Winchester, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Loudoun Street Mall in Winchester in July 2020 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Winchester inVirginia | |
  Winchester Winchester (Northern Virginia) Show map of Northern Virginia Winchester Winchester (Virginia) Show map of Virginia Winchester Winchester (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°11′N78°10′W / 39.183°N 78.167°W /39.183; -78.167 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | None (Independent city) |
| Founded | 1744 |
| Named after | Winchester,England |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Les Veach (R)[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.21 sq mi (23.86 km2) |
| • Land | 9.19 sq mi (23.81 km2) |
| • Water | 0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 725 ft (221 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 28,120 |
| • Density | 3,059/sq mi (1,181/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 22601 |
| Area code | 540 |
| FIPS code | 51-86720[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498552[4] |
| Website | winchesterva.gov |
Winchester is the northernmostindependent city in theCommonwealth ofVirginia, United States. It is thecounty seat ofFrederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions.[5] As of2020 United States census, the city's population was 28,120.[6] It is the principal city of theWinchester metropolitan area with a population of just over 145,000 extending intoWest Virginia, which is a part of theWashington–Baltimore combined statistical area. Winchester is home toShenandoah University and theMuseum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Indigenous peoples lived along the waterways of present-day Virginia for thousands of years before European contact.Archeological,linguistic, andanthropological studies have provided insights into their cultures.
TheShenandoah Valley area, considered a sacred common hunting ground, appears by the 17th century to have been controlled mostly by the localIroquoian-speaking groups, including the Senedo and herando.[citation needed]
TheAlgonquian-speakingShawnee began to challenge the Iroquoians for the hunting grounds later in that century. Theexplorers Batts and Fallam in 1671 reported the Shawnee were contesting with the Iroquoians for control of the valley and were losing. During the laterBeaver Wars, the powerfulIroquois Confederacy fromNew York, including theSeneca from the western part of the territory, subjugated all tribes in the frontier region west of thefall line.
French Jesuit expeditions may have first entered the valley as early as 1606, as the explorerSamuel de Champlain made a crude map of the area in 1632. The first confirmed exploration of the northern valley was by the explorerJohn Lederer, who viewed the region from the current Fauquier and Warren County line on August 26, 1670.
By the time Anglo-European settlers arrived in the Shenandoah Valley around 1729, the Shawnee were the principal occupants in the area of the Shenandoah Valley that developed into Winchester. During the first decade of white settlement, the valley was also a conduit and battleground in a bloody intertribal war between the Seneca and allied Algonquian-speakingLenape from the north, and their distant traditional enemies, theSiouanCatawba based in the Carolinas.
In 1705, the Swiss explorer Louise Michel and in 1716 GovernorAlexander Spotswood did more extensive mapping and surveying. In the late 1720s, GovernorWilliam Gooch promoted settlement by issuing large land grants.Robert "King" Carter, manager of theLord Fairfax proprietorship, acquired 200,000 acres (810 km2). This combination of events directly precipitated an inrush of settlers from Pennsylvania and New York, made up of a blend ofQuakers andGerman andScots-Irish homesteaders, many of them new immigrants. The Scots-Irish comprised the most numerous group of immigrants from the British Isles before theAmerican Revolutionary War.[7]
The Iroquois Six Nations (theTuscarora people had joined them by 1722 after losing battles in the Carolinas in the early 18th century) finally ceded their nominal claim to the Shenandoah Valley at theTreaty of Lancaster (1744), arranged by British officials. The treaty also established the right ofcolonists to use theIndian Road through the valley, later known as theGreat Wagon Road.
The father of Shawnee chiefCornstalk had his own court atShawnee Springs, near today'sCross Junction, Virginia, until 1754. In 1753, on the eve of theFrench and Indian War (Seven Years' War), messengers came to the Shawnee from tribes further west, inviting them to leave the Valley and cross theAlleghenies, which they did the following year.[8][9] The Shawnee settled for some years in theOhio Country before being forced by the US government underIndian Removal in the 1830s to remove toIndian Territory.
