South Boston, Virginia

South Boston, formerly Boyd's Ferry, is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Boston had a population of 7,966. It is the most populous town in Halifax County.

On December 8, 1796, the Virginia General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd's Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for Boston, Massachusetts. Because this site proved vulnerable to flooding, it was eventually abandoned in favor of a new settlement on the north side. By the 1850s the Richmond and Danville Railroad passed through South Boston, which eventually developed into an important market for brightleaf tobacco. In 1884 it was incorporated as a town; in 1960 it became an independent city; and in 1995 it made history by being the first city in Virginia to revert to town status and rejoined Halifax County.

Within the town limits Berry Hill Plantation, E. L. Evans House, Reedy Creek Site, South Boston Historic District, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fourqurean House, Glennmary, Glenwood, Tarover, and Seaton are nearby.

South Boston was home to the National Tobacco Festival (a typically three day annual festival held every fall) from its inception in 1935 to 1941, when it was suspended during World War II. In 1948, the festival was moved to Richmond when it outgrew the town. It was held in Richmond until 1984, when it was canceled due to rising production costs and decreased interest. South Boston was the second largest producer of tobacco in the United States until the Great Depression.

South Boston is located south of the center of Halifax County at 36°42′28″N 78°54′12″W / 36.70778°N 78.90333°W / 36.70778; -78.90333 (36.707722, −78.903388). It is bordered to the south by the unincorporated community of Riverdale. U.S. Route 501 passes through the center of the town, leading north 5 miles (8 km) to Halifax, the county seat, and south 23 miles (37 km) to Roxboro, North Carolina. U.S. Route 360 crosses the southeastern corner of the town limits, leading northeast 37 miles (60 km) to Keysville and west 31 miles (50 km) to Danville. U.S. Route 58 passes through the southernmost part of South Boston with US 360, leading west with it to Danville but running east 48 miles (77 km) to South Hill.

According to the United States Census Bureau, South Boston has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.1 km²), of which 13.1 square miles (33.8 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 0.74%, are water. The Dan River, a tributary of the Roanoke River, flows to the east along the southern edge of the town.

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,491 people, 3,502 households, and 2,185 families residing in the town. The population density was 694.7 people per square mile (268.3/km²). There were 3,946 housing units at an average density of 322.8 per square mile (124.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 50.63% White, 47.25% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.

There were 3,502 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.