Virginia
Buying Land in Campbell County, Virginia
County seat Rustburg. Campbell County runs from suburban growth pressure along its border with the independent city of Lynchburg to genuinely rural, agricultural land through most of its interior. The county's A-1 Agricultural district carries a 1.5-acre minimum lot size, per the county's own current page -- confirm it directly before you plan a subdivision.
A county of two character zones
Campbell County sits in south-central Virginia, wrapping around part of the independent city of Lynchburg, which was historically carved out of Campbell County territory before becoming its own legally separate jurisdiction. That shared history and boundary shows up today in real land-market terms: parcels closer to Lynchburg tend to see more suburban-style growth pressure and higher demand, while the rest of the county -- which makes up the bulk of its land area -- stays genuinely agricultural and rural, with working farms, forestland, and larger available tracts at correspondingly lower prices.
A buyer's experience of Campbell County will differ substantially depending on which part of the county they are looking at, so treat "Campbell County" as two distinct sub-markets rather than one uniform rural county -- and weigh proximity to Lynchburg's job base and services against the more purely rural character (and lower cost) of the county's interior.
Agricultural zoning: confirm the current minimum lot size directly
Campbell County's zoning ordinance (Chapter 22 of the county code) includes an A-1 Agricultural district that governs most of the county's rural land. The county's own current "Subdividing Land" page states a 1.5-acre minimum lot size for the A-1 district, with an exception for conveyances to immediate family members -- a common Virginia mechanism, defined by state code, for splitting off a house lot for a relative without triggering full subdivision review. An older agenda-item document this page also found described a 2.5-acre minimum with 150 feet of road frontage required on a state-maintained road; that figure appears to reflect either a since-superseded proposal or an outdated source rather than the ordinance as it currently stands, since the county's own live page states the smaller number.
Treat the 1.5-acre figure as the more reliable current answer, but confirm it directly with the county's Planning and Development Department before finalizing a subdivision plan, a family-transfer lot split, or a new home site -- this page's research this session did not pull the underlying ordinance text itself, only the county's own summary page, so a direct call remains worthwhile given that the two sources genuinely conflicted.
Subdividing, septic, and water in Campbell County
The county maintains a dedicated subdivision-of-land process, separate from its general zoning chapter, that governs how a larger tract is split into multiple lots -- worth reviewing directly, alongside the zoning chapter, if your plan involves creating more than one buildable parcel from a single purchase.
Septic and well permitting for a Campbell County parcel follows Virginia's statewide model: a Virginia Department of Health local health district reviews the site and issues the construction permit for a typical single-family system, not a county department -- see our Virginia state page for how that process generally works, and confirm soil and site conditions for your specific parcel with the local health department before counting on a given lot being buildable.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Campbell County
Direct WebFetch to the county's own site was not attempted beyond following search-indexed snippets, and this session's search budget was exhausted before further confirmation could be sought -- confirm current department structure, hours, and especially the current A-1 Agricultural minimum lot size directly.
Planning & Zoning
Campbell County Planning and Development Department
Zoning district lookups, current A-1 Agricultural minimum lot size, and subdivision-of-land questions.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
Virginia Department of Health -- local health district serving Campbell County
Septic and private well permitting.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk
Recorded deeds, easements, and plats.
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Get local guidanceSources
- Campbell County | Virginia GEOID 51031 — postcodebase.com (accessed 2026-09)
- Subdividing Land — Campbell County, VA (accessed 2026-09)
- Campbell County Code of 1988, Chapter 22 (Zoning) — Campbell County, VA (accessed 2026-09)
- Request to Review Minimum Lot Size and Road Frontage — Campbell County, VA (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09