Most Isolated Schools, By Class

[SpartanOfYore]

Ever stay up late at night, wondering which public schools in Virginia are the most isolated? No, of course you haven't, because most of y'all are normal. But for whackos like myself, these are the things we wonder about while decent folk slumber. So, here they are, the winners of the geographical "Maytag Repairman" awards. I used the driving distances as supplied by Google Earth, without checking to see if there might be a shorter route. Also, it should go without saying that only schools in Virginia were taken into account; a few of these schools might have shorter drives to schools in other states.

Most Isolated From Nearest School In Any Other Class
Class 6: Franklin County - 20.8 miles to Cave Spring (Class 3).
Class 5: Halifax County - 27.4 miles to Dan River (Class 2).
Class 4: Louisa County - 20.6 miles to Spotsylvania (Class 3).
Class 3: Patrick County - 27.7 miles to Magna Vista (Class 3).
Class 2: Ridgeview - 23.6 miles to Eastside (Class 1).
Class 1: Highland (non-football playing) - 32.5 miles to Bath County (Class 1).
Sussex Central - 26.2 miles to Southampton (Class 3).

Most Isolated From Nearest School In Same Class
Class 6: Franklin County - 143 miles to Cosby.
Class 5: Halifax County - 93.5 miles to Patrick Henry (Roanoke).
Class 4: Dinwiddie - 46 miles to Monacan.
Class 3: Abingdon - 98.5 miles to Christiansburg.
Class 2: George Mason - 57.9 miles to Clarke County.
Class 1: Northampton - 76.6 miles to Windsor (nearest Class 1 football-playing school with complete VHSL schedule).
Northampton - 57 miles to Chincoteague (nearest Class 1 football-playing school).
Chincoteague - 57 miles to Northampton.

Highland wins the coveted Golden Hermit award as the overall most isolated school in the state. Patrick County is the most isolated school that has football - or in their case, rumored to have football. It's hilarious to think of George Mason (Falls Church), smack dab in the middle of one of the most densely populated areas in the country, as "isolated" in any sense. And how about poor ol' Franklin County? Almost 150 miles to the nearest school their size. Halifax, like its namesake, is pretty much on an island too, both in distance to any neighbor at all, and distance to the closest school in their class.

I don't know if there are any conclusions to be drawn from this information. Of all the schools listed, only Dinwiddie can come close to claiming consistent success in football, over the long term; a few of the others have certainly had their moments. And Clintwood and Haysi, which came together to form Ridgeview, were both pretty consistent before consolidation. Perhaps its telling that the schools that are furthest from any neighbors either don't have football, or play a limited schedule: Highland, Chincoteague, Rappahannock County, for example. Of course, those schools all have very low enrollments, as well, which is often (but not always) a characteristic of the isolated rural school.

I suppose if anything, we can conclude that while a greater degree of isolation doesn't preclude football success, it certainly can't be viewed as a positive factor toward that end.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

If we combined you and Danny to make a Super Source Hero, there would be no question about HS football in Virginian that could not be answered.

Great job, my friend. Now get some sleep. I'm tired just looking at your time stamps.

Here is a question for you. In fact, the opposite of what you posted.

1). Closest HS any class
2). Closest HS same class.

I got your email, thanks. Will be in touch later.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

If we combined you and Danny to make a Super Source Hero, there would be no question about HS football in Virginian that could not be answered.

Great job, my friend. Now get some sleep. I'm tired just looking at your time stamps.

Here is a question for you. In fact, the opposite of what you posted.

1). Closest HS any class
2). Closest HS same class.

I got your email, thanks. Will be in touch later.

Spartan, you are one crazy puppy with waaaaaayyyy too much time on your hands!

I would just take a wild guess and say Handley and Millbrook would be the closest HS same class and any class. If not them, then I would guess someone in Fairfax or Loudoun county

 

[Lafayette]

Per my google Lafayette to Warhill is 4.6 miles and Handley to Millbrook is 4.7! The distance by crow flight is half that distance between Lafayette and Warhill. Lafayette to Jamestown is a long 6.5 miles.

