Work Remotely? Consider These 4 Regions in Virginia

Cameron Davidson

Ask any remote worker, and they are sure to tell you that your surroundings matter immensely when you spend most of your days at home. Thankfully, Virginia has the perfect combination of amenities and beauty so you can create the full, vibrant life you desire. From mountain hideaways and communities along the water to vibrant university towns, these four regions of Virginia make for the perfect perch for remote work.

New River Valley

Virginia’s New River Valley, which is in the heart of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains in southwestern Virginia, is bordered on the northwest by West Virginia and includes the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski as well as the city of Radford. The region is home to Virginia Tech, one of the state’s largest universities, as well as Radford University. The schools contribute to rich cultural, arts and sports scenes, strong talent pipelines for area companies, and research and development for local industries.

Jess Thornton, a human resources director, has worked remotely in the New River Valley region for eight years. When her husband landed a job teaching at Virginia Tech, the couple settled in Blacksburg in Montgomery County and have relished their community’s combination of small-town charm and big-university vibrancy. And as a runner and cyclist, Thornton has no shortage of local outlets, from the Poverty Creek trail system to the Brush Mountain trail system and even portions of the Appalachian Trail. Another of Thornton’s favorite resources for work-from-home happiness is QCowork, a collaborative workspace in Blacksburg.  

“This is a city-level amenity in a small town, and I go regularly because I know a change of scenery is good,” Thornton says. For a workplace where she can score a cup of coffee and a homey cafe vibe, Thornton gravitates to Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea on Blacksburg’s Main Street. In addition, Radford University recently launched a coworking space, CoWorks @The HUB, in downtown Radford.

Connectivity in even the area’s most rural regions is expanding, with a $5.5 million broadband expansion project to deliver high-speed internet to more than 600 homes in Giles County. Comcast and Xfinity also recently announced they will expand internet services in the Radford area, beginning construction to connect nearly 10,000 homes and businesses.

I81-I77 Crossroads

This region, at the intersection of two major interstates in Southwest Virginia, is rich in natural beauty and has an economic landscape that includes a diverse manufacturing base and high-tech companies. The area is largely composed of verdant valleys bordered by the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. With Tennessee to the west, North Carolina to the south and West Virginia to the north, the I81-I77 Crossroads region includes the counties of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe as well as the cities of Bristol and Galax.

Working remotely in the region offers a wide range of upsides, including abundant access to the outdoors. The area is home to Mount Rogers and Whitetop, the two highest peaks in Virginia, as well as the Appalachian Trail, the recreation-rich New River, and four state parks. The Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile rail trail running between Abingdon and Whitetop, is known as one of the best mountain bike trails in the East.

Connectivity is strong and expanding in the region, with Citizens Telephone Cooperative recently announcing work on a $6.3 million broadband expansion project funded by the USDA Community Connect Grant. This milestone enables Citizens to extend high-speed internet service to underserved portions of Carroll County, reaching approximately 1,500 homes. In addition, the Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $100,000 to Washington County to deliver broadband infrastructure along the Mendota and Creeper trails.

For remote workers seeking a shared place to perch, Spacelab in Abingdon, Virginia, offers collaborative workspace on the town’s Courthouse Hill. For a nearby workday option, Wolf Hills Coffee is an inviting downtown Abingdon community space. In Galax, the Briar Patch Marketplace & Cafe is a Main Street hub for workers with laptops as well as gatherings of friends. Additionally, the Java Blend Cafe serves up a homey vibe in Rural Retreat, Up n Down Café offers an oasis in Hillsville, and The Grind serves up a place to refuel and catch up on emails in Wytheville. 

Virginia’s Gateway Region

Just south of Virginia’s capital city of Richmond, the state’s Gateway Region includes the four counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex as well as the Tri-Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg. The nearby James and Appomattox rivers provide ample scenic and recreational opportunities, and major employers and industries include advanced manufacturing and distribution as well as the military, thanks to Fort Lee’s (formerly Fort Gregg-Adams) presence.

For Melody Zurn, working from home in her hometown of Hopewell comes with a variety of benefits, from the short walk to her favorite coffee shop to extra hang time with her Jack Russell terrier, Noel.

“There are so many parks near me, and the Hopewell Riverwalk is in walking distance of my house,” Zurn says. 

For the last four years, Zurn has worked remotely in her job in medical billing. When she needs a change of scenery, she walks to Brew and Blossom coffee shop or heads to the public library in Hopewell, which has great workspaces for folks looking for focus time. West of Hopewell in Colonial Heights, Virginia, is Colonial Heights Coworking, which provides Wi-Fi, conference rooms and individual desks for entrepreneurs and remote workers seeking a place to settle in for the day. In neighboring Petersburg, Market St. Coffee offers a place to sit and sip.  

In Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex counties, RURALBAND provides high-speed internet to more than 10,000 residents and is expanding its service territory to another 6,000 residents in the region.

Northern Neck

The northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia’s Northern Neck region has more than 1,100 miles of tidal shoreline and is bounded by the Potomac River to the north and Rappahannock River to the south. The area includes Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties, plus it has a rich history of agriculture and tourism driven by the beauty and abundance of the area’s diverse waterways.

Working remotely from this picturesque region offers abundant opportunities for water enthusiasts. The Northern Neck’s natural attractions include Colonial Beach, the second-longest public beach in Virginia, Belle Isle State Park, Westmoreland State Park and Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Folks who would rather tour the region by land can ride past fishing villages and historic sites along the Northern Neck trail, part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

The calm pace of life in the Northern Neck is complemented by a forward-looking approach to life online. The recent completion of the regional fiber-to-the-home broadband network in the region delivered state-of-the-art fiber broadband to more than 10,000 locations previously unable to access broadband. All Points Broadband, Dominion Energy Virginia and the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative collaborated to bring broadband to the region through the Northern Neck Regional Broadband Initiative.

For remote workers in search of a place to set up and plug in, CoBE Workspaces in Colonial Beach, Virginia, offers a great option in a scenic spot. In Kilmarnock, the Front Porch Coffeehouse is an inviting place to pull up a chair, while The Art of Coffee in Montross offers an art gallery to peruse alongside its cafe offerings. 

No matter which of these regions you choose, you are sure to enjoy the WFH lifestyle your new hometown provides, complete with views, outdoor spaces to explore and the resources you need to excel in your career.

This article is sponsored by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.