Spotsylvania Courthouse is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) and the county seat of

Spotsylvania County, Virginia Spotsylvania County is a county (United States), county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a suburb approximately 60 miles (90km) south of D.C. It is a part of the Northern Virginia region and the D.C. area. As of 2024, Spotsylvania County ...

, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP), the population was 5,610 at the 2020 census. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the crossroads community became a Union objective during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, fought May 8–21, 1864. The battle, which ended in stalemate, included a brutal 20-hour struggle over a section of the Confederate defenses that became known as the "Bloody Angle". The site of the Bloody Angle and other portions of the battlefield are preserved as part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park and administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park includes three cemeteries. Over 15,000 Union soldiers, many unidentified, are buried in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The other two cemeteries are dedicated to fallen Confederate soldiers.

Geography

Spotsylvania Courthouse is located at (38.202080, −77.587499). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the census designated place (CDP) has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28.0 km²), of which 10.7 square miles (27.8 km²) is land and 0.07 square mile (0.2 km²) (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 3,833 people, 1,233 households, and 1,009 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 443.1 people per square mile (171.1/km²). There were 1,268 housing units at an average density of 146.6/sq mi (56.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.93%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 15.05%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.21% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population. There were 1,233 households, out of which 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.42. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $55,872, and the median income for a family was $60,893. Males had a median income of $42,004 versus $30,494 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $19,052. About 8.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Spotsylvania County, Virginia Census-designated places in Virginia County seats in Virginia