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King and Queen County, Virginia

Coordinates:37°43′N76°54′W/ 37.72°N 76.90°W/37.72; -76.90
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King and Queen County
County
Old King and Queen County Courthouse
Old King and Queen County Courthouse
Flag of King and Queen County
Flag
Official seal of King and Queen County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting King and Queen County
Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within theU.S.
Coordinates:37°43′N76°54′W/ 37.72°N 76.9°W/37.72; -76.9
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
Founded1691
Named forWilliam IIIandMary IIof England
SeatKing and Queen Court House
Area
• Total326 sq mi (840 km2)
• Land315 sq mi (820 km2)
• Water11 sq mi (30 km2) 3.4%
Population
(2020)
• Total6,608
• Density20/sq mi (7.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.kingandqueenco.net

King and Queen Countyis acountyin theU.S. stateofVirginia,located in the state'sMiddle Peninsulaon the eastern edge of theRichmond,VA,metropolitan area.As of the2020 census,the population was 6,608.[1]Itscounty seatisKing and Queen Court House.[2]

History[edit]

King and Queen County was established in 1691 fromNew Kent County,and was named forKing William IIIandQueen Mary IIof England.[3]King and Queen County is notable as one of the few counties in the United States to have recorded a larger population in the 1790 census than in the 2010 one.

Among the earliest settlers of King and Queen County was Roger Shackelford, an English emigrant fromOld Alresford, Hampshire,after whom the county's village ofShacklefordsis named. Shackelford's descendants continued to live in the county, and by the nineteenth century had intermarried with several local families, including Taliaferro, Beverley, Thornton, and Sears.[4]

In 1762 when he was 11, future presidentJames Madisonwas sent to a boarding school run by Donald Robertson at the Innes plantation in King and Queen County. Robertson was a Scottish teacher who tutored numerous prominent plantation families in the South. From Robertson, Madison learned mathematics, geography, and modern and classical languages, becoming especially proficient in Latin. He attributed his instinct for learning "largely to that man (Robertson)."[5][6]At age 16, Madison returned to his father'sMontpelier estateinOrange County.

On March 2, 1864, theBattle of Walkerton,an engagement of theAmerican Civil War,took place here, resulting in aConfederatevictory.

Virginia Longest, national director of the Nursing Service for theU.S. Department of Veterans Affairsin the late 1970s, was a county native.

Richard and Mildred Lovinglived in a remote part of the county in the 1960s, hoping to avoid arrest by the authorities while their legal challenge to Virginia'santi-miscegenation lawsmoved through the courts.

For many years, county publications noted that the county lacked any traffic lights. This is now no longer the case, as a traffic light has been installed onU.S. Route 360at St. Stephen's Church.

Even in the 21st century, King and Queen County contains no incorporated towns or cities, and remains one of Virginia's most sparsely populated counties.

Geography[edit]

According to theU.S. Census Bureau,the county has a total area of 326 square miles (840 km2), of which 315 square miles (820 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (3.4%) is water.[7]

Measuring 45 miles (72 km) in length, it is one of the longest counties in the state of Virginia, as well as one of the narrowest, measuring less than 10 miles (16 km) across at its widest point.

Adjacent Counties[edit]

Major highways[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17909,377—
18009,8795.4%
181010,98811.2%
182011,7987.4%
183011,644−1.3%
184010,862−6.7%
185010,319−5.0%
186010,3280.1%
18709,709−6.0%
188010,5028.2%
18909,669−7.9%
19009,265−4.2%
19109,5763.4%
19209,161−4.3%
19307,618−16.8%
19406,954−8.7%
19506,299−9.4%
19605,889−6.5%
19705,491−6.8%
19805,9688.7%
19906,2895.4%
20006,6305.4%
20106,9454.8%
20206,608−4.9%
2021 (est.)6,662[8]0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10]1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12]2010[13]2020[14]

2020 census[edit]

King and Queen County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[13] Pop 2020[14] % 2010 % 2020
Whitealone (NH) 4,547 4,460 65.47% 67.49%
Black or African Americanalone (NH) 1,970 1,561 28.37% 23.62%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH) 109 82 1.57% 1.24%
Asianalone (NH) 17 23 0.24% 0.35%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 0.05%
Some Other Racealone (NH) 7 19 0.10% 0.29%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial(NH) 111 278 1.60% 4.21%
Hispanic or Latino(any race) 184 182 2.65% 2.75%
Total 6,945 6,608 100.00% 100.00%

2000 Census[edit]

As of thecensus[15]of 2000, there were 6,630 people residing in the county; these included 2,673 households and 1,897 families. Thepopulation densitywas 21 people per square mile (8.1 people/km2). There were 3,010 housing units, at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 61.22%White,35.67%BlackorAfrican American,1.42%Native American,0.27%Asian,0.02%Pacific Islander,0.15% fromother races,and 1.25% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.

