Culpeper County, Virginia | |
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.jpg) Culpeper County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
| Coordinates:38°29′N77°58′W / 38.49°N 77.96°W /38.49; -77.96 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1749 |
| Named after | Catherine Culpeper, daughter ofThomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper ofThoresway |
| Seat | Culpeper |
| Largest town | Culpeper |
| Area | |
• Total | 383 sq mi (990 km2) |
| • Land | 379 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Water | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2) 0.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 52,552 |
• Estimate (2025) | 57,185 |
| • Density | 138.6/sq mi (53.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 22701, 22713, 22714, 22718, 22724, 22726, 22729, 22733, 22734, 22735 |
| Congressional districts | 7th,28th Senate,61st and 62nd House of Delegates |
| Website | www |
Culpeper County is a United Statescounty located in the north-central part of thePiedmont region of theCommonwealth ofVirginia. The county is included in theWashington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area, and its population was 52,552 as of the2020 census.[1] Itscounty seat is the town ofCulpeper.[2]
Culpeper County, named for former colonial administrator Catherine Culpeper, was created in 1749, and its first county surveyor was a youngGeorge Washington. The county and its residents played notable roles in America's early wars, including raising theCulpeper Minutemen, a militia that fought in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
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At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of future Culpeper County were aSiouan-speaking sub-group of theManahoac tribe called the Tegninateo,[3] allies to theMonacans and other central Virginian tribes further west.[4][5][6]Captain John Smith mapped the area between theRappahannock andRapidan rivers in 1608, locating 4 Sioux villages therein.[7]
The Manahoac were known to clear large tracts of forest to attractbig game to their territory, and built impressiveburial mounds.[8][9] Though the tribe was initially sheltered from European encroachment by their position west of thefall line, they were steadily wiped out by disease and gradually increased conflict with settlers. The remnants of the tribe were first driven south towards the upperMattaponi, then westwards into theBlue Ridge; they had largely disappeared from the Piedmont region by the time that Culpeper was intensively settled by the colonists.[4][9]
In 1649, the 629,000-acreNorthern Neck Proprietary was established byKing Charles II as a one-seventh partition of the Crown'sholdings in North America.[10] The original recipient of this territory wasJohn Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper ofThoresway.[11] Upon his passing, control of the territory was transferred to his son,Thomas Colepeper, the 2nd Baron; in 1688 he received a new patent from King James verifying his claim to the territory, but died the following year. 5/6th of his share of the colony was inherited by his daughter, Catherine Culpeper, and her husbandThomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Upon his death in 1710, control of the territory passed on to his sonThomas, the 6th Lord. The death of his grandmother in May of that year left him the remaining sixth share. Given that he was only 16 at the time, administrative authority fell to his mother, who would maintain it until her death in 1719, when the whole of the proprietary was passed on to Thomas.[12] Upon its founding by the Virginia General Assembly as a partition ofOrange County in 1749, Culpeper County would be named for Catherine, asFairfax County already existed.[10]
_2nd_Lord_Culpeper.jpg)
In May 1749, the first Culpeper Court convened in the home of Robert Tureman, near the present location of the Town of Culpeper. In July 1749, Tureman commissioned 17-year-oldGeorge Washington as the first County surveyor.[13] One of his first duties was to lay out the county's courthouse complex, which included the courthouse, jail, stocks, gallows and accessory buildings. By 1752 the complex stood at the present northeast corner of Davis and Main Streets. The courthouse village was named Town of Fairfax forThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781).[14]
During the Virginia convention held in May 1775, the colony was divided into sixteen districts. Each district had instructions to raise a battalion of men "to march at a minute's notice." Culpeper, Orange and Fauquier, forming one district, raised 350 men in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate; they were called the Culpeper Minute Men.[15] In December, the Minute Men, marching under their flag depicting a rattlesnake and inscribed with the words "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me", took part in theBattle of Great Bridge, the first Revolutionary battle on Virginia soil. The Culpeper Minute Men reorganized in 1860 in response to the impending Civil War and became part of 13th Infantry's Company B, fighting against the US Government forces. The Culpeper Minutemen were again organized for World War I, and joined the 116th Infantry.
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In 1833, based on the county's growing population and the need of those in the northwestern area for easier access to a county seat, the upper 267 square miles (690 km2) of Culpeper County was partitioned off to createRappahannock County, Virginia, which was founded by an act of the Virginia General Assembly.
