Strong community ties in one-stoplight town of Chilhowie
The community of Chilhowie sits in a valley between ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. “We’ve got one whole red light,” says lifelong resident Kaye Brown, a broker for Southfork Realty. The town of 1,700 and its surroundings have changed a lot over the last hundred years, including a recent decline in local businesses on Main Street. Yet community ties remain strong, including a seasonal farmers market and a popular apple-themed festival every year. “It’s a lot different, but the people are still the same,” Brown says. “The people who have stayed here, we’re all still the same.” Meanwhile, convenient access to the interstate and nearby recreation in Southwest Virginia help attract new residents to the area.
Large yards and private homes in and around the town
In town, homes flank narrow streets with large yards and a few cul-de-sacs. Outside of town, lots come with more privacy in the Appalachian foothills. Manufactured homes, smaller cottages and ranch-style builds sell for $80,000 to $180,000, while larger ranch-style homes, Cape Cods and Colonial-influenced houses go for $190,000 to $330,000.
The community comes out for the Apple Festival
For a town its size, Chilhowie offers a wide variety of community events throughout the year. Every Thursday between May and October, the Chilhowie Farmers Market sets up at the town’s permanent stand, a venue also used for events and concerts. Each September, the town hosts the Chilhowie Community Apple Festival, a celebration of the orchards that were historically an important part of the area’s economy, though less so since the middle of the 1900s. The festival includes a pageant, a parade, a band competition and plenty of local vendors selling apple-focused treats. “It’s the biggest thing that ever happens in Chilhowie,” Brown says. “The parade isn’t a big parade anymore, not as much as it used to be, but everybody who went to school here, everybody that lives in Chilhowie, everybody goes to the parade.”
Parks in town, plus hiking in nearby recreation areas
Chilhowie is located in a valley carved out by the Middle Fork of the Holston River, between Appalachian Mountain ridges. The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is 16 miles from the community, featuring the highest peak in the state. The Appalachian Trail cuts through the park, one of several hiking opportunities in the area. Within the community, Chilhowie Town Park and Recreational Center offers picnic shelters, basketball courts and several small playgrounds along the river. The town also operates a splash pad adjacent to the public library during summer.
Education at Chilhowee Elementary, Middle and High School
Though portions of the community are within the Washington County Public Schools district, Chilhowie is mainly zoned to Smyth County Public Schools. Students can attend Chilhowie Elementary, which receives a C grade from Niche. Chilhowie Middle and Chilhowie High follow, each receiving a B grade. Chilhowie High offers Advanced Placement classes, which provide opportunities for students to earn college credit.
Main Street is the small business center of town
Though not as bustling as it once was, Main Street is still the center of Chilhowie shopping and dining. The narrow, one-way drive houses antique shops, salons and hardware stores, plus Riverfront Restaurant. The local establishment offers sandwiches, steaks and fried seafood. Fiesta Jalisco sits down the street and serves traditional Mexican fare, including burritos and fajitas. Several dollar stores are located in town, while Food City is the community’s grocery store.
Access throughout Southwest Virginia via I-81
Interstate 81, the main highway through Southwest Virginia, runs through Chilhowie. At the Tennessee state line, Bristol is 30 miles away, while Roanoke is 115 miles in the opposite direction. Residents generally drive to destinations both outside of and within Chilhowie, given its dispersed and rural character around the one-stoplight town at its core. Mountain Lynx Transit serves Chilhowie with demand-response transportation, but only on Tuesdays. Tri-Cities Airport offers the nearest commercial flights, 50 miles away in Tennessee. Smyth County Community Hospital has the closest emergency room, roughly 13 miles east in Marion.