The settlement of Winchester began as early as 1729, when Quakers such as Abraham Hollingsworth migrated up (south) the Great Valley along the long-traveled Indian Path (later called theGreat Wagon Road by the colonists) from Pennsylvania. He and others began to homestead on old Shawnee campgrounds. Tradition holds that the Quakers purchased several tracts on Apple-pie Ridge from the natives, who did not disturb those settlements.[10] The first German settler appears to have been Jost Hite in 1732, who brought ten other families, including some Scots-Irish. Though Virginia was anAnglican colony, GovernorWilliam Gooch had a tolerant policy on religion. The availability of land grants brought in many religious families, who were often given 50-acre (200,000 m2) plots through the sponsorship of fellow-religious grant purchasers and speculators. As a result, the Winchester area became home to some of the oldestPresbyterian,Quaker,Lutheran andAnglican churches in the valley. The first Lutheran worship was established by Rev. John Casper Stoever Jr. and Alexander Ross established Hopewell Meeting for the Quakers. By 1736, Scots-Irish built theOpequon Presbyterian Church inKernstown.
Alegal fight erupted in 1735 whenThomas Fairfax, Sixth Lord Fairfax came to Virginia to claim his land grant. It included "all the land in Virginia between the Rappahannock and the Potomac rivers", an old grant fromKing Charles II which overlapped and included Frederick County. It took some time for land titles to be cleared among early settlers.
By 1738, these settlements became known asFrederick Town. The county ofFrederick was carved out of Orange County. The first government was created, consisting of a County Court as well as the Anglican Frederick Parish (for purposes of tax collection).Colonel James Wood, an immigrant fromWinchester, England, was the first court clerk and had been a surveyor forOrange County, Virginia. He contracted for his own homeGlen Burnie homstead around 1737, and it may have been used for early government business.[11] Wood laid out 26 half-acre (2,000 m2) lots in 1744.[11] The County Court held its first session on November 11, 1743, where James Wood served until 1760. Lord Fairfax, understanding thatpossession is 9/10ths of the law, built a home here (in present-day Clarke County) in 1748.
In February 1752,[12] the VirginiaHouse of Burgesses granted the fourth city charter in Virginia to 'Winchester' as Frederick Town was renamed after Colonel Wood's birthplace in England. In 1754, Abraham Hollingsworth built the local residence called Abram's Delight, which served as the first local Quaker meeting house.George Washington spent a good portion of his young life in Winchester helping survey the Fairfax land grant for Thomas Fairfax, Sixth Lord Fairfax, as well as performing surveying work for Colonel Wood. In 1758 Wood added 158 lots to the west side of town. In 1759 Thomas Lord Fairfax contributed 173 more lots to the south and east.[13]
General Edward Braddock'sexpeditionary march toFort Duquesne crossed through this area in 1755 on the way toFort Cumberland. Knowing the area well from work as a surveyor,George Washington accompanied General Braddock as his aide-de-camp. ResidentDaniel Morgan joined Braddock's Army as a wagoner on its march to Pennsylvania. In 1756, on land granted by James Wood, Colonel George Washington designed and began constructingFort Loudoun, which ultimately covered 0.955 acres (3,860 m2) in present-day downtown Winchester on North Loudoun Street. Fort Loudoun was occupied and manned with guns until the start of theAmerican Revolutionary War.
During this era, a jail was built in Winchester. It occasionally held Quakers from many parts of Virginia who protested theFrench and Indian War and refused to pay taxes to the Anglican parish. While their cousins in Pennsylvania dominated politics there, Virginia was an Anglican colony and did not tolerate pacifism well. The strong Quaker tradition of pacifism against strong Virginia support for this war and the next, led to long-term stifling of the Quaker population. Winchester became a gateway to Quaker settlements further west; by the mid-19th century, the Quaker population was a small minority here.
During the war in 1758, at the age of 26, Colonel George Washington was elected to represent Frederick County to theHouse of Burgesses. Daniel Morgan later served as a ranger protecting the borderlands of Virginia against Indian raids, returning to Winchester in 1759. Following the war, from 1763 to 1774 Daniel Morgan served in Captain Ashby's company and defended Virginia againstPontiac's Rebellion and Shawnee Indians in the Ohio valley (that part now inWest Virginia).
During theAmerican Revolutionary War, the Virginia House of Burgesses chose local resident andFrench and Indian War veteranDaniel Morgan to raise a company of militia to support General George Washington's efforts during the Siege of Boston. He led the 96 men of "Morgan's Sharpshooters" from Winchester on July 14, 1775, and marched to Boston in 21 days. Morgan, Wood, and others also performed duties in holding capturedprisoners of war, particularlyHessian soldiers. Hessian soldiers were known to walk to the high ridge north and west of town, where they could purchase and eat apple pies made by the Quakers. The ridge became affectionately known as Apple Pie Ridge. The Ridge Road built before 1751 leading north from town was renamedApple Pie Ridge Road. The local farmers found booming business in feeding the Virginia Militia and fledgling volunteer American army.