TheBattle of Cedar Mountain took place during theCivil War on August 9, 1862, and theBattle of Brandy Station occurred on June 9, 1863, in Culpeper County. Culpeper was the boyhood home ofGeneral A. P. Hill, who fought against Union forces.[citation needed]
The negative impact of theMassive Resistance campaign against school integration led to the statewide election of a pro-desegregationgovernor. By the middle of the 1970s,[16] Culpeper was the last county in Virginia to desegregate its public schools. In 2018 Culpeper County Public Schools[17] has six elementary, two middle schools and two high schools. In 1935 the Rotary Club of Culpeper began a college loan fund, which in 1966 became a four-year scholarship based on academic achievement. The group also provides a Technical School scholarship based on academic achievement.[18]
Culpeper County is home to Commonwealth Park, site for many world-class equestrian events. It was here that actorChristopher Reeve suffered his 1995 accident during a competition.
The town of Culpeper was rated #10 by Norman Crampton, author of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," in February 1993.
In April 2016, the county Board of Supervisors denied a routine request from the Islamic Center of Culpeper for a pump and haul permit to serve their envisioned mosque. This resulted in a lawsuit by the US Department of Justice in December.[19]
Culpeper County has a civilian workforce of 24,313.[20] 30% of residents live and work within the county while 70% of workers commute out of the locality. The most residents are commuting toFairfax orFauquier counties. In comparison, the equivalent of 45% are in-commuters. The most in-commuters are coming fromOrange County.[21]
The Top 10 non-governmental Culpeper employers as of March 2023:[21]
The northeast border of Culpeper County is defined by theRappahannock River which flows east-southeastward along its border, while the south border of the county is similarly defined by the meanders of theRapidan River. TheHazel River flows eastward through the county, discharging into the Rappahannock on the county's east border, while theThornton River also flows eastward through the county, discharging into the Hazel in the north part of the county. The county is in the foothills of theBlue Ridge Mountains, which are quickly accessed beginning with Old Rag Mountain and the Skyline Drive just up Route 522.[22] The rolling hills generally slope to the south and east, with its highest point near its west corner at 705 ft (215 m) ASL.[23] The county has a total area of 383 square miles (990 km2), of which 379 square miles (980 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.9%) is water.[24]
_from_the_overpass_for_U.S._Route_522_and_Virginia_State_Route_3_(Germanna_Highway)_just_southeast_of_Culpeper_in_Culpeper_County%2c_Virginia.jpg)
Culpeper County is represented by RepublicansBryce E. Reeves,Emmett W. Hanger Jr., andJill Holtzman Vogel in the Virginia Senate, RepublicansMichael J. Webert andNicholas J. (Nick) Freitas in the Virginia House of Delegates, and DemocratEugene Vindman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Culpeper County has been a Republican stronghold for several decades. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 108 | 11.80% | 752 | 82.19% | 55 | 6.01% |
| 1916 | 184 | 17.73% | 849 | 81.79% | 5 | 0.48% |
| 1920 | 330 | 25.27% | 973 | 74.50% | 3 | 0.23% |
| 1924 | 190 | 17.15% | 876 | 79.06% | 42 | 3.79% |
| 1928 | 753 | 47.39% | 836 | 52.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 417 | 23.40% | 1,349 | 75.70% | 16 | 0.90% |
| 1936 | 551 | 30.21% | 1,266 | 69.41% | 7 | 0.38% |
| 1940 | 579 | 32.27% | 1,208 | 67.34% | 7 | 0.39% |
| 1944 | 750 | 42.30% | 1,022 | 57.64% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1948 | 682 | 40.14% | 804 | 47.32% | 213 | 12.54% |
| 1952 | 1,507 | 60.33% | 987 | 39.51% | 4 | 0.16% |
| 1956 | 1,502 | 56.44% | 966 | 36.30% | 193 | 7.25% |
| 1960 | 1,630 | 54.86% | 1,332 | 44.83% | 9 | 0.30% |
| 1964 | 1,775 | 48.43% | 1,886 | 51.46% | 4 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 2,229 | 47.49% | 1,239 | 26.40% | 1,226 | 26.12% |
| 1972 | 3,707 | 72.80% | 1,316 | 25.84% | 69 | 1.36% |
| 1976 | 3,659 | 54.64% | 2,892 | 43.19% | 145 | 2.17% |
| 1980 | 4,312 | 59.43% | 2,519 | 34.72% | 424 | 5.84% |
| 1984 | 5,596 | 70.60% | 2,255 | 28.45% | 75 | 0.95% |
| 1988 | 5,896 | 68.57% | 2,555 | 29.71% | 148 | 1.72% |
