LYNCHBURG, a city in Campbell county, Virginia, U.S., is finely situated on the rising ground to the south of the James river 144 miles by rail, west by south of Richmond. Having excellent facilities of communication by the Richmond and Allegheny, the Norfolk and Western, and the Virginia Midland Railways, together with the James River canal, and possessing abundant water-power and immediate access to coal and iron, Lynchburg has become the seat of no small commercial and industrial activity. The tobacco trade, which formerly rendered it the wealthiest city of its size in the United States, except New Bedford, Mass., is still the staple; there are about eighty factories in the town, and the amount of tobacco sold in 1870-71 was 17,425,439 lb, while in 1880-81 it was 26,000,000 lb. Most of the operatives are negroes— men, women, and children all being employed. The local iron-works and flour-mills are of some importance, and large machine-shops are maintained at Lynchburg by the Norfolk and Western Railway. Two reservoirs, constructed in 1828 and 1878, supply the town with water. The population was 8067 in 1850, 6853 in 1860, 6825 (3353 coloured) in 1870, and 15,959 in 1880.

The town dates from 1786, and derives its name from a Mr Lynch who served in the war of independence and is erroneously credited by some with the origination of the term Lynch law. It was incorporated as a city in 1805. During the civil war it was a point of great importance to the Confederates as a base of supplies.