 

[cutnjump]

If we combined you and Danny to make a Super Source Hero, there would be no question about HS football in Virginian that could not be answered.

Great job, my friend. Now get some sleep. I'm tired just looking at your time stamps.

Here is a question for you. In fact, the opposite of what you posted.

1). Closest HS any class
2). Closest HS same class.

I got your email, thanks. Will be in touch later.

I would guess Cave Spring and Hidden Valley in Roanoke would be near the top of that list and there are probably a few candidates In NOVA as well.

 

[newleather]

I would think 3A Heritage-Lynchburg and Brookville might be the closest. They are about 2 miles from each other.

 

[VolNation85]

Class 3 Heritage (Lynchburg) to Class 4 EC Glass is 3.9 miles. Also one of the best rivalries in the state!

Class 3 Heritage (Lynchburg) to Class 3 Brookville is 2.2 miles, both are literally on the same road.

Any closer and they would be the same school.

 

[VolNation85]

I would guess Cave Spring and Hidden Valley in Roanoke would be near the top of that list and there are probably a few candidates In NOVA as well.

I would think so too. They're a whopping 2.6 miles apart.

 

[one man]

If we combined you and Danny to make a Super Source Hero, there would be no question about HS football in Virginian that could not be answered.

Great job, my friend. Now get some sleep. I'm tired just looking at your time stamps.

Here is a question for you. In fact, the opposite of what you posted.

1). Closest HS any class
2). Closest HS same class.

I got your email, thanks. Will be in touch later.

Charlottesville to Albemarle is 2.3 miles.

From parking lot to parking lot, its two lefts, two rights and a left.

I had three pairs that came to mind, just from knowledge of traveling in these areas over the years.

After a quick search of google maps.
William Fleming to Northside is also 2.3 miles.
Cave Spring to Hidden Valley is 2.8
Heritage to Brookville is 2.2 miles. <<<Top Seed right now!

I'd guess their are schools in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Henrico, Chesterfield or the 757 that can challenge that 2.2 miles. I'm not quite that bored though, can't wait to find out who the winner is.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

According to my bleary-eyeball search done just now, it looks as if the two public schools in the state in closest proximity to each other are Osbourn Park (Class 6) and Manassas Park (Class 3), separated by a mere 1.1 driving miles. I didn't read the road names, but I assume people just take the parkway.

John Marshall (3) and Henrico (5) are 1.5 miles apart, as are "isolated" George Mason (2) and George C. Marshall (5). Maury and Booker T. Washington have a buffer of 1.8 miles. George Washington is only 1.6 miles from Galileo Magnet school, which is a VHSL member, but I don't know that the Falcons play any sports.

Those appear to be the only schools located less than two miles apart, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee that (thus dropping from Super Source Hero status). There are a ton that lie between 2 and 3 miles from each other, all in the densely populated urban areas, of course.

 

[gtownfencecrew]

According to my bleary-eyeball search done just now, it looks as if the two public schools in the state in closest proximity to each other are Osbourn Park (Class 6) and Manassas Park (Class 3), separated by a mere 1.1 driving miles. I didn't read the road names, but I assume people just take the parkway.

John Marshall (3) and Henrico (5) are 1.5 miles apart, as are "isolated" George Mason (2) and George C. Marshall (5). Maury and Booker T. Washington have a buffer of 1.8 miles. George Washington is only 1.6 miles from Galileo Magnet school, which is a VHSL member, but I don't know that the Falcons play any sports.

Those appear to be the only schools located less than two miles apart, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee that (thus dropping from Super Source Hero status). There are a ton that lie between 2 and 3 miles from each other, all in the densely populated urban areas, of course.

