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King and Queen County, Virginia

Coordinates: 37°43′N 76°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 of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°43′N 76°54′W / 37.72°N 76.9°W / 37.72; -76.9
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1691
Named forWilliam III and Mary II of England
SeatKing and Queen Court House
Area
 • Total
326 sq mi (840 km2)
 • Land315 sq mi (820 km2)
 • Water11 sq mi (30 km2)  3.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,608
 • Density20/sq mi (7.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.kingandqueenco.net

King and Queen County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia, located in the state's Middle Peninsula on the eastern edge of the Richmond, VA, metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,608.[1] Its county seat is King and Queen Court House.[2]

History

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King and Queen County was established in 1691 from New Kent County, and was named for King William III and Queen Mary II of 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 2020, this has been the case since 1920.

Among the earliest settlers of King and Queen County was Roger Shackelford, an English emigrant from Old Alresford, Hampshire, after whom the county's village of Shacklefords is 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 president James Madison was 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's Montpelier estate in Orange County.

On March 2, 1864, the Battle of Walkerton, an engagement of the American Civil War, took place here, resulting in a Confederate victory.

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

Richard and Mildred Loving lived in a remote part of the county in the 1960s, hoping to avoid arrest by the authorities while their legal challenge to Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws moved 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 on U.S. Route 360 at 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. For example, as of 2024 it does not have a grocery store[citation needed].

Geography

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According to the U.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 63 miles (101 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

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Major highways

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Demographics

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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

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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
White alone (NH) 4,547 4,460 65.47% 67.49%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,970 1,561 28.37% 23.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 109 82 1.57% 1.24%
Asian alone (NH) 17 23 0.24% 0.35%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 0.05%
Some Other Race alone (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

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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 6,630 people residing in the county; these included 2,673 households and 1,897 families. The population density was 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% Black or African American, 1.42% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,673 households, 26.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples living 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.

The median age 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.

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

Government

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Board of Supervisors

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  • 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

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

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

Presidentially, King and Queen County is a bellwether county of sorts. It correctly predicted the winner of all but four presidential elections between 1928 and 2024, voting for losing candidates only in 1968, 1980, 2012, and 2020.

United States presidential election results for King and Queen County, Virginia[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 2,608 62.27% 1,536 36.68% 44 1.05%
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

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Census-designated Place

Unincorporated Communities

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "King and Queen County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 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. ISBN 9780722246290. Retrieved April 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. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 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. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  13. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

37°43′N 76°54′W / 37.72°N 76.90°W / 37.72; -76.90

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