Established in 1790, Bath County was named for the natural hot springs found in the region.

The county is known for its mountainous terrain and picturesque landscapes, including the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.

Due to the many mineral springs found in the area, the county was named for the English spa and resort city of Bath.

The families who settled in what has since become Bath County that came to Virginia from England predominantly came from the counties of Derbyshire,Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, the western portion of Sussex, Dorset, Somerset (where Bath in England is located), Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Lincolnshire.

Like much of the Shenandoah Valley region, Bath had a relatively large share of residents descended from Scots-Irish immigrants and German farmers, both of whom were moving southward from Pennsylvania.By 1800, Bath County's population was mostly subsistence farmers, though some were also artisans and smaller amounts were shopkeepers.

[5] Additional recreational opportunities are provided by camping and fishing at Lake Moomaw in the southern part of the county.

[5] Montane pine barrens are globally rare habitat, appearing as dwarfed shrublands, and only known in Virginia to occur on Warm Springs Mountain.

The county is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,[8] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

[5] The Omni Homestead, a luxury mountain resort in Hot Springs, is the county's major employer.