Following the war, the town's first newspapers,The Gazette andThe Centinel, were established. Daniel Morgan continued his public service, being elected to one term in theU.S. House of Representatives (1797–1799).
Winchester and the surrounding area were the site of numerous battles during theAmerican Civil War, as the Confederate and Union armies strove to control that portion of theShenandoah Valley. Seven major battlefields are in the original Frederick County:
Within the city of Winchester:
Near the city of Winchester:
Winchester was a key strategic position for theConfederate States Army during the war. It was an important operational objective inGenJoseph E. Johnston's and ColThomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's defense of the Shenandoah Valley in 1861, Jackson'sValley Campaign of 1862, theGettysburg campaign of 1863, and theValley Campaigns of 1864. Including minor cavalry raids and patrols, and occasional reconnaissances, historians claim that Winchester changed hands as many as 72 times and 13 times in one day. Battles raged along Main Street at points in the war. Union GeneralSheridan and Stonewall Jackson located their headquarters just one block apart at times.
At the north end of the lower Shenandoah Valley, Winchester was a base of operations for major Confederate invasions into the Northern United States. At times the attacks threatened the capital of Washington, D.C. The town served as a central point for troops conducting major raids against theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad,Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and turnpike and telegraph paths along those routes and the Potomac River Valley. For instance, in 1861, Stonewall Jackson removed 56 locomotives and over 300 railroad cars, along with miles of track, from the B&O Railroad. His attack closed down the B&O's main line for ten months. Much of the effort to transport this equipment by horse and carriage centered in Winchester.
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During the war, Winchester was occupied by the Union Army for four major periods: by Major GeneralNathaniel Banks (March ? May 12 to 25, 1862, and June 4 to September 2, 1862), Major GeneralRobert Milroy (December 24, 1862, to June 15, 1863), Major GeneralPhilip Sheridan (September 19, 1864, to February 27, 1865), and Major GeneralWinfield Scott Hancock (February 27, 1865, to June 27, 1865). Major General Sheridan raided up the valley from Winchester, where his forces destroyed "2,000 barns filled with grain and implements, not to mention other outbuildings, 70 mills filled with wheat and flour" and "numerous head of livestock," to lessen the area's ability to supply the Confederates.[14]
Numerous local men served with the Confederate Army, mostly as troops.Hunter McGuire was Chief Surgeon of the Second "Jackson's" Corps of theArmy of Northern Virginia. He laid the foundations for the futureGeneva conventions regarding the treatment of medical doctors during warfare. Winchester served as a major center for Confederate medical operations, particularly after theBattle of Sharpsburg in 1862 and theBattle of Gettysburg in 1863. Among those who took part in battles at Winchester were future U.S. presidentsMcKinley andHayes, both as officers in the UnionIX Corps.
The United States assigned military presence to Winchester and other parts of the South duringReconstruction after the war. Winchester was part of theFirst Military District, commanded by Major GeneralJohn Schofield. This period lasted until January 26, 1870.[15]
Winchester was the first city south of thePotomac River to installelectric light.[16][when?] In 1917 theWinchester and Western Railroad connected Winchester withRock Enon Springs, moving both vacationers and supplies to the resort that is nowCamp Rock Enon with far greater speed.[17]: 366 Winchester is the location of the bi-annualN-SSA national competition, keeping the tradition of Civil War era firearms alive. A three-block section of downtown Loudoun Street was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1970s and is a popular pedestrian area featuring many boutiques and cafés. The street was repaved with brick and landscaped in 2013.Apple Blossom Mall opened in 1982.
In 1983, a tire dump in the area containing over seven million tires burned for nine months, polluting nearby areas withlead andarsenic. The location was cleaned up as aSuperfund project between 1983 and 2002.[18][19]
Winchester has been designated as a Tree City USA by theArbor Day Foundation for over three decades.[20]
Winchester is located at39°10′41″N78°10′01″W / 39.178°N 78.167°W /39.178; -78.167.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24 km2), virtually all land.[21]
It is in theShenandoah Valley, located between theBlue Ridge Mountains and theAllegheny Mountains, and is 15 miles north-northeast of the northern peak ofMassanutten Mountain.I-81 passes through the city, along withUS 50,US 522,US 17, which ends in the city, andSR 7, which also ends in the city. The city is approximately 75 miles (121 km) to the west of Washington, D.C., 24 miles (39 km) south ofMartinsburg, West Virginia, 25 miles (40 km) north ofFront Royal, 118 miles (190 km) south ofHarrisburg, PA and 180 miles (290 km) north ofRoanoke.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Winchester has depending on which isotherm is used, either ahumid continental climate or ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[22] Thehardiness zone is 6b/7a.
