Lee County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Lee County Courthouse in Jonesville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°43′N83°08′W / 36.71°N 83.13°W /36.71; -83.13 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | October 25, 1792 |
| Named after | Henry Lee III |
| Seat | Jonesville |
| Largest town | Pennington Gap |
| Area | |
• Total | 437 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 436 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,173 |
• Estimate (2023) | 21,745 |
| • Density | 50.9/sq mi (19.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
Lee County is the westernmostcounty in theU.S. Commonwealth ofVirginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,173.[1] The 2024 population estimate for Lee County, Virginia, is 21,745. This is a decrease of 1.8% since the 2020 Census. The median age in the county is 45.4. Itscounty seat isJonesville.[2]
The area of far western Virginia and eastern Kentucky supported largeArchaicNative American populations. The first known Europeans to enter what is present-day Lee County were a party of Spanish explorers, Juan de Villalobos and Francisco de Silvera, sent byHernando de Soto in 1540, in search of gold.[3] The county was formed after the American Revolutionary War in 1792 fromRussell County. It was named forLight Horse Harry Lee,[4] theGovernor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was famous for his exploits as a leader of light cavalry during the war. He was the father ofRobert E. Lee, later a West Point graduate and career U.S. Army officer who became theGeneral in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States during theAmerican Civil War.
Lee County was the final front on the Kentucky Trace, now known as theWilderness Road andThe Trail of the Lonesome Pine. During the 1780s and 1790s, fortified buildings called "stations" were built along the trail for shelter from Indian raids as the settlers followedDaniel Boone's path into the Kentucky frontier. The stations in Lee County wereYoakum Station at present-dayDryden, west to Powell River and Station Creek at today'sRocky Station, then toMump's Fort atJonesville, followed byPrist Station, Martin's Station at Rose Hill,Chadwell Station atChadwell Gap,Owen Station atEwing, and finallyGibson Station, which still bears its original name. One of the largest early landowners was Revolutionary War officer and explorerJoseph Martin, after whomMartin's Station and Martin's Creek atRose Hill are named. Due to his rank of command, Martin had been awarded some 25,000 acres (100 km2) in a land grant after the war. He divided the land and sold it as a speculator. Rose Hill was established in 1832 as the first federally recognized post office in Lee County. In 1814, parts of Lee, Russell, andWashington counties were combined to formScott County. In 1856, parts of Lee, Russell, and Scott counties were combined to formWise County, named after the last governor of Virginia before the Civil War.
The economy of Lee County has been based largely on growingtobacco and miningcoal. The decline of both has resulted in high unemployment in the county and a decrease in population since 1940, which was the peak. Using the sloganWhere Virginia Begins, the county has attempted to increase itsheritage tourism industry by emphasizing its role in the route used by settlers going west through theCumberland Gap, at Lee County's western tip. Lee County sharesCumberland Gap National Historical Park with Kentucky and Tennessee. Attractions listed in the park includeHensley's Settlement, the Pinnacle Overlook, the Sand Cave, and the White Rocks overlooking the towns ofEwing andRose Hill in Virginia. Lee County is adry county for hard liquor, although retail sales are permitted.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 436 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.4%) is water.[5] Lee County is one of the 423 counties served by theAppalachian Regional Commission,[6] 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.[7]
All of Lee County lies longitudinally west ofWest Virginia. The entirety of Lee County is physically closer to eight state capitals other than its own capital inRichmond:Raleigh, North Carolina;Columbia, South Carolina;Atlanta, Georgia;Nashville, Tennessee;Charleston, West Virginia;Frankfort, Kentucky;Columbus, Ohio; andIndianapolis, Indiana. Additionally, the far western part of Lee County–includingWheeler and theCumberland Gap, roughly 350 miles (560 km) from Richmond–is closer toMontgomery, Alabama, a ninth state capital.[8]
The county containskarst, a type of topography, within an area ofOrdovician limestone called "the Cedars."[9]: 54723 ThePowell River flows through Lee County on its way to Tennessee.[10]
The county is divided into seven districts: Jonesville, Rocky Station, Rocky Station Mineral, Rose Hill, White Shoals, Yoakum, and Yoakum Mineral. There are two towns:Pennington Gap, andJonesville.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 3,538 | — | |
| 1810 | 4,694 | 32.7% | |
| 1820 | 4,256 | −9.3% | |
| 1830 | 6,461 | 51.8% | |
| 1840 | 8,441 | 30.6% | |
| 1850 | 10,267 | 21.6% | |
| 1860 | 11,032 | 7.5% | |
| 1870 | 13,268 | 20.3% | |
| 1880 | 15,116 | 13.9% | |
| 1890 | 18,216 | 20.5% | |
| 1900 | 19,856 | 9.0% | |
| 1910 | 23,840 | 20.1% | |
| 1920 | 25,293 | 6.1% | |
| 1930 | 30,419 | 20.3% | |
| 1940 | 39,296 | 29.2% | |
| 1950 | 36,106 | −8.1% | |
| 1960 | 25,824 | −28.5% | |
| 1970 | 20,321 | −21.3% | |
| 1980 | 25,956 | 27.7% | |
