Prince George County is a county located in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George. Prince George County is located within the Greater Richmond Region of the U.S. state of Virginia.

History

Prince George County was formed in 1703 in the Virginia Colony from the portion of

Charles City County Charles City County is a county located in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated southeast of Richmond and west of Jamestown. It is bounded on the south by the James River and on the east by the Chickahominy River. The ...

that was south of the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

. It was named in honor of Prince George of Denmark, husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In 1619, "Charles Cittie" was one of four "boroughs" or "incorporations" created by the Virginia Company. The first Charles City County courthouses were located along the

at Westover Plantation on the north side and

City Point City Point of CityPoint may refer to: United Kingdom * CityPoint, an office tower in London, England United States *City Point (New Haven), a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut * City Point, a section of the South Boston area in Boston, Massac ...

on the south side. The Virginia Company lost its charter in 1624, and Virginia became a royal colony. Charles City Shire was formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony by order of Charles I, King of England. It was named as Charles City County in 1643. Charles Cittie, Charles City Shire, and Charles City County all extended to both sides of the

, which was the major transportation thoroughfare of the Virginia Colony throughout the 17th century. The original central city of Charles City County was Charles City Point, which was in an area south of the James River at the confluence of the

Appomattox River The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in central and eastern Virginia in the United ...

. The name was later shortened to

. In 1703, all of the original area of Charles City County south of the James River was severed to form Prince George County. As population increased, portions were divided and organized as several additional counties. City Point became an incorporated town in Prince George County.

20th century to present

Annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923, City Point is no longer in the county. Nearby the current bridges, this water-only section of the county at the

was the site of a fatal

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

accident at an open

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

on December 22, 1935; thirteen persons died

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.9%) is water. The northwestern corner of the county near the cities of Hopewell and

Petersburg Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

, and the location of Fort Lee is exurban, but the rest of the county is rural with most land devoted to agriculture and timber production.

Adjacent counties / independent cities

* Petersburg, Virginia – independent city, northwest * Chesterfield County, Virginia – northwest * Hopewell, Virginia – independent city, northwest * Colonial Heights – independent city, northwest * Charles City County, Virginia – north * Surry County, Virginia – east *

Sussex County, Virginia Sussex County is a rural county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,829. Its county seat is Sussex. It was formed in 1754 from Surry County. The county is named after the county of Sussex, ...

– south *

Dinwiddie County, Virginia Dinwiddie County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its county seat is Dinwiddie, Virginia, Dinwidd ...

– west

National protected areas

* James River National Wildlife Refuge *

Petersburg National Battlefield Park Petersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monum ...

(part)

Economy

Top employers

According to the County's ''2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,'' the top employers in the county are: Goya Foods has its Virginia offices south of the Prince George CDP.

Government

In modern times, there are no centralized cities or towns in the county. Prince George Court House, which uses the postal address Prince George, Virginia, is the focal point of government. The County Administrator answers to the elected Board of Supervisors, who are elected from single-member districts.

Politics

Law enforcement

Prince George County is served primarily by the Prince George County Police Department and the Prince George County Sheriff's Office. The police department's responsibility is the enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth and local ordinances. The primary responsibility of the Sheriff's Office is the security of the courts and service of court (criminal and civil) papers. The Sheriff's Office also assists the police department in the enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth as a secondary responsibility.

Correctional institutions

Riverside Regional Jail is located west of 295 and south of the Appomattox River in the county. It serves seven member localities. It is overseen by the Riverside Regional Jail Authority Board."Riverside Regional Jail"
official website; accessed 21 March 2017 In addition, the Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg is located west of the regional jail, closer to the Appomattox River as it curves south. This complex for male inmates, located west of the independent city of Hopewell, Virginia, consists of both a low-security facility, with 1,111 inmates; 293 at the adjacent minimum-security satellite camp; and 1,595 at the associated medium-security facility. All are managed by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP)."FCI Petersburg Low" and "FCI Petersburg Medium"
Bureau of Prisons; accessed 21 March 2017

Towns, communities, region

There are currently no incorporated towns within Prince George County. Unincorporated towns or communities in the county include:

Census-designated places

* Fort Lee (a military base) * Prince George * Templeton Fort Lee, Virginia (CDP)

Other unincorporated communities

* Burrowsville *

Carson Carson may refer to: People *Carson (surname), people with the surname *Carson (given name), people with the given name Places ;In the United States * Carson, California, a city * Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois *Carson, Iowa, a city * ...