| Climate data for Winchester, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 81 (27) | 89 (32) | 98 (37) | 98 (37) | 104 (40) | 107 (42) | 107 (42) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 85 (29) | 80 (27) | 107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) | 45.4 (7.4) | 53.4 (11.9) | 65.6 (18.7) | 74.2 (23.4) | 82.6 (28.1) | 87.1 (30.6) | 85.5 (29.7) | 78.7 (25.9) | 67.4 (19.7) | 56.0 (13.3) | 45.7 (7.6) | 65.3 (18.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 34.0 (1.1) | 41.1 (5.1) | 52.0 (11.1) | 61.6 (16.4) | 70.3 (21.3) | 75.0 (23.9) | 73.2 (22.9) | 66.1 (18.9) | 54.4 (12.4) | 44.0 (6.7) | 35.4 (1.9) | 53.2 (11.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.2 (−6.0) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 38.4 (3.6) | 48.9 (9.4) | 58.0 (14.4) | 62.8 (17.1) | 60.9 (16.1) | 53.5 (11.9) | 41.4 (5.2) | 32.0 (0.0) | 25.1 (−3.8) | 41.1 (5.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) | −16 (−27) | −6 (−21) | 12 (−11) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 42 (6) | 36 (2) | 30 (−1) | 16 (−9) | 4 (−16) | −6 (−21) | −18 (−28) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.48 (63) | 2.23 (57) | 3.43 (87) | 3.22 (82) | 3.94 (100) | 4.04 (103) | 3.82 (97) | 3.66 (93) | 4.39 (112) | 3.05 (77) | 2.89 (73) | 2.81 (71) | 39.96 (1,015) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.8 | 7.9 | 9.8 | 12.6 | 13.5 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 10.8 | 10.1 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 122.8 |
| Source:NOAA[23][24] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 3,454 | — | |
| 1850 | 3,857 | 11.7% | |
| 1860 | 4,392 | 13.9% | |
| 1870 | 4,477 | 1.9% | |
| 1880 | 4,958 | 10.7% | |
| 1890 | 5,196 | 4.8% | |
| 1900 | 5,161 | −0.7% | |
| 1910 | 5,864 | 13.6% | |
| 1920 | 6,883 | 17.4% | |
| 1930 | 10,855 | 57.7% | |
| 1940 | 12,095 | 11.4% | |
| 1950 | 13,841 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 15,110 | 9.2% | |
| 1970 | 14,643 | −3.1% | |
| 1980 | 20,217 | 38.1% | |
| 1990 | 21,947 | 8.6% | |
| 2000 | 23,585 | 7.5% | |
| 2010 | 26,203 | 11.1% | |
| 2020 | 28,120 | 7.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1790-1960[26] 1900–1990[27] 1990-2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[30] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[29] | Pop 2020[30] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 18,085 | 17,623 | 69.02% | 62.67% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,783 | 2,800 | 10.62% | 9.96% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 37 | 66 | 0.14% | 0.23% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 599 | 700 | 2.29% | 2.49% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 14 | nil | nil |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 57 | 135 | 0.22% | 0.48% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 598 | 1,288 | 2.28% | 4.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,041 | 5,494 | 15.42% | 19.54% |
| Total | 26,203 | 28,120 | 100% | 100% |
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.
