Spotsylvania County, Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Spotsylvania County, Virginia | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Virginia |
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 Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1721 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Spotsylvania |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
412 sq mi (1,067 km²) 11 sq mi (28 km²), 2.77% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
90,395 225/sq mi (87/km²) |
| Website: www.spotsylvania.va.us | |
Spotsylvania County is a county in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 90,395. The Census Bureau predicts it to be at 119,529 in 2006, a 32.2% increase, making it the fourth fastest growing in the nation. Its county seat is Spotsylvania Courthouse[1]. The independent city of Fredericksburg is located in the northeast corner of the county but is politically separate.
This county is a part of the Washington Metropolitan Area because of its vast numbers of commuters that travel north on Interstate 95 or Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for work.
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[edit] History
Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood.
Many battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania Court House. Stonewall Jackson was shot and mortally wounded in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina were in the woods when they heard the footsteps of General Jackson's party returning from a reconnaissance of Union lines. They mistook him for a Federal patrol and shot him in the arm. His arm was amputated, but he was unable to recover and died a few days later from pneumonia at nearby Guinea Station, where Confederate wounded were being gathered for evacuation to hospitals further south.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,068 km²), of which, 401 square miles (1,038 km²) of it is land and 11 square miles (30 km²) of it (2.77%) is water.
It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers and the independent city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Culpeper County, Virginia - north
- Stafford County, Virginia - northeast
- Fredericksburg, Virginia - northeast
- Caroline County, Virginia - southeast
- Hanover County, Virginia - south
- Louisa County, Virginia - southwest
- Orange County, Virginia - west and northwest
[edit] National protected area
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |
|---|---|
| Census year |
Population |
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| 1900 | 9,239 |
| 1910 | 9,935 |
| 1920 | 10,571 |
| 1930 | 10,056 |
| 1940 | 9,905 |
| 1950 | 11,920 |
| 1960 | 13,819 |
| 1970 | 16,424 |
| 1980 | 34,435 |
| 1990 | 57,403 |
| 2000 | 90,395 |
| 2005 | 116,549 |
| 2006 | 119,529 |
| 2007 | 124,368 |
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile (87/km²). There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile (32/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.89% White, 12.45% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. 2.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 31,308 households out of which 42.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The 2006 median income for a household in the county was $72,453, and the median income for a family was $75,507. Males had a median income of $49,166 versus $38,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,458. About 3.90% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.[3]
[edit] Law and Government
[edit] County Government
Spotsylvania County's highest level of management is that of County Administrator. J. Randall Wheeler is the current County Administrator. He oversees all county departments and agencies and serves as the Spotsylvania County's Board of Supervisors liaison to state and regional agencies.
[edit] Board of Supervisors
Spotsylvania is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The board consists of seven members (one from each district within the county). The Board of Supervisors sets county policies, adopts ordinances, appropriates funds, approves land rezoning and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and carries out other responsibilities set forth by the county code.[4]
The following is the current list of Supervisors and districts of which they represent:
| District | Supervisor |
|---|---|
| Battlefield | Benjamin T. Pitts |
| Berkeley | Emmitt B. Marshall |
| Chancellor | Henry "Hap" Connors, Jr. |
| Courtland | Jerry I. Logan |
| Lee Hill | Gary F. Skinner |
| Livingston | T.C. Waddy |
| Salem | Gary Jackson |
[edit] State Representation
Spotsylvania County citizens are represented in the State Senate by Senator Ryan T. McDougle (R-District 4) and Senator R. Edward Houck (D-District 17). Representing Spotsylvania residents in the House of Delegates are: Delegate Robert D. Orrock, Sr. (R-54th District), Delegate Mark L. Cole (R-88th District) and Delegate Christopher "Chris" Kilian Peace (R-97th District).
[edit] Federal Representation
Spotsylvania residents are represented by either Eric Cantor (R-7th District) or Rob Wittman (R-1st District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. Senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are John Warner (R) and Jim Webb (D).
[edit] Education
Spotsylvania County Schools administers the public schools in the county. The public school system consists of more than 24,000 students across 31 different schools as of the 2007-08 school year.[4]
[edit] Colleges and Universities
[edit] Emergency services
Fire and rescue services in Spotsylvania County are provided by a combination system of both career and volunteer organizations. These organizations work together to provide quality service to the citizens of Spotsylvania County. The career staff of the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management provide fire and rescue services from 04:40 AM till 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. The volunteer organizations include: Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue, The Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department, and The Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad.[5] Each organization is supplemented by Spotsylvania County Fire and Rescue during daytime hours.[6]
[edit] Localities
[edit] Points of interest
- Lake Anna State Park
- Spotsylvania Towne Centre
- Spotsylvania County Public Schools
- Spotsylvania Courthouse
[edit] Notable residents
- Thomas Dickens Arnold, United States Congressman from Virginia[7]
[edit] References
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- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Census Bureau Median Income Figures census.gov.
- ^ a b Link text, additional text.
- ^ Spotsylvania County Fire;Rescue and Emergency Services Volunteer Agencies
- ^ Spotsylvania County Fire;Rescue and Emergency Services Volunteer Agencies
- ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.
Kerry Lane, Col. USMC ret., Author of "Marine Pioneer" ,"Guadicanal Marine"
[edit] External links
- Spotsylvania County Department of Economic Development
- Official Site of Spotsylvania County
- Spotsylvania County Public Schools
- Local Area and Surrounding Area News
- Spotsylvania Restaurants
- Rappahannock United Way
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