Independence, VA

united states

Independence, a mountain town of 1,100 in southwestern Virginia's Blue Ridge, serves as Grayson County's seat at 2,400 feet elevation. US Route 58 runs right through town, connecting east to Stuart and west toward Tennessee, while Route 21 heads south to Mount Airy, North Carolina. Most visitors arrive via I-77 and Route 58 through Galax, about 45 minutes away. The town's claim to fame is the Old Fiddlers' Convention each August, where bluegrass musicians compete on the courthouse lawn.