Giles County, Virginia | |
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 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°19′N80°42′W / 37.32°N 80.7°W /37.32; -80.7 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1806 |
| Named after | William Branch Giles |
| Seat | Pearisburg |
| Largest town | Pearisburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 360 sq mi (930 km2) |
| • Land | 356 sq mi (920 km2) |
| • Water | 4.6 sq mi (12 km2) 1.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,787 |
| • Density | 47.2/sq mi (18.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
Giles County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofVirginia on theWest Virginia state line. As of the2020 census, the population was 16,787.[1] Itscounty seat isPearisburg.[2]
Giles County is included in theBlacksburg–Christiansburg metropolitan area.
Giles County is the location ofMountain Lake, one of only two natural fresh water lakes in Virginia. The lake drains into Little Stony Creek, which passes over a waterfall known as The Cascades before reaching theNew River.
Giles County was established in 1806 fromMontgomery,Monroe,Wythe, andTazewell counties. The county is named forWilliam Branch Giles[3] who was born inAmelia County in 1762. Giles became a lawyer and from there was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives where he served from 1790 to 1815. He also served in theVirginia General Assembly from 1816 to 1822. In 1827, he was elected Governor. In all, he served his nation and state around a total of forty years.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 360 square miles (930 km2), of which 356 square miles (920 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (1.3%) is water.[4] Giles County is one of the 423 counties served by theAppalachian Regional Commission,[5] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his bookAmerican Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[6]
It is the site of two of the highestmountain peaks of Virginia.
I-73 (future)
US 219 (Federal Street)
US 460 (Virginia Avenue)
SR 42 (Virginia State Route 42) (disconnected; one piece comes in from Bland County to VA 100 while the other goes from U.S. 460 into Craig County)
SR 61 (Wolf Creek Highway outside of Narrows)
SR 100 (Virginia State Route 100)| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 3,745 | — | |
| 1820 | 4,521 | 20.7% | |
| 1830 | 5,274 | 16.7% | |
| 1840 | 5,307 | 0.6% | |
| 1850 | 6,570 | 23.8% | |
| 1860 | 6,883 | 4.8% | |
| 1870 | 5,875 | −14.6% | |
| 1880 | 8,794 | 49.7% | |
| 1890 | 9,090 | 3.4% | |
| 1900 | 10,793 | 18.7% | |
| 1910 | 11,623 | 7.7% | |
| 1920 | 11,901 | 2.4% | |
| 1930 | 12,804 | 7.6% | |
| 1940 | 14,635 | 14.3% | |
| 1950 | 18,956 | 29.5% | |
| 1960 | 17,219 | −9.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,741 | −2.8% | |
| 1980 | 17,810 | 6.4% | |
| 1990 | 16,366 | −8.1% | |
| 2000 | 16,657 | 1.8% | |
| 2010 | 17,286 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 16,787 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[12] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 16,580 | 15,673 | 95.92% | 93.36% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 259 | 238 | 1.50% | 1.42% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 19 | 28 | 0.11% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 54 | 69 | 0.31% | 0.41% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 7 | 19 | 0.04% | 0.11% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 158 | 516 | 0.91% | 3.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 209 | 244 | 1.21% | 1.45% |
| Total | 17,286 | 16,787 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[13] of 2010, there were 17,286 people, 7,215 households, and 4,899 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 48 people per square mile (19 people/km2). There were 8,319 housing units at an average density of 23 units per square mile (8.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.74%White, 1.51%Black orAfrican American, 0.12%Native American, 0.32%Asian, 0.36% fromother races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,215 households, out of which 29.27% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.46% weremarried couples living together, 10.49% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 27.86% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.56% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 4.89% from 20 to 24, 23.85% from 25 to 44, 29.43% from 45 to 64, and 18.03% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.14 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.55 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,231, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $41,521 versus $36,886 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $23,766. About 6.60% of families (2000 census) and 12.7% of the population were below thepoverty line[14](2012), including 17.70% of those under age 18 (2012)and 10.50% of those age 65 or over (2000 census).
