Norton, VA

Norton is an independent city in far western Virginia, completely surrounded by Wise County. The 2020 census counted 3,687 residents, making Norton the least populous city in Virginia. The place began as Prince’s Flats, then took the Norton name in 1890 to court the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Rail ties, lumber, and coal connected the city to the wider Appalachian economy, while the old Wilderness Trail—associated with Daniel Boone and Christopher Gist—places Norton in an even older travel story. The Powell and Guest Rivers run through the city, and Norton City Schools serve the local community from elementary grades through John I.

Burton High School. Norton’s strongest present-day draw is outdoors: Flag Rock Recreation Area sits above town with an overlook, campground, reservoirs, and a growing trail system for hiking, running, and mountain biking. U.S. 23 and U.S. 58 make the city a road hub inside the Wise County landscape, while downtown handles city offices, schools, shops, and everyday errands. Norton is small by city standards, but the independent-city designation gives it a county-sized civic role. You get Appalachian railroad history, river valleys, coal-country roads, and a mountain park all in the same compact map.