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Named locality · VA

Danville

Danville (city) · USGS GNIS name record 1492837

Approximate USGS name location · 36.5860, -79.3950. This marker does not show a neighborhood boundary.
A place to beginThis source identifies a name and an approximate location. It supplies no neighborhood boundary, population estimate or assurance of current habitation.
Separate geographies · Original Census estimates

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These Census tracts have reference points near Danville. Their figures describe the entire named tract, not this locality. Open a tract to inspect its map, sources and demographic percentages.

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The source behind the name

USGS GNIS Populated Place names in all 50 states and DC. Features in the historical extract or explicitly named historical are excluded; duplicate decision records with identical identities and coordinates are collapsed. GNIS points identify names, not legal or neighborhood boundaries, current occupancy, school attendance or a statistical population. Nearby Census places and tracts remain separately named geographies. Name completeness and currency vary; this is not a claim to include every locally used neighborhood name.

Original USGS record for Danville

Dataset snapshot 2026-09-02 · Source record edited 06/07/2022 · NAD83 · approximate source location

USGS description & history

Originally named Wynne's Falls, the village was renamed Danville by act of the Virginia Legislature on November 23, 1793. The name was derived from that of the Dan River, which was reportedly named for William Byrd, who visited the area in 1728, and supposing himself to be in the land of plenty, felt he had wandered "from Dan to Beersheba" (Danville Chamber of Commerce website, 2001)

Source notes may describe earlier conditions.
Source files & checksums
USGS GNIS · HistoricalFeatures

SHA-256 20c96936a3ba430b345eed1c7395b6aab52875aac8e1e2905fab37b388cab381

USGS GNIS · FeatureDescriptionHistory

SHA-256 45ad8d56b3bb4990ad8105cdda15ee7d2f07afd6941afe75b783f29b02723697

USGS GNIS · PopulatedPlaces

SHA-256 919fac887628b8547ec1b24fae319522a9481a56909c3914d1e0a2b56783147c