Physical Description
Location
Nottoway County is located in the south-central portion of Virginia,
bounded by the counties of Amelia to the north, Dinwiddie to the east,
Brunswick and Lunenburg to the south, and Prince Edward to the west.
The county seat, Nottoway Courthouse, is approximately 59 miles southwest
of Richmond, the state capital; 128 miles west of Norfolk and the Ports
of Hampton Roads; 167 miles south of Washington, D.C.; 412 miles south
of New York City; and 795 miles southeast of Chicago and 440 miles northeast
of Atlanta.
Topography
Nottoway County lies within the Southeastern Piedmont Physiographic Province
with elevations ranging from a low of 200 feet above sea level to a high
of 600 feet above sea level. Differences in rock texture and hardness
have created some hilly areas and some areas that are gently rolling to
flat.
A ridgeline that generally follows the U.S. Highway 460/Norfolk Southern
Railroad Corridor separates the James River Basin and the Chowan River
Basin. Drainage from the northern part of the county flows into the Appomattox
River via Flat Creek, Deep Creek, Cellar Creek, and Namozine Creek. Drainage
from the southern part of the county flows into the Nottoway River through
Horsepen Branch, Dickerson Creek, Hurricane Branch and Birchin Creek.
Total land area is 315 square miles or approximately 200,000 acres.
 Climate
A temperate climate, Nottoway County has an annual average temperature
of 57 degrees. In January, the average high is 46 degrees and the average
low is 27 degrees. The average high and low temperatures for the month
of July are 88 and 67 degrees, respectively. Nottoway County is generally
frost-free from April 14 to October 20, averaging 190 days.
Precipitation averages 42.0 inches per year. Snowfall, averaging 15.3
inches per year, is infrequent and of short duration during the winter
months. There is normally little accumulation in comparison to other localities
across the state.
There are very few areas in the County where flooding has been experienced
in this century. None of these areas contain commercial or industrial
activity. Heavy rains and occasional strong winds are sometimes experienced.
Hurricanes are not a problem to the area, their full force usually degenerating
long before they hit the area.
During the spring, summer, and fall, the prevailing winds are from the
south and southwest. During the winter, winds are from the north and northeast.
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