Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419.[1] Its county seat is Winchester.[2] The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county.
| Frederick County, Virginia | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Virginia | |
 Virginia's location in the U.S. | |
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1743 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Winchester |
| Largest town | Stephens City |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
415 sq mi (1,075 km²) 413 sq mi (1,070 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.5% |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
91,419 200/sq mi (77/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website: www.fcva.us | |
| Named for: Frederick, Prince of Wales | |
Frederick County is included in the Winchester, VA-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The area that would become Frederick County, Virginia was populated by various indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European colonization. The "Indian Road" refers to a historic trail made by local tribes.
Frederick County was established in 1743 from parts of Orange County, Virginia. At that time, "Old Frederick County" encompassed all or part of four counties in present-day Virginia — Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, and Frederick. It also included five in present-day West Virginia — Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan. The Virginia Assembly named the new county for Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales.[3] He was the oldest son of King George II of Great Britain.
Colonial Era
As Commander-in-Chief of the new Colonial Virginia regiment in 1754, Colonel George Washington's headquarters were located in Winchester before and during the French and Indian War. He resigned from military service in 1758. He was appointed a general by the Continental Congress sixteen years later. Meanwhile, Washington represented Frederick County in his first elective office, having been elected to the House of Burgesses in 1758 and 1761. Daniel Morgan was another famous general during the American Revolutionary War, from (present day Clarke County).
War of 1812
American Civil War
Winchester changed hands between the Confederate and Union Armies on average once every three weeks during the war. Many battles were fought in Frederick County. Some of those battles include:
- First Battle of Kernstown, March 1862
- First Battle of Winchester, May 1862
- Second Battle of Winchester, June 1863
- Second Battle of Kernstown, July 1864
- Third Battle of Winchester (Battle of Opequon), September 1864
- Battle of Cedar Creek, October 1864
The first constitution of West Virginia provided for Frederick County to be added to the new state if approved by a local election.[4] Unlike those of neighboring Berkeley and Jefferson counties, Frederick County residents voted to remain in Virginia.[5]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 415 square miles (1,070 km2). Of this, 413 square miles (1,070 km2) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.5%) is water.[6] This is the northernmost county in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 19,681 | ||
| 1800 | 24,744 | 25.7% | |
| 1810 | 22,574 | −8.8% | |
| 1820 | 24,706 | 9.4% | |
| 1830 | 26,046 | 5.4% | |
| 1840 | 14,242 | −45.3% | |
| 1850 | 15,975 | 12.2% | |
| 1860 | 16,546 | 3.6% | |
| 1870 | 16,596 | 0.3% | |
| 1880 | 17,553 | 5.8% | |
| 1890 | 17,880 | 1.9% | |
| 1900 | 13,239 | −26.0% | |
| 1910 | 12,787 | −3.4% | |
| 1920 | 12,461 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 13,167 | 5.7% | |
| 1940 | 14,008 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 17,537 | 25.2% | |
| 1960 | 21,941 | 25.1% | |
| 1970 | 28,893 | 31.7% | |
| 1980 | 34,150 | 18.2% | |
| 1990 | 45,723 | 33.9% | |
| 2000 | 59,209 | 29.5% | |
| 2010 | 78,305 | 32.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1] | |||
In the 2020 census, there were 91,419 people, 34,073 households, and 24,741 families living in the county. The population density was 221.3 people per square mile (85.4/km²). There were 35,827 housing units. The breakdown by race was 80.4% White, 4.1% Black, 1.8% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from one other race, and 8.0% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos made up 10.9% of the people.
The median (middle) age was 40.9 years. The age breakdown was 23.0% under age 18, 59.1% from 18 to 65, and 18.0% over 65. The gender breakdown was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
Of the households, 32.6% had children under age 18, 56.7% had a married couple, 6.7% had an unmarried couple, 21.9% had a woman with no partner, 14.8% had a man with no partner, and 21.9% had one person living alone. The average household size was 2.65 people.[11][12]
As of 2022, the median (middle) yearly income for a household was about $92,443, and the median income for a family was about $107,040.[13] The per capita income was about $43,375.[14] About 4.1% of families[15] and 6.8% of all people lived below the poverty line. This includes 9.1% of children under 18 years old and 5.3% of people over 65 years old.[16]
Frederick County, Virginia Media
I-81 southbound in Frederick County, near Stephens City
Map of Frederick County, Virginia, with Municipal and Magisterial District Labels
_just_southeast_of_Stephens_City_in_Frederick_County,_Virginia.jpg)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ Henry Gannett (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 131.
- ↑ "A State of Convenience; The Creation of West Virginia". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ↑ Hu Maxwell; Howard Llewellyn Swisher, History of Hampshire County, West Virginia (Morgantown, WV: A.B. Boughner, printer, 1897), p. 111
- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ↑ "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ↑ "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ↑ "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ↑ "S1902: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ↑ "S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ↑ "S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2024.