King George County, Virginia

King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723.[1] Its county seat is the town of King George.[2]

Not to be confused with Prince George's County, Maryland or Prince George County, Virginia.

King George County
County
King George County Courthouse
King George County Courthouse
Official seal of King George County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting King George County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°16′N 77°09′W
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1720
Named forGeorge I
SeatKing George
Largest CDPKing George
Area
 • Total188 sq mi (490 km2)
 • Land180 sq mi (500 km2)
 • Water21 sq mi (50 km2)  4.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total26,723
 • Density140/sq mi (55/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitewww.kinggeorgecountyva.gov

The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. It is adjacent to the two-lane, 2-mile-long (3.2 km) Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge carrying U.S. Highway 301 over the Potomac River. It contains the ZIP codes 22448 (Dahlgren) and 22485 (all other areas within King George). It is within the area code 540 and contains the exchanges: 775, 644, 663, and 653.

History

Indigenous peoples of varying cultures lived along the waterways for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Among the historic Native American tribes who came into conflict with the English were the Algonquian-speaking Nanzatico. In 1704 colonists retaliated for the tribe's attacking the farm of John Rowley, "known for his disputes" with them. The colonists captured and shipped 40 Nanzatico to Antigua in the Caribbean, where they were sold into slavery; this number included children older than 12.[3]

King George County was established in 1720 when land was split from Richmond County, Virginia. The county is named for King George I of Great Britain.[4] It was substantially reorganized in 1776 and 1777, with land swapped with both Stafford and Westmoreland counties to form the modern boundaries.

In the early decades, planters cultivated tobacco, a labor-intensive commodity crop, depending on the labor of both indentured servants from Britain and enslaved Africans. Gradually slaves became the primary laborers, as fewer indentured servants arrived and the landowners were too lazy. Later mixed crops were introduced, as the land had gotten exhausted from tobacco cultivation. The county and state were dominated by slavery.

On March 16, 1751, James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born at Belle Grove plantation, the childhood home of his mother, Eleanor Rose "Nellie" Conway. Like other women, she returned home to her mother for assistance when bearing her child. The plantation is located in Port Conway in southern King George County. Nellie Conway was the daughter of its owner, Francis Conway, for whom the town of Port Conway was named. William "Extra Billy" Smith, twice elected governor of Virginia, was born at Marengo, Virginia in 1797.

On May 1, 1861, during the American Civil War, Confederates installed artillery at Mathias Point in order to blockade the Potomac River. On June 27, the steamer Thomas Freeborn bombarded Mathias Point in an effort to drive away the soldiers who were manning the weapons. Confederate soldiers fired back from Mathias Point, striking and mortally wounding Commander James H. Ward of the Freeborn. He was the first Union naval officer to die in the Civil War.

Landscape in King George County

After assassinating President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and David Herold tried to elude Union cavalry, and crossed into the Virginia county by boat from Maryland on April 21, 1865. Booth and Herold landed at the mouth of Gambo Creek, before meeting with Confederate agents, who guided their passage to Port Conway. From there they crossed into Port Royal, in Caroline County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 188 square miles (490 km2), of which 180 square miles (470 km2) is land and 8 square miles (21 km2) (4.3%) is water.[5]

King George County is located on the Northern Neck and is bounded on the north by the Potomac River, which lies in Charles County, Maryland. It is bounded on the south by the Rappahannock River, across which lie Caroline and Essex counties; on the east by Westmoreland County and on the west by Stafford County, all in Virginia.

National protected area

Major highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17907,366—
18006,749−8.4%
18106,454−4.4%
18206,116−5.2%
18306,3974.6%
18405,927−7.3%
18505,9710.7%
18606,57110.0%
18705,742−12.6%
18806,39711.4%
18906,6413.8%
19006,9184.2%
19106,378−7.8%
19205,762−9.7%
19305,297−8.1%
19405,4312.5%
19506,71023.5%
19607,2437.9%
19708,03911.0%
198010,54331.1%
199013,52728.3%
200016,80324.2%
201023,58440.4%
202026,72313.3%
2021 (est.)27,489[6]2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2010[8] 2020[9]