Companies based in Winchester includeAmerican Woodmark,Trex, andRubbermaid Commercial Products. Federal agencies with operations in Winchester include theFederal Emergency Management Agency,[31] theFederal Bureau of Investigation,[32] and theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers.[33]
According to the City's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[34] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley Health | 1,000 and over |
| 2 | Rubbermaid Commercial Products | 500–999 |
| 3 | Winchester City Public Schools | 500–999 |
| 4 | Walmart | 500–999 |
| 5 | Shenandoah University | 500–999 |
| 6 | City of Winchester | 500–999 |
| 7 | Axiom Staffing Group | 500–999 |
| 8 | Martin's Food Markets | 500–999 |
| 9 | Trex | 250–499 |
| 10 | Kohl's | 250–499 |
Winchester was home toCapitol Records' East Coast Pressing Plant. Capitol Records Distribution Corporation announced in 1968 the purchasing of land in Winchester, Va for a new record processing plant. Along with this plant they built several houses, bought a few small businesses and later built a tape production plant. The Winchester plant began construction in 1968 and production in 1969. The plant initially had a workforce of 250 people. This plant complemented the other existing manufacturing facilities of Capitol Records in Scranton, PA, Jacksonville, FL and Los Angeles, CA. In 1969 Capitol Records' Pressing Plant in Scranton began phasing out its vinyl manufacturing in favor of the new Winchester plant. Records pressed here includeTalking Heads'Remain in Light,Dead Boys'Young, Loud and Snotty, andYoko Ono'sFly. Capitol Records announced in late 1987 that it would end tape duplicating production in the US, in favor of offshore manufacturing, including in Winchester by early 1988, putting more than 500 employees out of work when they closed the Winchester plant.[35]
| Site | Year built | Address | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abram's Delight | 1754 | Parkview Street & Rouss Spring Road | 1973 |
| Douglas School | 1927 | 598 North Kent Street | 2000 |
| Fair Mount | 19th century | 311 Fairmont Avenue | 2004 |
| Glen Burnie | 1794 | 901 Amherst Street | 1979 |
| Handley Library[36] | 1913 | Braddock & Piccadilly Streets | 1969 |
| John Handley High School | 1920s | 425 Handley Boulevard | 1998 |
| Hawthorne and Old Town Spring | 1811 | 610 and 730 Amherst Street | 2013 |
| Hexagon House | 1870s | 530 Amherst Street | 1987 |
| Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum | mid-19th century | 415 North Braddock Street | 1967 |
| Adam Kurtz House | 1757 | Braddock & Cork Streets | 1976 |
| Old Stone Church (Winchester, Virginia) | 1788 | 304 East Piccadilly Street | 1977 |
| Triangle Diner | 1948 | 27 West Gerrard Street | 2010 |
| Winchester Historic District | 1750–1930 | US 522,US 11 &US 50/US 17 | 1980 |
| Winchester Historic District (Boundary Increase) | 120 & 126 North Kent Street | 2003 | |
| Winchester National Cemetery | 1860s | 401 National Avenue | 1996 |
| George Washington's Office Museum | by 1748 | 32 West Cork Street | 1975 |
| Patsy Cline Historic House | 1880 | 608 S. Kent St. | 2005 |
| Mount Hebron Cemetery andStonewall Confederate Cemetery | 1844 | 305 E. Boscawen Street | 2008 |
Winchester is the location of the annualShenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, which has existed since 1924. It is usually held during the first weekend in May. The festival includes a carnival, firework show, parades, several dances and parties, and a coronation where the Apple Blossom Queen is crowned. Local school systems and many businesses close the Friday of Apple Blossom weekend.[37]
Winchester has more than 20 different "artistic" apples that are made of various materials including wood, rubber pipe, plaster, and paint. These apples were created in 2005 by occupants of the city and were placed at a specific location at the artists' request after being auctioned off. For example, a bright red apple with a large stethoscope attached to it was placed beside a much-used entrance to the Winchester Medical Center.
Winchester is home to theWinchester Royals,[38] which is part of theValley Baseball League, aNational Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctionedcollegiate summer baseball league in theShenandoah Valley of Virginia.[39]
