Pulaski County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
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 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°04′N80°43′W / 37.06°N 80.71°W /37.06; -80.71 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1839 |
| Named after | Casimir Pulaski |
| Seat | Pulaski |
| Largest town | Pulaski |
| Area | |
• Total | 330 sq mi (850 km2) |
| • Land | 320 sq mi (830 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (26 km2) 3.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 33,800 |
| • Density | 100/sq mi (39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
Pulaski County is a county located in thesouthwestern part of theU.S. state ofVirginia. As of the2020 census, the population was 33,800.[1] Itscounty seat isPulaski.[2] Pulaski County is part of theBlacksburg-Christiansburg metropolitan area.
Pulaski County was formed on March 30, 1839, from parts of Montgomery and Wythe counties, becoming the 87th county of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was named for CountCasimir Pulaski, an exiled Polish nobleman who fought during the American Revolution as part of George Washington's army. He joined the army in 1777 and became a brigadier general and chief of cavalry in the Continental Army. He was fatally wounded at Savannah and died on October 11, 1779.[3]
This area of theBlue Ridge has rolling hills and was settled by mostly small farmers, recent Scots-Irish and German immigrants and their descendants who migrated down the Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania in the mid to late-18th century. They pushed out or killed most Native Americans in the area. The new settlers were yeomen, who held fewer slaves than in the Tidewater area. Nonetheless, by 1840 about one-quarter of the population was made up ofenslaved black Americans. The county had 3,739 persons, consisting of 2,768 free whites, and 971 blacks. Some 17 of the latter werefree blacks.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 330 square miles (850 km2), of which 320 square miles (830 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (3.0%) is water. Pulaski County is one of the 423 counties served by theAppalachian Regional Commission,[4] 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.[5]
Pulaski County is the site ofClaytor Lake State Park, which is located onClaytor Lake, a 4,500-acre (18 km2), 21-mile (34 km) long human-made lake on theNew River created for ahydroelectric project of Appalachian Power Company. Claytor Lake State Park, located on the north side of the lake, provides 497 acres of park with camping, cabins, picnic areas, and a swimming beach, as well as a marina. It is named forW. Graham Claytor, Sr. (1886–1971) ofRoanoke, Virginia, a vice president of Appalachian Power who supervised construction of thedam and creation of the lake.
Pulaski County has several public boating sites including Harry DeHaven Park, in Allisonia on Rt.639, in Dublin on Rt. 660, and Gatewood Reservoir, a 162-acre water supply impoundment owned by the Town of Pulaski.
Law Enforcement
Pulaski County Sheriff is Michael W. Worrell, a law enforcement veteran with twenty plus years of service to the citizens of Pulaski County. He is a graduate of Pulaski County High School and Radford University.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 3,739 | — | |
| 1850 | 5,118 | 36.9% | |
| 1860 | 5,416 | 5.8% | |
| 1870 | 6,538 | 20.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,755 | 33.9% | |
| 1890 | 12,790 | 46.1% | |
| 1900 | 14,609 | 14.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,246 | 18.1% | |
| 1920 | 17,111 | −0.8% | |
| 1930 | 20,566 | 20.2% | |
| 1940 | 22,767 | 10.7% | |
| 1950 | 27,758 | 21.9% | |
| 1960 | 27,258 | −1.8% | |
| 1970 | 29,564 | 8.5% | |
| 1980 | 35,229 | 19.2% | |
| 1990 | 34,496 | −2.1% | |
| 2000 | 35,127 | 1.8% | |
| 2010 | 34,872 | −0.7% | |
| 2020 | 33,800 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[11] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 31,972 | 29,716 | 91.68% | 87.92% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,744 | 1,633 | 5.00% | 4.83% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 61 | 49 | 0.17% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 179 | 177 | 0.51% | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 7 | 3 | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 25 | 100 | 0.07% | 0.30% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 452 | 1,418 | 1.30% | 4.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 432 | 704 | 0.96% | 2.08% |
| Total | 34,872 | 33,800 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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.
