Central Virginia

Made up of eight counties (Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, and Orange) and the City of Charlottesville, Central Virginia is a vibrant economic ecosystem powered by the vision and passion of entrepreneurs, the strength of top-ranked UVA, and an exceptionally skilled and educated workforce. The Central Virginia region boasts a highly diversified economy, and target industries include business and financial services, IT, manufacturing, biomedical and biotechnology, agribusiness, and defense. A robust talent pool of more than 190,000 Virginians and a rich network of university and community resources supports entrepreneurs and their businesses. An integrated, effective workforce development system ensures a pipeline continually filled with skilled workers.

Learn more about the Central Virginia region in Virginia Economic Review

• Interstate 64 runs directly through the region, easily connecting Central Virginia to destinations to the east and west.
• Interstates 64 and 66 connect Central Virginia to Interstates 81 and 95 for access to north/south destinations.
• U.S. Route 29 runs through most of the region, connecting to destinations from Florida to the Greater Washington, D.C., area.
• Freight rail service is provided by CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, Buckingham Branch Railroad.
• Passenger rail service from Culpeper and Charlottesville is provided by Amtrak, providing multiple daily trains to and from Washington, D.C., New York, and beyond.
• The Virginia Inland Port at Front Royal is 30 miles north of Central Virginia, and The Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads is 90 miles east.
• The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Airport (CHO) provides direct, daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. 

Central Virginia’s ideal location and well-educated workforce combines with its exceptional quality of life to enhance both employee recruitment and retention. A robust higher education network, including University of Virginia — ranked as the No. 5 public university in the nation, Germanna Community College, and Piedmont Community College, educates over 38,000 students each year and provides businesses access to workforce training, a pipeline of talent with advanced skills, and research and innovation. World-class medical and health care facilities are anchored by the UVA Health System, and the University’s Medical Center is a nationally renowned medical teaching facility that provides outstanding patient care and educates future health care leaders.