| 1992 | 5,226 | 49.93% | 3,444 | 32.91% | 1,796 | 17.16% |
| 1996 | 5,688 | 53.90% | 3,907 | 37.02% | 958 | 9.08% |
| 2000 | 7,440 | 60.76% | 4,364 | 35.64% | 440 | 3.59% |
| 2004 | 10,026 | 64.25% | 5,476 | 35.09% | 103 | 0.66% |
| 2008 | 10,711 | 54.26% | 8,802 | 44.59% | 228 | 1.15% |
| 2012 | 11,580 | 57.30% | 8,285 | 40.99% | 346 | 1.71% |
| 2016 | 13,349 | 60.08% | 7,759 | 34.92% | 1,110 | 5.00% |
| 2020 | 16,012 | 59.05% | 10,617 | 39.15% | 487 | 1.80% |
| 2024 | 17,685 | 61.67% | 10,557 | 36.81% | 437 | 1.52% |
Recent media investigations regarding law enforcement procurement of military equipment through the1033 Program offered by theDefense Logistics Agency identified Culpeper County as having received, as donations, a "Mine Resistant Vehicle" in 2013 worth $412,000 and 20 night-vision optics worth an additional $136,000.[38]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 22,105 | — | |
| 1800 | 18,100 | −18.1% | |
| 1810 | 18,967 | 4.8% | |
| 1820 | 20,944 | 10.4% | |
| 1830 | 24,027 | 14.7% | |
| 1840 | 11,393 | −52.6% | |
| 1850 | 12,282 | 7.8% | |
| 1860 | 12,063 | −1.8% | |
| 1870 | 12,227 | 1.4% | |
| 1880 | 13,408 | 9.7% | |
| 1890 | 13,233 | −1.3% | |
| 1900 | 14,123 | 6.7% | |
| 1910 | 13,472 | −4.6% | |
| 1920 | 13,292 | −1.3% | |
| 1930 | 13,306 | 0.1% | |
| 1940 | 13,365 | 0.4% | |
| 1950 | 13,242 | −0.9% | |
| 1960 | 15,088 | 13.9% | |
| 1970 | 18,218 | 20.7% | |
| 1980 | 22,620 | 24.2% | |
| 1990 | 27,791 | 22.9% | |
| 2000 | 34,262 | 23.3% | |
| 2010 | 46,689 | 36.3% | |
| 2020 | 52,552 | 12.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[39] 1790–1960[40] 1900–1990[41] 1990–2000[42] 2010[43] 2020[44] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[43] | Pop 2020[44] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 33,482 | 34,840 | 71.71% | 66.30% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 7,212 | 6,453 | 15.45% | 12.28% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 129 | 110 | 0.28% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 593 | 767 | 1.27% | 1.46% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 12 | 20 | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 100 | 233 | 0.21% | 0.44% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,004 | 2,620 | 2.15% | 4.99% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,157 | 7,509 | 8.90% | 14.29% |
| Total | 46,689 | 52,552 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 52,552. The median age was 39.8 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males age 18 and over.[46][47]
The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White, 12.5%Black or African American, 0.7%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 7.7% from some other race, and 8.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 14.3% of the population.[47]
42.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 57.1% lived in rural areas.[48]
There were 18,181 households in the county, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[46]
There were 19,185 housing units, of which 5.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.8% were owner-occupied and 27.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%.[46]
As of the2000 United States census, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 90.4 people per square mile (34.9 people/km2). There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34.0 units per square mile (13.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 68.27%White, 28.15%Black orAfrican American, 0.33%Native American, 0.66%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 1.15% fromother races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.50% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 12,141 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% weremarried couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.08.
The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,290, and the median income for a family was $51,475. Males had a median income of $36,621 versus $25,985 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $20,162. About 27.00% of families and 29.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 38.30% of those under age 18 and 28.60% of those age 65 or over.
Culpeper County Public Schools is the school district covering the entire county.[49]
Below is a list of formal and informal communities in the county.[22]
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