Not sure about team sports, but Galileo does have kids that run cross country and track. One of their kids was 2nd in the 1A state cross country meet last year.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Not sure about team sports, but Galileo does have kids that run cross country and track. One of their kids was 2nd in the 1A state cross country meet last year.

Good info. Thanks!

 

[schoolboard]

Skyline and Warren County are 3.0 miles apart. I would have thought closer, until I google map'd it.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Hermitage High School to Glen Allen High School is approximately 2.3 miles.. John Marshall High School to Henrico High School are probably the closest high schools in the state at 1.2 miles. I go thru there all of the time and it may not even be that far from JM to Henrico.

Edit.. Just seen where this was already stated in the thread.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

According to my bleary-eyeball search done just now, it looks as if the two public schools in the state in closest proximity to each other are Osbourn Park (Class 6) and Manassas Park (Class 3), separated by a mere 1.1 driving miles. I didn't read the road names, but I assume people just take the parkway.

John Marshall (3) and Henrico (5) are 1.5 miles apart, as are "isolated" George Mason (2) and George C. Marshall (5). Maury and Booker T. Washington have a buffer of 1.8 miles. George Washington is only 1.6 miles from Galileo Magnet school, which is a VHSL member, but I don't know that the Falcons play any sports.

Those appear to be the only schools located less than two miles apart, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee that (thus dropping from Super Source Hero status). There are a ton that lie between 2 and 3 miles from each other, all in the densely populated urban areas, of course.

Holy crap, I forgot about those two and I grew up in Manassas! We HATED Osbourn Park!! Bigtime rivalry!

 

[tw2126]

Chancellor and Riverbend are 1.9 miles apart.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Holy crap, I forgot about those two and I grew up in Manassas! We HATED Osbourn Park!! Bigtime rivalry!

Hell, Manassas hates everybody!

(Was thinking of you Clarke and typed your name instead of Manassas)

 

[DinwiddieProud]

When I went to elementary school in Petersburg, the other side of the street was Dinwiddie County. We watched the kids get on and off the school bus every day. Petersburg gobbled them up a few years later via annexation. (Petersburg must have thought there were a few athletes across the street!)

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I guess OP and MP get the prize for closest regardless of classification at 1.1 miles apart?

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Hermitage High School to Glen Allen High School is approximately 2.3 miles.. John Marshall High School to Henrico High School are probably the closest high schools in the state at 1.2 miles. I go thru there all of the time and it may not even be that far from JM to Henrico.

Edit.. Just seen where this was already stated in the thread.

You lose by .1 miles!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

This will challenge all of you, especially our buddy Spartan of Yore.

What are the two closest public schools when one is in one state, and the other in a different state?

 

[SpartanOfYore]

This will challenge all of you, especially our buddy Spartan of Yore.

What are the two closest public schools when one is in one state, and the other in a different state?

I hope you mean just Virginia and its neighbors, and not ALL the states! Either way, I don't know.

 

[numb3rs]

In Bluefield VA/WV, Graham HS (VA) is 3.4 miles from Bluefield HS (WV).

In Bristol VA/TN, Virginia HS is 2.8 miles from Tennessee HS.

No Virginia public schools in other areas (NOVA, Hampton Roads, Danville, etc.) are closer to any public schools in bordering states, including DC.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Chancellor and Riverbend are 1.9 miles apart.

I checked that out when I was panning around before, and Google Earth shows them as being 2.5 miles apart. That appears to be the most direct route, as well. Of course, they could be off in their distances somewhere.

 

[mike salem]

It's obvious we have hit the bottom of the barrel waiting for football. I think we all need to take up an extra hobby to prevent this from happening again. (Or maybe take a break for a few minutes with an adult beverage or perhaps a good cigar)
No disrespect intended, but you can just tell we are like kids waiting for Santa.