Of the 2,673 households, 26.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% weremarried couplesliving together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.

Themedianage in the county was 41 years, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

Themedian household incomewas $35,941, and the median family income was $40,563. Males had a median income of $33,217, versus $21,753 for females. Theper capita incomefor the county was $17,236. 10.90% of the population and 7.80% of families were below thepoverty line.Of the total people living in poverty, 8.10% were under the age of 18 and 14.80% were 65 or older.

Government[edit]

Board of Supervisors[edit]

  • Buena Vista District: James M. Burns
  • Newtown District: Sherrin C. Alsop (I)
  • Shanghai District: R.F. "Rusty" Bailey, Jr. (I)
  • St. Stephens Church District: James Lawrence Simpkins (I)
  • Stevensville District: Doris H. Morris (I)

Constitutional officers[edit]

  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Vanessa D. Porter
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Kelly N. Lumpkin(I)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Meredith D. Adkins
  • Sheriff: John R. Charboneau
  • Treasurer: Irene B. Longest

King and Queen is represented by Republican Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment in theVirginia Senate,Republican M. Keith Hodges in theVirginia House of Delegates,and Republican Robert J. "Rob" Wittman in theU.S. House of Representatives.

Presidentially, King and Queen County is abellwether countyof sorts. It correctly predicted the winner of all but four presidential elections between 1928 and 2020, voting for losing candidates only in1968,1980,2012,and2020.

United States presidential election results for King and Queen County, Virginia[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,450 59.54% 1,590 38.64% 75 1.82%
2016 2,099 56.88% 1,468 39.78% 123 3.33%
2012 1,865 51.03% 1,745 47.74% 45 1.23%
2008 1,763 47.58% 1,918 51.77% 24 0.65%
2004 1,737 52.86% 1,506 45.83% 43 1.31%
2000 1,423 49.77% 1,387 48.51% 49 1.71%
1996 1,073 38.93% 1,393 50.54% 290 10.52%
1992 1,206 41.34% 1,363 46.73% 348 11.93%
1988 1,376 50.46% 1,309 48.00% 42 1.54%
1984 1,449 54.39% 1,201 45.08% 14 0.53%
1980 949 44.14% 1,128 52.47% 73 3.40%
1976 778 39.06% 1,111 55.77% 103 5.17%
1972 1,033 58.30% 708 39.95% 31 1.75%
1968 568 27.40% 882 42.55% 623 30.05%
1964 699 46.94% 786 52.79% 4 0.27%
1960 432 43.95% 536 54.53% 15 1.53%
1956 495 54.64% 289 31.90% 122 13.47%
1952 415 51.23% 387 47.78% 8 0.99%
1948 171 31.26% 293 53.56% 83 15.17%
1944 166 31.38% 363 68.62% 0 0.00%
1940 124 25.31% 365 74.49% 1 0.20%
1936 124 24.95% 372 74.85% 1 0.20%
1932 154 28.79% 368 68.79% 13 2.43%
1928 319 53.26% 280 46.74% 0 0.00%
1924 134 29.65% 314 69.47% 4 0.88%
1920 181 34.28% 347 65.72% 0 0.00%
1916 127 31.91% 271 68.09% 0 0.00%
1912 68 18.78% 246 67.96% 48 13.26%

Communities[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"King and Queen County, Virginia".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
  2. ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
  3. ^Henry Gannett(1905).The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States.Govt. Print. Off. pp.175.
  4. ^Bagby, Alfred (April 10, 2018).King and Queen County, Virginia.Neale Publishing Company.ISBN9780722246290.RetrievedApril 10,2018– via Google Books.
  5. ^Boyd-Rush, Dorothy. "Molding a founding father". James Madison University. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  6. ^"James Madison's Biography". The Montpelier Foundation. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  7. ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
  8. ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021".RetrievedApril 6,2022.
  9. ^"Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000".US Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 24,2022.
  10. ^"Historical Census Browser".University of Virginia Library.RetrievedJanuary 3,2014.
  11. ^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 3,2014.
  12. ^"Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000"(PDF).United States Census Bureau.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 3,2014.
  13. ^ab"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - King and Queen County, Virginia".United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ab"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - King and Queen County, Virginia".United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMay 14,2011.
  16. ^Leip, David."Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".uselectionatlas.org.RetrievedDecember 9,2020.

37°43′N76°54′W/ 37.72°N 76.90°W/37.72; -76.90

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