* Disputanta * Garysville * Jordan Point * Kingwood *

New Bohemia The Bohemian Palatinate ( cs, Česká Falc) or Bohemian Upper Palatinate (german: Böhmische Oberpfalz), since the 19th century also called New Bohemia ( cs, Nové Čechy, german: Neuböhmen), is a historical area in the northeast of present-day B ...

* Newville

Transportation

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

s 95 and

295 __NOTOC__ Year 295 ( CCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 295th Year of the Common Era ( CE) and Anno Domini ( AD) designations, the 295th year of the 1st millennium, th ...

pass through the county, as does north-south

U.S. Route 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...

and east-west

U.S. Route 460 U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is a spur route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent route once ...

. State Route 10 runs along the northern shore of the James River near several of the James River plantations located in the county. State Route 106 runs through Prince George, the county seat. Freight railroad service for the county is provided by

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

, which interchanges with Norfolk Southern at Petersburg. The famous 52-mile long tangent rail line between Petersburg and

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

of the former Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad was built by William Mahone in the 1850s, and now forms a vital link of the Norfolk Southern system. A

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

automobile

transloading Transloading, also known as cross-docking, is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, such as when goods must be shipped in ...

facility is located nearby. There are future plans underway for a large Intermodal freight transport railroad-trucking transfer facility in Prince George County as well.

Major highways

* , the major north-south highway on the Eastern Seaboard, enters Prince George County from Sussex County. Access to the county is available at Exits 37, 41, 45, and 46 before the road enters the City of Petersburg. * is the north-south

bypass Bypass may refer to: * Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane) * Flood bypass of a river Science and technology Medicine * Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example: ** Heart bypas ...

around Petersburg and

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, further north. Besides its southern terminus at Exit 46 on I-95, access to the county is available at Exits 3A and 3B before the road enters the City of Hopewell. * , the principal south-north route Sussex County until it was supplanted by I-95. A spur of US Route 1, it enters Prince George County from Sussex County and serves as a frontage road along I-95, until reaching Carson, where it moves further away from the interstate. However it does cross over I-95 at exit 41 along with an overlap of VA 35 (''see below''), and again at Exit 45 eventually entering Petersburg. * , a major west-to-east corridor that runs southeasterly in the south-central of Prince George County, as a connecting route between the Central Appalachian Mountains and the Hampton Roads area. A spur of US 60, it enters the county from

entering

, then later runs through Disputanta before leaving the county at the Sussex County line northwest of Waverly. * , is a state route that runs west to east along the south side of the James River. Named James River Drive throughout the county, it enters the county from Hopewell at the bridges over the Bailey Creek, and briefly takes an overlap of VA 106/156 between Ruffin Road and Jordan Point Road. From there it passes south of the privately-owned Henshaw AirportHenshaw Airport - VG42 (AirNav)
/ref> near Garysville, then passes through Burrowsville, and after the intersection with Chippokes Road (VSR 610), crosses the Prince George-Surry County Line. * , a south-north state road that enters the county from rural areas north of Disputanta. The route runs mainly southeast to northwest along Courtland Street from the Sussex-Prince George County Line and terminates at a pair of Virginia Secondary Routes northwest of the US 301/VA 35 overlap in Templeton. Both VA 35 and US 301 were part of the historic Jerusalem Plank Road, which was the site of a Civil War Battle in Petersburg. * runs northeast from Petersburg as Courthouse Road, through Prince George, where it runs under I-295 with no interchange. It then encounters VA 156 (''see below'') which joins VA 106 in an overlap towards the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge. * runs northeast from Templeton at the southeast end of the US 301/VA 35 overlap. It passes through Disputanta, then joins VA 106 in an overlap east of Prince George where it too heads towards the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge.

Demographics

2020 census

''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 of 2010, there were 35,725 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile (48/km²). There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 60.93% White, 32.54% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.19% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. 4.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on July 1st, 2019, it is estimated that there is a population of 38,353 people living in Prince George County. There were 10,159 households, out of which 41.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.30% were non-families. 17.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.11. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 13.60% from 18 to 24, 33.30% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $49,877, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $37,363 versus $26,347 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,196. About 6.50% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Colleges and Universities

* Richard Bland College

Public High Schools

* Prince George High School 10–12

Public Jr. High Schools

* N.B Clements Jr. High 8–9

Public Middle Schools

J.E.J Moore Middle School Prince George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George. Prince George County is located within the Greater Richmond Region of the U.S. sta ...