 

[numb3rs]

It's obvious we have hit the bottom of the barrel waiting for football. I think we all need to take up an extra hobby to prevent this from happening again. (Or maybe take a break for a few minutes with an adult beverage or perhaps a good cigar)

I like this type of thing. For fun one time, I tried to figure out the least distance between a Hardee's and Carl's Jr. I see that I wasn't the only person intrigued by that question.

http://tumblr.mapsbynik.com/post/115757858462/the-hardeescarls-jr-line-the-geography-of-two

 

[mike salem]

I like this type of thing. For fun one time, I tried to figure out the least distance between a Hardee's and Carl's Jr. I see that I wasn't the only person intrigued by that question.

http://tumblr.mapsbynik.com/post/115757858462/the-hardeescarls-jr-line-the-geography-of-two

No disrespect intended. On a side note the first time I ever saw a Carl's Jr I was in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

[numb3rs]

No offense taken. I didn't know that Carl's Jr was an international chain myself until I saw one in Cozumel.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Closest To School In Any Other Class
Class 6: Osbourn Park - 1.1 miles to Manassas Park (Class 3).
Class 5: Henrico - 1.5 miles to John Marshall (Class 3).
George Marshall - 1.5 miles to George Mason (Class 2).
Class 4: George Washington - 1.6 miles to Galileo Magnet (non-football Class 1).
Dominion and Park View - 2.1 miles apart.
Class 3: Manassas Park - 1.1 miles to Osbourn Park (Class 6).
Class 2: George Mason - 1.5 miles to George Marshall (Class 5).
Class 1: Galileo Magnet (non-football playing) - 1.6 miles to George Washington (Class 4).
As far as football-playing Class 1's, there are too many possibilities to check out. Or, more than I care to check out right now.

Closest To School In Same Class
Class 6: Frank Cox and First Colonial - 1.9 miles apart.
Class 5: Hermitage and J. R. Tucker - 1.9 miles apart.
Class 4: Dominion and Park View - 2.1 miles apart.
Class 3: Brookville and Heritage - 2.2 miles apart.
Class 2: Virginia and John Battle - 5.3 miles apart.
Class 1: Chilhowie and Northwood - 8.6 miles apart.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

This will challenge all of you, especially our buddy Spartan of Yore.

What are the two closest public schools when one is in one state, and the other in a different state?

And no, NOVA is not its own sta

Ever stay up late at night, wondering which public schools in Virginia are the most isolated? No, of course you haven't, because most of y'all are normal. But for whackos like myself, these are the things we wonder about while decent folk slumber. So, here they are, the winners of the geographical "Maytag Repairman" awards. I used the driving distances as supplied by Google Earth, without checking to see if there might be a shorter route. Also, it should go without saying that only schools in Virginia were taken into account; a few of these schools might have shorter drives to schools in other states.

Most Isolated From Nearest School In Any Other Class
Class 6: Franklin County - 20.8 miles to Cave Spring (Class 3).
Class 5: Halifax County - 27.4 miles to Dan River (Class 2).
Class 4: Louisa County - 20.6 miles to Spotsylvania (Class 3).
Class 3: Patrick County - 27.7 miles to Magna Vista (Class 3).
Class 2: Ridgeview - 23.6 miles to Eastside (Class 1).
Class 1: Highland (non-football playing) - 32.5 miles to Bath County (Class 1).
Sussex Central - 26.2 miles to Southampton (Class 3).

Most Isolated From Nearest School In Same Class
Class 6: Franklin County - 143 miles to Cosby.
Class 5: Halifax County - 93.5 miles to Patrick Henry (Roanoke).
Class 4: Dinwiddie - 46 miles to Monacan.
Class 3: Abingdon - 98.5 miles to Christiansburg.
Class 2: George Mason - 57.9 miles to Clarke County.
Class 1: Northampton - 76.6 miles to Windsor (nearest Class 1 football-playing school with complete VHSL schedule).
Northampton - 57 miles to Chincoteague (nearest Class 1 football-playing school).
Chincoteague - 57 miles to Northampton.