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 35,127 people, 14,643 households, and 10,147 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 110 people per square mile (42 people/km2). There were 16,325 housing units at an average density of 51 units per square mile (20 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.60%White, 5.57%Black orAfrican American, 0.15%Native American, 0.32%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.37% fromother races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 14,643 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% weremarried couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,873, and the median income for a family was $42,251. Males had a median income of $30,712 versus $21,596 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,973. About 10.60% of families and 13.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.90% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.
TheVolvo Trucks North America plant in Pulaski County will begin manufacturing a battery-powered VNR Electric truck model starting in early 2021. It is the largest Volvo truck plant in the world, and theDublin, Virginia facility currently employed close to 3,000 people building multiple models of heavy-duty trucks.[13]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 196 | 13.27% | 781 | 52.88% | 500 | 33.85% |
| 1916 | 721 | 38.68% | 1,057 | 56.71% | 86 | 4.61% |
| 1920 | 1,710 | 48.43% | 1,814 | 51.37% | 7 | 0.20% |
| 1924 | 1,422 | 43.33% | 1,767 | 53.84% | 93 | 2.83% |
| 1928 | 1,998 | 52.32% | 1,821 | 47.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,109 | 32.11% | 2,314 | 66.99% | 31 | 0.90% |
| 1936 | 1,180 | 33.51% | 2,337 | 66.37% | 4 | 0.11% |
| 1940 | 1,023 | 31.43% | 2,226 | 68.39% | 6 | 0.18% |
| 1944 | 1,302 | 37.65% | 2,155 | 62.32% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1948 | 1,691 | 48.99% | 1,412 | 40.90% | 349 | 10.11% |
| 1952 | 2,815 | 62.03% | 1,715 | 37.79% | 8 | 0.18% |
| 1956 | 3,517 | 63.05% | 1,994 | 35.75% | 67 | 1.20% |
| 1960 | 3,059 | 58.75% | 2,104 | 40.41% | 44 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | 3,101 | 46.10% | 3,620 | 53.82% | 5 | 0.07% |
| 1968 | 4,409 | 53.35% | 2,497 | 30.21% | 1,359 | 16.44% |
| 1972 | 6,281 | 72.01% | 2,311 | 26.50% | 130 | 1.49% |
| 1976 | 4,764 | 44.84% | 5,546 | 52.20% | 314 | 2.96% |
| 1980 | 5,747 | 47.73% | 5,769 | 47.92% | 524 | 4.35% |
| 1984 | 8,242 | 64.90% | 4,364 | 34.36% | 93 | 0.73% |
| 1988 | 6,844 | 58.40% | 4,686 | 39.99% | 189 | 1.61% |
| 1992 | 6,148 | 43.96% | 5,633 | 40.27% | 2,206 | 15.77% |
| 1996 | 5,387 | 43.78% | 5,333 | 43.34% | 1,584 | 12.87% |
| 2000 | 7,089 | 55.83% | 5,255 | 41.39% | 353 | 2.78% |
| 2004 | 8,769 | 61.53% | 5,310 | 37.26% | 172 | 1.21% |
| 2008 | 8,857 | 58.85% | 5,918 | 39.32% | 275 | 1.83% |
| 2012 | 8,920 | 60.76% | 5,292 | 36.05% | 468 | 3.19% |
| 2016 | 10,322 | 68.06% | 4,172 | 27.51% | 671 | 4.42% |
| 2020 | 12,127 | 69.79% | 4,925 | 28.34% | 324 | 1.86% |
| 2024 | 12,732 | 71.75% | 4,830 | 27.22% | 182 | 1.03% |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)Places adjacent to Pulaski County, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofPulaski County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
37°04′N80°43′W / 37.06°N 80.71°W /37.06; -80.71
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