[6] It was named after George Pearis, a local landowner who donated a 50-acre (20 ha) tract to be used for a town that would grow up around the county courthouse.

Pearis had operated a ferry on the New River at a settlement called "Bluff City", which is incorporated into the present boundaries of the town of Pearisburg.

[7] It is south of the New River at the foot of Pearis Mountain, which rises to 3,700 feet (1,100 m) to the southwest of town.

The Appalachian Trail descends Pearis Mountain and passes through the western limit of the town before crossing the New River.

Virginia Route 100 passes through the center of Pearisburg, leading south 20 miles (32 km) to Dublin near Interstate 81.

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round.