Highland wins the coveted Golden Hermit award as the overall most isolated school in the state. Patrick County is the most isolated school that has football - or in their case, rumored to have football. It's hilarious to think of George Mason (Falls Church), smack dab in the middle of one of the most densely populated areas in the country, as "isolated" in any sense. And how about poor ol' Franklin County? Almost 150 miles to the nearest school their size. Halifax, like its namesake, is pretty much on an island too, both in distance to any neighbor at all, and distance to the closest school in their class.

I don't know if there are any conclusions to be drawn from this information. Of all the schools listed, only Dinwiddie can come close to claiming consistent success in football, over the long term; a few of the others have certainly had their moments. And Clintwood and Haysi, which came together to form Ridgeview, were both pretty consistent before consolidation. Perhaps its telling that the schools that are furthest from any neighbors either don't have football, or play a limited schedule: Highland, Chincoteague, Rappahannock County, for example. Of course, those schools all have very low enrollments, as well, which is often (but not always) a characteristic of the isolated rural school.

I suppose if anything, we can conclude that while a greater degree of isolation doesn't preclude football success, it certainly can't be viewed as a positive factor toward that end.

Class 1 Northampton has a haul. Lest you land lovers don't know this, the journey to any and all 1A competition for them means crossing the bay via the CBBT. Or going through MD and crossing the bay up there and dropping back down. Now for those kids, it's no big deal, they cross the bay all the time to go get "stuff" in Va Beach, Norfolk, etc. But, for folks traveling "TO" the ES, they become convinced they are either going to fall off the face of the earth, or end up face to face with Merry Old England!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Come on Mike. You are spoiling our fun.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

And no, NOVA is not its own sta

Class 1 Northampton has a haul. Lest you land lovers don't know this, the journey to any and all 1A competition for them means crossing the bay via the CBBT. Or going through MD and crossing the bay up there and dropping back down. Now for those kids, it's no big deal, they cross the bay all the time to go get "stuff" in Va Beach, Norfolk, etc. But, for folks traveling "TO" the ES, they become convinced they are either going to fall off the face of the earth, or end up face to face with Merry Old England!

Never been to the Eastern Shore - nor Virginia Beach, for that matter - but I would like to someday.

 

[mike salem]

Come on Mike. You are spoiling our fun.

I'm just teasing because we are all so looking forward to football. I oftentimes spend endless amounts of time using Google to research things that pique my interest at the time.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I'm just teasing because we are all so looking forward to football. I oftentimes spend endless amounts of time using Google to research things that pique my interest at the time.

I understand, believe me.

Never been to the Eastern Shore - nor Virginia Beach, for that matter - but I would like to someday.

You just need to ride to the ES. Try to go across the CBBT in the next year or two. Stop on the 1st island and catch a bite to eat. When they start on the replacement tunnel, the restaurant and gift shop will be gone forever. And stroll out on the pier. If you are lucky, a Navy ship will pass by while you are there. Which happens very often.

Things have changed a lot on the Shore since I first started spending time over there. In the last 15 years the development around Cape Charles has changed the face of that beautiful land forever.

Here is a couple of examples of how unique it was in the 80's. The leading restaurant only opened for supper if the watermen had caught fish or other seafood that day. And at best, you had three menu choices. If they ran out, you didn't eat.

Everybody bartered. Sweet potatoes for crab, fish for shingles, most anything for labor. Not a lot of money changed hands.

But my favorite is the tale of the oil tank. My lifelong friend and his sidekick bought an old house right on Rt. 13. The place had sat vacant for a decade. Overgrown and vandalized, you could hardly see the house for the bushes. Well, my buddy found a local guy that had a truck, (that actually ran), and got him to agree to cut down all of the bushes and clear off all of debris. A couple of weeks later, my buddy, (Mr. Charlie), and his sidekick rode back over to the shore to settle up with the guy. The old boy says, "Mr Charlie", "I'm sorry I couldn't get rid of that old empty oil tank". "I carried it to dump and the man said since it wasn't cut in two, I had to pay $7.50 to leave it". "I told that man, are you crazy?" "I don't carry that kind of money on me!"

