Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. Charlottesville also forms part of the wider Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson counties. The University of Virginia, founded by Jefferson, straddles the city's south-western border. Monticello, 3 miles (5 km) south-east of the city, is, along with the University of Virginia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Charlottesville is the home of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory headquarters, the Leander McCormick Observatory and the CFA Institute. It is served by two area hospitals, the Martha Jefferson Hospital founded in 1903, and the University of Virginia Hospital. The National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) is in the Charlottesville area. Other large employers include Crutchfield, Emerson Automation Solutions, PepsiCo and SNL Financial.

Among the largest employers in the city are: University of Virginia Medical Center; City of Charlottesville; UVA Health Services Foundation; Charlottesville City School Board; Servicelink Management Com Inc; Aramark Campus LLC; WorldStrides (Lakeland Tours); Association for Investment Management; Rmc Events; Crutchfield Corporation

Breweries Charlottesville has nine breweries within or near its city limits: South Street Brewery (owned by Blue Mountain Brewery), Champion Brewing Company, Three Notch'd Brewing Company, Random Row Brewing Company, Rockfish Brewing Company, Wild Wolf Brewing Company, Pro Re Nata Brewery, Reason Beer (Albemarle), and Decipher Brewing (Albemarle). The first brewery in the City was Blue Ridge Brewery, located on West Main Street, and was owned and managed by grandchildren of writer William Faulkner. Starr Hill Brewery was originally based in Charlottesville but is today located in Crozet, Virginia, 13 miles west of the city.

Attractions and culture Charlottesville has a large series of attractions and venues for its relatively small size. Visitors come to the area for wine and beer tours, ballooning, hiking, and world-class entertainment that perform at one of the area's four larger venues. The city is both the launching pad and home of the Dave Matthews Band as well as the centre of a sizeable indie music scene.

The Charlottesville area was the home of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Monticello, Jefferson's plantation manor, is located just a few miles from downtown. The home of James Monroe, Ash Lawn-Highland, is down the road from Monticello. About 25 miles (40 km) north-east of Charlottesville lies the home of James and Dolley Madison, Montpelier. During the summer, the Ash Lawn-Highland Opera Festival is held at the downtown Paramount Theater with a performance at Ash Lawn-Highland.