Giles is represented by DemocratJohn S. Edwards in the Virginia Senate, Republican Jason Ballard in the Virginia House of Delegates, and RepublicanH. Morgan Griffith in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Giles County Sheriff's Department patrols and investigates crimes in the county. It also serves process, provides security for the county court, and operates the county'sE-911 service.[15] Since the establishment of the Sheriff's Office, 1 officer has died in the line of duty, in 1954.[16]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 267 | 21.43% | 725 | 58.19% | 254 | 20.39% |
| 1916 | 596 | 41.39% | 839 | 58.26% | 5 | 0.35% |
| 1920 | 877 | 44.14% | 1,104 | 55.56% | 6 | 0.30% |
| 1924 | 852 | 38.21% | 1,319 | 59.15% | 59 | 2.65% |
| 1928 | 1,313 | 50.38% | 1,293 | 49.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,016 | 36.26% | 1,754 | 62.60% | 32 | 1.14% |
| 1936 | 1,047 | 40.33% | 1,547 | 59.59% | 2 | 0.08% |
| 1940 | 1,024 | 37.32% | 1,716 | 62.54% | 4 | 0.15% |
| 1944 | 1,203 | 41.34% | 1,703 | 58.52% | 4 | 0.14% |
| 1948 | 1,448 | 46.48% | 1,529 | 49.09% | 138 | 4.43% |
| 1952 | 1,935 | 52.94% | 1,717 | 46.98% | 3 | 0.08% |
| 1956 | 2,270 | 51.84% | 2,016 | 46.04% | 93 | 2.12% |
| 1960 | 2,030 | 46.91% | 2,214 | 51.17% | 83 | 1.92% |
| 1964 | 1,952 | 37.78% | 3,133 | 60.63% | 82 | 1.59% |
| 1968 | 2,722 | 43.36% | 2,045 | 32.58% | 1,510 | 24.06% |
| 1972 | 3,671 | 64.34% | 1,869 | 32.75% | 166 | 2.91% |
| 1976 | 2,731 | 40.53% | 3,779 | 56.08% | 229 | 3.40% |
| 1980 | 2,978 | 42.91% | 3,627 | 52.26% | 335 | 4.83% |
| 1984 | 4,340 | 58.18% | 3,047 | 40.84% | 73 | 0.98% |
| 1988 | 3,490 | 52.50% | 3,042 | 45.76% | 116 | 1.74% |
| 1992 | 3,023 | 39.61% | 3,346 | 43.84% | 1,263 | 16.55% |
| 1996 | 2,566 | 38.15% | 3,196 | 47.52% | 964 | 14.33% |
| 2000 | 3,574 | 52.40% | 3,004 | 44.05% | 242 | 3.55% |
| 2004 | 4,320 | 57.62% | 3,047 | 40.64% | 131 | 1.75% |
| 2008 | 4,462 | 57.24% | 3,192 | 40.95% | 141 | 1.81% |
| 2012 | 4,660 | 61.66% | 2,730 | 36.12% | 168 | 2.22% |
| 2016 | 5,910 | 71.97% | 1,950 | 23.75% | 352 | 4.29% |
| 2020 | 6,876 | 74.93% | 2,156 | 23.50% | 144 | 1.57% |
| 2024 | 7,102 | 76.67% | 2,069 | 22.34% | 92 | 0.99% |
After the dissolution of the Town of Glen Lyn in 2024,[18] Giles County has four incorporated towns.
| Town | Population in 2022[19] |
|---|---|
| Narrows | 2,046 |
| Pearisburg | 2,832 |
| Pembroke | 1,129 |
| Rich Creek | 735 |
Giles county is home to three public elementary/middle schools, two public high schools, and one technical school:[20]
The schools have a combined enrollment of 2425 as of mid 2014.
Places adjacent to Giles County, Virginia | |
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Municipalities and communities ofGiles County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
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