Shenandoah University is located in Winchester and has numerous male and female sports in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Winchester is also home to the Winchester Speedway, a 3/8-mile clay oval track, which plays host to a number of touring series, such as theWorld of Outlaws Late Model Series, and theLucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Winchester had long favored Republican candidates through the second half of the 20th Century. However, in 2008 the city swung strongly into the Democratic column to supportBarack Obama. Even though Obama lost ground in 2012 and only carried the city by 148 votes, it has nevertheless stayed Democratic-leaning ever since. In 2020,Joe Biden won the city with the highest percentage for a Democrat since 1936.[40]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 392 | 41.35% | 556 | 58.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 551 | 53.86% | 472 | 46.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 540 | 51.82% | 488 | 46.83% | 14 | 1.34% |
| 1892 | 468 | 43.66% | 579 | 54.01% | 25 | 2.33% |
| 1896 | 447 | 45.33% | 490 | 49.70% | 49 | 4.97% |
| 1900 | 423 | 41.19% | 593 | 57.74% | 11 | 1.07% |
| 1904 | 146 | 26.40% | 394 | 71.25% | 13 | 2.35% |
| 1908 | 266 | 35.75% | 449 | 60.35% | 29 | 3.90% |
| 1912 | 141 | 20.83% | 447 | 66.03% | 89 | 13.15% |
| 1916 | 196 | 28.65% | 468 | 68.42% | 20 | 2.92% |
| 1920 | 540 | 41.54% | 736 | 56.62% | 24 | 1.85% |
| 1924 | 420 | 33.39% | 820 | 65.18% | 18 | 1.43% |
| 1928 | 1,168 | 59.53% | 794 | 40.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 698 | 36.54% | 1,179 | 61.73% | 33 | 1.73% |
| 1936 | 743 | 40.14% | 1,096 | 59.21% | 12 | 0.65% |
| 1940 | 945 | 45.72% | 1,114 | 53.89% | 8 | 0.39% |
| 1944 | 1,095 | 52.09% | 1,000 | 47.57% | 7 | 0.33% |
| 1948 | 1,272 | 49.96% | 894 | 35.11% | 380 | 14.93% |
| 1952 | 2,375 | 69.20% | 1,055 | 30.74% | 2 | 0.06% |
| 1956 | 2,375 | 69.46% | 945 | 27.64% | 99 | 2.90% |
| 1960 | 2,326 | 65.61% | 1,203 | 33.94% | 16 | 0.45% |
| 1964 | 2,180 | 49.13% | 2,254 | 50.80% | 3 | 0.07% |
| 1968 | 2,695 | 55.76% | 1,360 | 28.14% | 778 | 16.10% |
| 1972 | 4,647 | 75.55% | 1,418 | 23.05% | 86 | 1.40% |
| 1976 | 4,075 | 62.85% | 2,346 | 36.18% | 63 | 0.97% |
| 1980 | 4,240 | 64.02% | 2,006 | 30.29% | 377 | 5.69% |
| 1984 | 5,055 | 70.68% | 2,064 | 28.86% | 33 | 0.46% |
| 1988 | 4,497 | 65.53% | 2,300 | 33.52% | 65 | 0.95% |
| 1992 | 3,833 | 49.77% | 2,768 | 35.94% | 1,100 | 14.28% |
| 1996 | 3,681 | 50.97% | 3,027 | 41.91% | 514 | 7.12% |
| 2000 | 4,314 | 54.70% | 3,318 | 42.07% | 254 | 3.22% |
| 2004 | 5,283 | 56.55% | 3,967 | 42.46% | 93 | 1.00% |
| 2008 | 4,725 | 46.66% | 5,268 | 52.02% | 133 | 1.31% |
| 2012 | 4,946 | 48.04% | 5,094 | 49.48% | 256 | 2.49% |
| 2016 | 4,790 | 44.91% | 5,164 | 48.42% | 711 | 6.67% |
| 2020 | 5,221 | 43.13% | 6,610 | 54.60% | 275 | 2.27% |
| 2024 | 5,252 | 44.16% | 6,407 | 53.87% | 235 | 1.98% |
Winchester's follows aCouncil-Manager form of government. It is governed by the Common Council, an elected body within a ward system. The city is composed of four wards, each with 2 councilmen, with the city's mayor serving as the ninth representative and leader of the council. While the council began as a 13-member board, it transitioned from 13 to 9, beginning in 2006 and ending in 2008.[42]
Winchester Public Schools operates public schools, includingJohn Handley High School.
The most prominent highway serving Winchester isInterstate 81, with Winchester located roughly halfway between its northernmost and southernmost ends. I-81 extends northeast to southwest, beginning on the New York side of the Thousands Island National Park in Ontario. From here, the highway continues through upstate New York into northeasternPennsylvania, where it passes through central and southern Pennsylvania into westernMaryland. From here, it passes through a small portion of easternWest Virginia, all of Virginia, from Winchester, Virginia's northernmost city, through central and southern Virginia. After Virginia, the highway finally passes through the short border with easternTennessee. The highway terminates shortly after this.
Other highways passing through Winchester includeU.S. Route 11,U.S. Route 17,U.S. Route 50 andU.S. Route 522. These four highways follow city streets through downtown Winchester, with U.S. Route 17 coming to its northern terminus.Virginia State Route 7 also serves Winchester, terminating in downtown.Virginia State Route 37 bypasses the city to the west.
Winchester Transit provides weekday transit for the city of Winchester.Winchester Regional Airport provides general aviation and air taxi service to the area.
Ambato, Ecuador
Winchester, United KingdomWinchester's first sister city,Winchester, England, is where the Virginia town gets its name. During the Eisenhower administration, Winchester also formalized a sister city relationship withAmbato, Ecuador.
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