francisco de la Vera
