Editing Danville, Virginia (section)

{{short description|Independent city in Virginia, United States}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Danville, Virginia
| settlement_type    = [[Independent city (United States)|Independent city]]
| image_skyline      = DANVILLE.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Worsham Street overlook, Main & Ridge St. intersection, Masonic building (River City Towers), Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, municipal building from Union Street, repurposed Dan River Fabrics "Home" sign.(Clockwise from the top)
| image_seal         = Danville va seal.png
| nicknames          = River City,<br/>City of Churches,<br/>DanVegas,<br/>D'ville
| motto              = Reimagine That
| image_map          = Danville-Location.svg
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = Location in the Commonwealth of [[Virginia]]
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = Virginia#USA
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Danville in [[Virginia]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|36|35|14|N|79|24|16|W|region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (Virginia)|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Virginia]]
| subdivision_name2  = None ([[Independent city (United States)|Independent city]])
| established_date   = 
| named_for          = [[Dan River (Virginia)|Dan River]]
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
| leader_title1      = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = Alonzo Jones
| leader_title2      = [[Vice Mayor]]
| leader_name2       = Gary P. Miller
| leader_title3      = [[City council|Council]]
| leader_name3       = Danville City Council
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_sq_mi   = 43.70
| area_land_sq_mi    = 42.80
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.90
| elevation_ft       = 531
| population_total   = 42590
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_demonym = Danvillian
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 24540-24541, 24543
| area_code          = [[Area code 434|434]]
| website            = {{URL|www.danville-va.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
| pushpin_label      = Danville
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 51-21344<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1492837<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 113.19
| area_land_km2      = 110.84
| area_water_km2     = 2.34
| population_density_km2 = auto
| official_name      = 
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Danville, Virginia.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| image_flag         = Flag of Danville, Virginia.png
}}

'''Danville''' is an [[independent city (United States)|independent city]] in the [[Virginia|Commonwealth of Virginia]] in the United States. The city is located in the [[Southside (Virginia)|Southside Virginia]] region and on the fall line of the [[Dan River (Virginia)|Dan River]].

The city was a center of [[Tobacco in the United States|tobacco]] production and was an area of Confederate activity during the [[American Civil War]],<ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=DeNordendorff |first1=Charles |title=Map of Danville Defences 1863 |url=http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/gilmer/id/100 |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> due to its strategic location on the [[Richmond and Danville Railroad]]. In April 1865, Danville briefly served as the third and final capital of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] before its surrender later that year.

Danville has maintained an African American majority population since the [[Reconstruction era]]. During this time, the city was represented politically by African American members of the [[Readjuster Party]]. However, this changed following the [[Danville Massacre]] of 1883, after which Democrats regained control both locally and statewide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/reckoning-in-a-small-town-civil-war-meets-civil-rights-in-the-last-capital-of-the-confederacy/2020/09/18/317eaf88-f6a3-11ea-89e3-4b9efa36dc64_story.html|title=Reckoning in a small town: Civil War meets civil rights in the Last Capital of the Confederacy|last=Schneider|first=Gregory|date=September 19, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=June 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://wordinblack.com/2021/10/in-the-1880s-election-fraud-and-a-massacre-stopped-black-progress/|title=In the 1800s, election fraud and a massacre stopped black progress|last=Work Castle|first=Molly|date=October 19, 2021|website=Word in Black|access-date=June 10, 2023}}</ref> Decades later, during the civil rights era, Danville again became a flashpoint for racial violence and resistance to desegregation efforts.

Danville is the principal city of the [[Danville, Virginia micropolitan area|Danville, Virginia Micropolitan Statistical Area]]. The [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] combines the city of Danville with surrounding [[Pittsylvania County, Virginia|Pittsylvania County]] for statistical purposes. The population was 42,590 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Danville city, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5159091108|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 26, 2022}}</ref> It is bounded by Pittsylvania County to the north and [[Caswell County, North Carolina]] to the south. It hosts the [[Danville Otterbots]] baseball club of the [[Appalachian League]].