6–7

Public Elementary Schools

* Harrison Elementary School K–5 * North Elementary School K-5 * South Elementary School K-5 * L.L. Beazley Elementary School K-5 * W.A. Walton Elementary School K-5

Notable people

* Richard Bland – planter and statesman, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. * Richard Bland II – Planter and statesman, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. * Theodorick Bland of Cawsons – Planter and statesman, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. * Theodorick Bland – Physician,

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

soldier, and statesman who became a major figure in the formation of the new United States Government, representing Virginia in both the Continental Congress and the United States House of Representatives. * Colonel Robert Bolling – Planter and merchant who resided at Kippax Plantation. * Jane Rolfe Bolling – Wife of Colonel Robert Bolling, granddaughter of Pocahontas and English colonist John Rolfe *

Jackie Bradley Jr. Jackie Bradley Jr. (born April 19, 1990), nicknamed "JBJ", is an American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. List ...

– Major League Baseball player, attended Prince George High School. * Larry Brooks – National Football League player, graduated from Prince George High School *

Robert Williams Daniel Robert Williams Daniel (September 11, 1884 – December 20, 1940) was an American banker who survived the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' in 1912, and later became a gentleman farmer and served in the Virginia Senate. Early and family life ...

– Banker who survived the sinking of the '' RMS Titanic'' and later served in the Virginia Senate; resided at Brandon Plantation. * Margery Durant Daniel – Second wife of Robert Williams Daniel, daughter of

Billy Durant William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...

, a businessman and founder of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

* Robert Williams Daniel Jr. – Member of the US House of Representatives; served five terms representing Virginia's

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

congressional district. *

Richard Eppes Richard Eppes (May 2, 1824 – February 17, 1896) was a prominent Planter (American South), planter in Prince George County, Virginia and a surgery, surgeon in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Eppes is notable for his ...

– Planter and surgeon in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War; resided at

Appomattox Manor Appomattox Manor is a former plantation house in Hopewell, Virginia, United States. It is best known as the Union headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864–65. The restored circa 1751 manor house on a bluff overlooking the confluen ...

. * Rick Gates – Political consultant, lobbyist, and business associate of Trump campaign manager

Paul Manafort Paul John Manafort Jr. (; born April 1, 1949) is an American lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney. A long-time Republican Party campaign consultant, he chaired the Trump presidential campaign from June to August 2016. Manafort served ...

graduated from Prince George High School. *

Elmon T. Gray Elmon Taylor Gray (May 1, 1925 – September 27, 2011) was an American lumberman, real estate developer, philanthropist and Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia from Waverly, Virginia.https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+S ...

– Waverly businessman and son of Garland Gray; served in the Virginia Senate from 1971 to 1992. * Samuel Jordan – Jamestown colonist and one of the first colonial legislators; established

Jordan's Point Plantation Jordan Point (or Jordan's Point) is a small unincorporated community on the south bank of the James River in the northern portion of Prince George County, Virginia, United States. It is about 20 miles from Richmond and 30 miles upstream from James ...

John Martin John Martin may refer to: Business *John Martin (businessman) (1820–1905), American lumberman and flour miller *John Charles Martin (fl. 1913–1931), American newspaper publisher *John Martin (publisher) (born 1930), American founder of Black ...

– Jamestown colonist who established Martin's Brandon Plantation * Johnny Oates – Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager, graduated from Prince George High School. * Edmund Ruffin – Planter, agronomist, and southern secessionist; born at Evergreen Plantation in Prince George. * Reggie Williams –

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player; graduated from Prince George High School. * George Yeardley – Jamestown colonist who established Flowerdew Hundred Plantation

References

19
"Quick Facts Prince George County, Virginia"
Retrieved July 1, 2019

External links

Prince George County official website

Prince George County Economic Development
{{authority control Virginia counties 1703 establishments in Virginia Counties on the James River (Virginia) Greater Richmond Region Populated places established in 1703 Virginia counties on the Chesapeake Bay Prince George of Denmark