Twin County Airport (HLX) — Hillsville, Virginia
Twin County Airport (IATA: HLX) is the public-use general aviation airport serving Carroll and Grayson counties in the Blue Ridge Highlands of southwestern Virginia. Located near Hillsville at approximately 2,500 feet MSL elevation, HLX is one of Virginia's highest-elevation public airports, creating a high-altitude flying environment that distinguishes it from the lower-elevation airports of Virginia's Piedmont and Tidewater regions. The airport provides essential aviation access for twin counties whose combined population of approximately 40,000 would otherwise have no nearby general aviation public facilities in a region of significant geographic isolation.
HLX's elevated location creates specific operational characteristics: standard service ceiling requirements for aircraft, mandatory density altitude preflight calculations especially in summer, and an instrument approach environment influenced by surrounding terrain. The New River Valley, Grayson Highlands, and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area — home to Virginia's highest peak at 5,729 feet MSL — all lie within short flying distance. Pilots operating from HLX have access to some of Virginia's most dramatic highland scenery. The FAA Eastern Region provides oversight, and Virginia DOT Aviation has supported capital improvements at this important southwest Virginia gateway airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Twin County" refer to in the airport name?
Twin County Airport serves both Carroll County and Grayson County in southwest Virginia — hence "twin county." This shared regional naming reflects the reality that neither county individually could justify the full cost of maintaining a public airport, so the two counties cooperate to provide a shared aviation resource for the region.
What challenges does the high elevation create at HLX?
At approximately 2,500 feet MSL, density altitude at HLX can reach 4,500–5,000 feet on hot summer days. This significantly reduces aircraft climb rates, increases takeoff distances, and requires pilots to use density altitude performance charts rather than sea-level figures. Pilots of older or underpowered aircraft should be particularly careful about performance planning at HLX.
What outdoor recreation is accessible from HLX?
Twin County Airport provides access to some of Virginia's most celebrated outdoor recreation: Grayson Highlands State Park, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (Virginia's highest peak), New River Trail State Park, and the Appalachian Trail. These destinations attract hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and nature photographers from throughout the region.
Is instrument approach service available at HLX?
HLX has published instrument approach procedures allowing IFR operations. Given the surrounding mountain terrain, instrument approaches here require precise flying and thorough review of the approach plates before attempting IMC operations. Pilots should have current charts and be aware of the minimum altitudes specified for the approach environment.
Twin County Airport - HLX Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Hillsville, Virginia.
| Name | Twin County Airport - HLX |
| Address | Hangar Road, Hillsville VA 24343 Map |
| Phone | (276) 728-4504 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Twin County Airport - HLX
HLX Airport — Aviation Lifeline for the Blue Ridge Highlands
Twin County Airport serves as the primary aviation lifeline for Carroll and Grayson counties, two of Virginia's most scenic but geographically isolated communities. The Blue Ridge Plateau that both counties occupy creates magnificent highland scenery — with the Grayson Highlands and Mount Rogers area representing some of the most spectacular terrain in the eastern US — but also means that driving to major Virginia cities requires navigating mountain roads that extend trip times well beyond what map distances suggest. HLX's aviation access compresses this geographic disadvantage, enabling air medical transport, business travel, and emergency services that ground transportation alone cannot adequately provide.
The broader southwest Virginia aviation network — HLX, New River Valley Airport (PSK) in Dublin, Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) in Abingdon, and Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) in Wise — represents Virginia's effort to maintain aviation connectivity across a region whose challenging terrain and dispersed population make airport development difficult. Virginia DOT Aviation's Lenowisco and Mount Rogers planning districts coordinate aviation infrastructure needs for the region, and federal AIP funding channeled through these planning districts has supported runway maintenance and navigational aid upgrades at airports like HLX that would otherwise struggle to maintain infrastructure with local funding alone.