Botetourt County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
_(2).jpg) Botetourt County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°33′N79°48′W / 37.55°N 79.8°W /37.55; -79.8 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1770 |
| Named after | Lord Botetourt |
| Seat | Fincastle |
| Largest community | Cloverdale |
| Area | |
• Total | 546 sq mi (1,410 km2) |
| • Land | 541 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
| • Water | 4.7 sq mi (12 km2) 0.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 33,596 |
• Estimate (2024) | 34,129 |
| • Density | 62.1/sq mi (24.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | botetourtva |
Botetourt County (/ˈbɒtətɒt/BOT-ə-tot) is aUS county that lies in theRoanoke Region ofVirginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, theBlue Ridge Mountains and theAppalachian Mountains.
Botetourt County was created in 1770 from part ofAugusta County and was named forNorborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt. It originally comprised a vast area, which included the southern portion of present-dayWest Virginia and all ofKentucky. Portions were set off to form new counties beginning in 1772, until the current borders were established in 1851.
Botetourt County is part of theRoanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and thecounty seat is the town ofFincastle.[1] As of the2020 census, the county population was 33,596.[2]
First proposed in theHouse of Burgesses in 1767, Botetourt County was created in 1770 fromAugusta County.[3] The county is named forNorborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt, who served as governor of thecolony of Virginia from 1768 to 1770, when he died suddenly while in office.[4]
In 1772, the county was reduced to the area east of theNew andKanawha rivers by the creation ofFincastle County. Most of that latter county became the Commonwealth ofKentucky in 1792.[3] The other counties established directly from portions of Botetourt County are:Rockbridge (1778),Bath (1791),Alleghany (1822),Roanoke (1833), andCraig (1851).
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km2), of which 541 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km2) (0.9%) is water.[5] TheBlue Ridge Mountains run along the eastern part of the county, while theRidge-and-Valley Appalachians run along the western portion. The two mountain ranges come close together, separated by the town of Buchanan and theJames River.
The James River originates in Botetourt County, near the village ofIron Gate, just south of the Alleghany County line and near the merger of theCowpasture River and theJackson River. The James River runs south untilEagle Rock, where it turns east and meanders through the county, passingSpringwood andJames River High School until enteringBuchanan. In Buchanan, the river turns northward and flows into Rockbridge County towardsGlasgow.
Botetourt County is a part of theRoanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the southern parts of the county have become increasingly suburban in recent decades. Much of the area's former farmland and orchards have been developed into residential subdivisions and businesses.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 10,524 | — | |
| 1800 | 10,427 | −0.9% | |
| 1810 | 13,301 | 27.6% | |
| 1820 | 13,589 | 2.2% | |
| 1830 | 16,354 | 20.3% | |
| 1840 | 11,679 | −28.6% | |
| 1850 | 14,908 | 27.6% | |
| 1860 | 11,516 | −22.8% | |
| 1870 | 11,329 | −1.6% | |
| 1880 | 14,809 | 30.7% | |
| 1890 | 14,854 | 0.3% | |
| 1900 | 17,161 | 15.5% | |
| 1910 | 17,727 | 3.3% | |
| 1920 | 16,557 | −6.6% | |
| 1930 | 15,457 | −6.6% | |
| 1940 | 16,447 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 15,766 | −4.1% | |
| 1960 | 16,715 | 6.0% | |
| 1970 | 18,193 | 8.8% | |
| 1980 | 23,270 | 27.9% | |
| 1990 | 24,992 | 7.4% | |
| 2000 | 30,496 | 22.0% | |
| 2010 | 33,148 | 8.7% | |
| 2020 | 33,596 | 1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[11] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 31,212 | 30,506 | 94.16% | 90.80% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 987 | 905 | 2.98% | 2.69% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 76 | 43 | 0.23% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 174 | 234 | 0.52% | 0.70% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 3 | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 9 | 102 | 0.03% | 0.30% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 332 | 1,027 | 1.00% | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 356 | 776 | 1.07% | 2.31% |
| Total | 33,148 | 33,596 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 30,496 people, 11,700 households, and 9,114 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 56 people per square mile (22 people/km2). There were 12,571 housing units at an average density of 23 units per square mile (8.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.91%White, 3.52%Black orAfrican American, 0.22%Native American, 0.47%Asian, 0.19% fromother races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 11,700 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.80% weremarried couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.10% were non-families. 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 98.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,731, and the median income for a family was $55,125. Males had a median income of $37,182 versus $25,537 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $22,218. About 3.60% of families and 5.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.40% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.