| 1990 | 24,496 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 23,589 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 25,587 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 22,173 | −13.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,745 | [11] | −1.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[16] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[15] | Pop 2020[16] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 23,893 | 20,193 | 93.38% | 91.07% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 909 | 868 | 3.55% | 3.91% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 96 | 69 | 0.38% | 0.31% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 55 | 39 | 0.21% | 0.18% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 8 | 0 | 0.03% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 22 | 33 | 0.09% | 0.15% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 198 | 495 | 0.77% | 2.23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 406 | 476 | 1.59% | 2.15% |
| Total | 25,587 | 22,173 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 25,587 people living in the county. 94.2% wereWhite, 3.7%Black or African American, 0.4%Native American, 0.2%Asian, 0.6% of some other race and 0.9%of two or more races. 1.6% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
According to thecensus[17] 2009 estimates, there were 25,001 people, 11,587 households, and 6,852 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km2). There were 11,587 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.3%White, 2.9%Black orAfrican American, 0.2%Asian, 0.1% fromother races, 0.7% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Lee County include:English (14 percent),Irish (11 percent),German (9 percent), andScottish-Irish (3 percent).[18]
There were 9,706 households, out of which 29.0 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0 percent weremarried couples living together, 11.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4 percent were non-families. 27.0 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.8 percent under the age of 18, 8.0 percent from 18 to 24, 27.5 percent from 25 to 44, 26.3 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,889, and the median income for a family was $40,721. Theper capita income for the county was $16,317. About 20.3 percent of families and 22.7 percent of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.1 percent of those under age 18 and 23.3 percent of those age 65 or over.[19]
| Lee County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | LCSO |
| Agency overview | |
| Employees | 42 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Constituting instrument |
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| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Jonesville, Virginia |
| Deputies | 39 |
| Civilians | 3 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| Official Website | |
The Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) is currently headed by Gary B. Parsons, who has held the role since 1996, and is the longest-serving sheriff in Lee County's history.[20]
Voters in Lee County swung betweenDemocratic andRepublican presidential candidates throughout much of the twentieth century and generally made the region a bellwether county. Between 1920 and 2004, the county backed the nationwide winner on all but three occasions (1948, 1980, and 1988). Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the county has become more consistently Republican, givingDonald Trump over 80% of the vote in all three of his campaigns. Republicans have consistently won local elections in recent years, as well.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 699 | 30.16% | 1,023 | 44.13% | 596 | 25.71% |
| 1916 | 1,569 | 54.69% | 1,287 | 44.86% | 13 | 0.45% |
| 1920 | 2,162 | 57.48% | 1,592 | 42.33% | 7 | 0.19% |
| 1924 | 2,456 | 49.66% | 2,376 | 48.04% | 114 | 2.30% |
| 1928 | 3,337 | 58.34% | 2,383 | 41.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,985 | 40.39% | 2,892 | 58.84% | 38 | 0.77% |
| 1936 | 2,066 | 33.33% | 4,120 | 66.46% | 13 | 0.21% |
| 1940 | 2,623 | 38.52% | 4,180 | 61.39% | 6 | 0.09% |
| 1944 | 3,921 | 46.68% | 4,470 | 53.22% | 8 | 0.10% |
| 1948 | 4,297 | 50.76% | 4,069 | 48.06% | 100 | 1.18% |
| 1952 | 4,622 | 51.99% | 4,242 | 47.71% | 27 | 0.30% |
| 1956 | 4,548 | 54.77% | 3,714 | 44.73% | 42 | 0.51% |
| 1960 | 3,363 | 46.29% | 3,867 | 53.23% | 35 | 0.48% |
| 1964 | 3,463 | 40.15% | 5,151 | 59.71% | 12 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 4,450 | 47.35% | 4,105 | 43.67% | 844 | 8.98% |
| 1972 | 4,957 | 62.39% | 2,825 | 35.56% | 163 | 2.05% |
| 1976 | 4,679 | 45.50% | 5,415 | 52.65% | 190 | 1.85% |
| 1980 | 4,417 | 47.10% | 4,758 | 50.74% | 202 | 2.15% |
| 1984 | 5,365 | 50.83% | 5,085 | 48.18% | 104 | 0.99% |
| 1988 | 4,080 | 45.11% | 4,906 | 54.24% | 59 | 0.65% |
| 1992 | 3,504 | 35.77% | 5,215 | 53.24% | 1,077 | 10.99% |
| 1996 | 3,225 | 37.48% | 4,444 | 51.65% | 935 | 10.87% |
| 2000 | 4,551 | 52.02% | 4,031 | 46.08% | 166 | 1.90% |
| 2004 | 5,664 | 57.97% | 4,005 | 40.99% | 101 | 1.03% |
| 2008 | 5,825 | 63.13% | 3,219 | 34.89% | 183 | 1.98% |
| 2012 | 6,847 | 71.34% | 2,583 | 26.91% | 168 | 1.75% |
| 2016 | 7,543 | 80.25% | 1,627 | 17.31% | 229 | 2.44% |
| 2020 | 8,365 | 84.10% | 1,489 | 14.97% | 92 | 0.92% |
| 2024 | 8,674 | 85.69% | 1,391 | 13.74% | 57 | 0.56% |
The Lee County School System operates eleven schools, including two high schools and one technical school.
Pennington Elementary School, consisting of three buildings built at various times (1912, 1917, and 1937), was demolished in 1989, and a bank was constructed on its Morgan Avenue site. Three other elementary schools, Ewing, Keokee, and Stickleyville, were closed in June 2012.[22]
Places adjacent to Lee County, Virginia | |
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