2020 census
King George County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[8] Pop 2020[9] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 17,603 18,709 74.64% 70.01%
Black or African American alone (NH) 4,177 3,919 17.71% 14.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 101 153 0.43% 0.57%
Asian alone (NH) 268 401 1.14% 1.50%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 10 13 0.04% 0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 41 147 0.17% 0.55%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 594 1,799 2.52% 6.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 790 1,582 3.35% 5.92%
Total 23,584 26,723 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 23,584 people, 9,411 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 93 people per square mile (36 people/km2). There were 6,820 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.7% White, 17.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,091 households, out of which 38.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 20.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,882, and the median income for a family was $55,160. Males had a median income of $38,600 versus $26,350 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,562. About 4.40% of families and 5.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.10% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of Supervisors
  • County Administrator: Christopher Miller
  • Member/Chair (At Large): Ann C Cupka
  • Member (Shiloh): Cathy Binder
  • Member (Madison): Richard Granger
  • Member (Monroe): Terence Collins
  • Member/Vice Chair (Dahlgren): Jeff Stonehill

Constitutional officers
  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Charles V. "Vic" Mason (I)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Judy Hart (I)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Keri A. Gusmann (I)
  • Sheriff: Christopher A Giles(I)
  • Treasurer: Randy Jones (I)

King George is represented by Republicans Ryan T. McDougle and Richard H. Stuart in the Virginia Senate, Republican Margaret Ransone in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the U.S. House of Representatives.

United States presidential election results for King George County, Virginia[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 8,446 59.38% 5,404 37.99% 374 2.63%
2016 7,341 60.92% 4,007 33.25% 702 5.83%
2012 6,604 58.31% 4,477 39.53% 244 2.15%
2008 5,888 56.22% 4,473 42.71% 113 1.08%
2004 5,124 64.69% 2,739 34.58% 58 0.73%
2000 3,590 61.35% 2,070 35.37% 192 3.28%
1996 2,597 53.62% 1,875 38.72% 371 7.66%
1992 2,570 48.27% 1,811 34.02% 943 17.71%
1988 2,587 62.40% 1,519 36.64% 40 0.96%
1984 2,356 61.34% 1,450 37.75% 35 0.91%
1980 1,784 53.54% 1,318 39.56% 230 6.90%
1976 1,383 46.75% 1,513 51.15% 62 2.10%
1972 1,675 70.05% 658 27.52% 58 2.43%
1968 829 37.77% 730 33.26% 636 28.97%
1964 644 37.25% 1,085 62.75% 0 0.00%
1960 685 48.58% 717 50.85% 8 0.57%
1956 655 51.70% 563 44.44% 49 3.87%
1952 577 52.94% 503 46.15% 10 0.92%
1948 316 43.89% 248 34.44% 156 21.67%
1944 340 49.28% 348 50.43% 2 0.29%
1940 167 24.45% 515 75.40% 1 0.15%
1936 295 38.51% 469 61.23% 2 0.26%
1932 203 29.77% 475 69.65% 4 0.59%
1928 413 57.20% 309 42.80% 0 0.00%
1924 206 40.95% 280 55.67% 17 3.38%
1920 253 50.30% 249 49.50% 1 0.20%
1916 217 48.98% 223 50.34% 3 0.68%
1912 48 11.79% 256 62.90% 103 25.31%

Festivals

The King George Fall Festival is held the second weekend of October in King George. All proceeds from this event go to support the Volunteer King George Fire & Rescue.

The Fall Festival also includes a parade through town, a carnival, a craft fair, a car show, a dance, a 5-K run, and the Fall Festival Queens Pageant. The King George Fall Festival began in October 1959.[12]

Communities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Education

King George County Schools serves all parts of the county for grades PK-12, except for those within Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, which are served by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).[13] The DoDEA property has a single PreK-8 school, Dahlgren Elementary Middle School.[14]

Notable residents

See also

References
  1. "King George County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Eleven New State Historical Highway Markers Approved" Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, Appomattox County History, 23 January 2010, accessed 19 April 2010
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 175.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  8. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - King George County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  9. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - King George County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  12. "King George Fall Festival". King George Fall Festival. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  13. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: King George County, VA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022. - Text list - "Dahlgren Department of Defense School District" refers to DoDEA schools.
  14. "Home Page". Dahlgren School. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  15. "Colette Wolfe". IMDB.
  16. Jermon Bushrod
  17. Schulz, Kathryn (May 18, 2015). "Outside In". New Yorker.
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