Botetourt County is represented by RepublicanChris T. Head in the Virginia Senate, RepublicanTerry L. Austin in the Virginia House of Delegates, and RepublicanBen Cline in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Botetourt County Public Schools operates public schools serving the county, with students attending one of two high schools:
The Republican candidate for president has won the support of Botetourt County in seventeen of the last nineteen races. The county also voted Republican for governor in2005,2009,2013,2017 and2021. It voted in 2008 forMark Warner inthe U.S. Senate election.[13]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 517 | 32.15% | 889 | 55.29% | 202 | 12.56% |
| 1916 | 775 | 45.83% | 900 | 53.22% | 16 | 0.95% |
| 1920 | 1,240 | 48.17% | 1,331 | 51.71% | 3 | 0.12% |
| 1924 | 1,264 | 45.90% | 1,427 | 51.82% | 63 | 2.29% |
| 1928 | 1,575 | 56.76% | 1,200 | 43.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,209 | 39.54% | 1,808 | 59.12% | 41 | 1.34% |
| 1936 | 1,343 | 46.29% | 1,544 | 53.22% | 14 | 0.48% |
| 1940 | 1,085 | 44.80% | 1,329 | 54.87% | 8 | 0.33% |
| 1944 | 1,272 | 49.65% | 1,275 | 49.77% | 15 | 0.59% |
| 1948 | 1,363 | 51.81% | 1,026 | 39.00% | 242 | 9.20% |
| 1952 | 2,021 | 61.50% | 1,264 | 38.47% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1956 | 2,280 | 60.67% | 1,377 | 36.64% | 101 | 2.69% |
| 1960 | 2,159 | 56.79% | 1,621 | 42.64% | 22 | 0.58% |
| 1964 | 2,098 | 46.87% | 2,377 | 53.11% | 1 | 0.02% |
| 1968 | 2,598 | 50.54% | 1,272 | 24.75% | 1,270 | 24.71% |
| 1972 | 3,806 | 69.44% | 1,519 | 27.71% | 156 | 2.85% |
| 1976 | 3,343 | 44.14% | 4,021 | 53.10% | 209 | 2.76% |
| 1980 | 4,408 | 51.24% | 3,698 | 42.99% | 496 | 5.77% |
| 1984 | 5,959 | 64.15% | 3,243 | 34.91% | 87 | 0.94% |
| 1988 | 5,687 | 59.30% | 3,763 | 39.23% | 141 | 1.47% |
| 1992 | 5,904 | 48.36% | 4,349 | 35.62% | 1,956 | 16.02% |
| 1996 | 6,404 | 51.73% | 4,576 | 36.96% | 1,400 | 11.31% |
| 2000 | 8,867 | 64.07% | 4,627 | 33.43% | 346 | 2.50% |
| 2004 | 10,865 | 68.78% | 4,801 | 30.39% | 131 | 0.83% |
| 2008 | 11,471 | 65.90% | 5,693 | 32.71% | 242 | 1.39% |
| 2012 | 12,479 | 68.41% | 5,452 | 29.89% | 310 | 1.70% |
| 2016 | 13,375 | 71.38% | 4,494 | 23.98% | 870 | 4.64% |
| 2020 | 15,099 | 71.49% | 5,700 | 26.99% | 321 | 1.52% |
| 2024 | 15,796 | 71.87% | 5,915 | 26.91% | 267 | 1.21% |
Botetourt County Fire & EMS uses a combination of career staff and volunteers to providefire protection,emergency medical services,fire safety education,swiftwater rescue, and other emergency services to the county. The department operates out of seven stations with a range offire apparatus andambulances to provide these services.[15][16]
Botetourt County Sheriff's Office is the policing body within Botetourt County. They are stationed inFincastle, Virginia along with the county jail.[17] The Sheriff is Matthew T. Ward, who was elected in November 2019.[18] Botetourt County Sheriff's Office works closely withVirginia State Police, as the county only has 69 officers within their force.[19] The county also has their own Emergency Communications Center, which serves to take9-1-1 calls and help direct law enforcement and first responders to emergency scenes.[19]
37°33′N79°48′W / 37.55°N 79.80°W /37.55; -79.80
Places adjacent to Botetourt County, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofBotetourt County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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