Big Island Virginia Map

About Big Island, Virginia

Big Island is a locality in Bedford County, Virginia, United States. It is a small community with a population of 91. The population density is 48.3 people per km². Big Island is located at 37.5337°N, 79.3598°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 24526.

Big Island, Virginia, unfolds along the James River, a generous artery that has long dictated the land's character. It lies 12.4 miles north-northwest of Forest, VA (from Forest, VA: bearing 342°T), and is situated 14.5 miles northwest of Lynchburg. The terrain here is a gentle, fertile embrace of the Piedmont, where the Appalachian foothills begin to soften their austerity. Broad fields, often carpeted in the emerald hue of pasture or the golden promise of grain, stretch towards stands of mature oak and pine. The river itself, a broad, purposeful sweep of water, is the dominant feature, its banks a mosaic of willows weeping towards the current and sturdy sycamores anchoring the soil. Even the air carries a certain weight, a humid sweetness in the summer months, tinged with the scent of damp earth and distant woodsmoke, a palpable reminder of the region’s agricultural heart. This is a place where history is not merely recalled but felt, woven into the very rhythm of daily life in Big Island. Founded by settlers drawn by the river’s transport potential and the land’s inherent richness, Big Island has long been shaped by agriculture, particularly tobacco in its earlier days, and later by iron production, a legacy that still whispers from the remnants of old furnaces. The local economy, while diversifying, retains a strong connection to the land, with farming and forestry still significant. The presence of the James River continues to inform its character, offering not just a waterway but a source of recreation and a constant, quiet reminder of the enduring forces of nature that have shaped this corner of Virginia, imbuing it with a grounded, unhurried grace.

About This Big Island Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Big Island, Virginia — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 37.533749, -79.359754. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Big Island and Bedford County.

Detailed location data for Big Island includes the ZIP code (24526), telephone area code (276), county seat of Bedford County (Bedford), and school district assignment (Bedford County Public Schools). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Big Island is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.