He and his son worked on that yard for two weeks. Mr Charlie asked them how much he owed him. He was embarrassed, and felt bad about the oil drum. He told Mr Charlie that he felt like what he did was worth $35, as long as he didn't think it was too much? If he did, $25 was good enough. Mr Charlie and his sidekick gave him $110. They said he cried. Most money he had ever seen in his life.

This one is also as unbelievable. Mr Charlie and his sidekick bought a lot in Cape Charles in the early 90's. It was 50' x 100' with the remains of a fallen down house on the lot. And not exactly in the best neighborhood. Eventually the town sent them a letter saying they had to clean up the lot or the town would, and send them the bill. Never one to do anything that he could put off, Mr Charlie ignored the letter. Sometime over the next few months, the town cleaned up the lot. And they never received a bill.

Mr Charlie and his sidekick paid a whopping $500 for the lot. Paid a few taxes, and a local kid to cut the grass a couple times a year, (again, when the town got on them). In 2007, they sold the lot to a speculator for $200,000.

There is no place on earth like the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I will always love the place.

 

[tommythecpa]

I think in reality FCHS is even more isolated when you consider the year round performance opportunities avail to students in Richmond, 757, and NOVA.
Pretty much same for HCHS and students at both schools can have long rides to school.

 

[tommythecpa]

Class 3 Heritage (Lynchburg) to Class 4 EC Glass is 3.9 miles. Also one of the best rivalries in the state!

Class 3 Heritage (Lynchburg) to Class 3 Brookville is 2.2 miles, both are literally on the same road.

Any closer and they would be the same school.

Just makes it easier for LCA recruiters.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

An addendum:

Closest To School In Any Other Class
Class 1 (Football playing): Covington - 5.9 miles to Alleghany (Class 3).

These two wage "The War In the Highlands" each season for the coveted Brackman Cup, named for former Covington "Virginian Review" sports editor Emory Brackman. Brackman passed away in 1996, and Alleghany and Covington began playing for the cup named in his honor that fall. Covington has claimed the cup only once, in 2013.

Clifton Forge High School, which closed in 1983, is another six miles east of Alleghany High. I'm pretty sure all three schools were decent-sized in the sixties, and were all still AA for most of the seventies; I think Clifton was in single A its last several years.Those hills used to be quite the hotbed for high school sports rivalries. The Clifton Forge building still exists, but just stands there looking empty and sad, as if wistfully thinking on the days of past glories. Kind of like the whole town and, sadly, similar to much of western and southwestern Virginia.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

I like this type of thing. For fun one time, I tried to figure out the least distance between a Hardee's and Carl's Jr. I see that I wasn't the only person intrigued by that question.

http://tumblr.mapsbynik.com/post/115757858462/the-hardeescarls-jr-line-the-geography-of-two

Several years ago, we would map our route to the Outer Banks to make sure we would have a Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A on the way.

 

[numb3rs]

Several years ago, we would map our route to the Outer Banks to make sure we would have a Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A on the way.

I'm not going to do this one, but I wonder where the two closest Chick-Fil-A restaurants are. Roanoke and Richmond could vie for the title with Valley View in Roanoke and Willow Lawn in Richmond having mall and free standing units within a few hundred feet of each other.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

I'm not going to do this one, but I wonder where the two closest Chick-Fil-A restaurants are. Roanoke and Richmond could vie for the title with Valley View in Roanoke and Willow Lawn in Richmond having mall and free standing units within a few hundred feet of each other.

In Winchester we used to have a Chick-fil-a in the mall food court (dunno if it is still there, never go to that dump of a mall), and there is a free standing one a few hundred yards away in the Lowes Parking Lot.