Spotsylvania County, Virginia | |
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.png) Historic home listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Spotsylvania County | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
| Coordinates:38°11′N77°39′W / 38.18°N 77.65°W /38.18; -77.65 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1721 |
| Named after | Alexander Spotswood |
| Seat | Spotsylvania Courthouse |
| Largest community | Spotsylvania |
| Area | |
• Total | 414 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
| • Land | 401 sq mi (1,040 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 3.1% |
| Population | |
• Total | 140,092 |
• Estimate (July 2024)[5] | 152,021 |
| • Density | 349/sq mi (135/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 22407, 22408, 22551, 22553, 22534, 22508, 22580, 23024 |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Spotsylvania County is acounty in the Commonwealth ofVirginia. It is a part of theNorthern Virginia region. As of 2024, Spotsylvania County is the 14th most populated county in Virginia with 149,588 residents.[7] Itscounty seat isSpotsylvania Courthouse.[8]
Located along the Rappahannock River bordering the City ofFredericksburg and Stafford County, Spotsylvania County is part of theWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Since 2010, the population has increased by 19.3%; for comparison, Virginia's population has only increased 7.7% in that time period. Spotsylvania County is currently the 74th highest-income county in America.[9]
At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Spotsylvania County were aSiouan-speaking tribe called theManahoac.[10]
As the colonial population increased, Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from parts ofEssex,King and Queen, andKing William counties. The county was named in Latin forLieutenant Governor of VirginiaAlexander Spotswood, later the great-great-grandfather ofRobert E. Lee.[11]
Many major battles were fought in this county during theCivil War, including theBattle of Chancellorsville,Battle of the Wilderness,Battle of Fredericksburg, andBattle of Spotsylvania Court House. The war resulted in widespread disruption and opportunity: some 10,000 African-American slaves left area plantations and city households to cross the Rappahannock River, reaching the Union lines and gaining freedom. This exodus is commemorated by historical markers on both sides of the river.[12]
GeneralStonewall Jackson was shot and seriously wounded byfriendly fire in Spotsylvania County during theBattle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers fromNorth Carolina were in the woods and heard General Jackson's party returning from reconnoitering the Union lines. They mistook them for a Federal patrol and fired on them, wounding Jackson in both arms. His left arm was amputated. General Jackson died a few days later frompneumonia at nearby Guinea Station. He and other Confederate wounded were being gathered there for evacuation to hospitals to the south and further away from enemy lines.
It is bounded on the north by theRappahannock andRapidan rivers, theindependent city ofFredericksburg (all of which were part of the area's early history), and the counties ofStafford andCulpeper; on the south by theNorth Anna River and its impoundment,Lake Anna, and by the counties ofHanover andLouisa; on the west byOrange County and Culpeper County; and on the east byCaroline County.
There are no incorporated towns or cities in Spotsylvania County. Unincorporated communities in the county include:
Many areas of the county have Fredericksburg addresses.
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Spotsylvania County's highest level of management is that of County Administrator. This post oversees all county departments and agencies and serves as the Spotsylvania County's Board of Supervisors' liaison to state and regional agencies.
Spotsylvania is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The board consists of seven members (one from each district within the county). The Board of Supervisors sets county policies, adopts ordinances, appropriates funds, approves land rezoning and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and carries out other responsibilities set forth by the county code.[13]
The following is the current list of supervisors and districts which they represent:[14]
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Lori Hayes | Independent | Lee Hill | |
| Vice-Chair | Drew Mullins | Republican | Courtland | |
| Member | Chris Yakabouski | Republican | Battlefield | |
| Member | David Goosman | Republican | Berkeley | |
| Member | Gerald Childress | Republican | Chancellor | |
| Member | Jacob Lane | Republican | Livingston | |
| Member | Deborah H. Frazier | Independent | Salem | |
| Office | Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth's Attorney | Ryan Mehaffey | Republican | |
| Commissioner of the Revenue | Deborah F Williams | Independent | |
| Sheriff | Roger Harris | Independent | |
| Treasurer | Larry Keith Pritchett | Independent | |
| Clerk of Circuit Court | Christalyn Mitchell Jett | Republican | |
| Office | Name | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delegate | Phillip Scott | Republican | 63 | |
| Delegate | Josh Cole | Democratic | 65 | |
| Delegate | Nicole Cole | Democratic | 66 | |
| Office | Name | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Richard Stuart | Republican | 25 | |
| Senator | Tara Durant | Republican | 27 | |
| Senator | Bryce Reeves | Republican | 28 | |
Spotsylvania residents are represented byEugene Vindman (D-7th District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia areMark Warner (D) andTim Kaine (D). Since 1980, Spotsylvania County has been a reliably Republican county in elections, although the margin has tightened somewhat in recent elections, with Donald Trump winning Spotsylvania County by less than 10 points in 2020 and 2024. In 2025, Abigail Spanberger became the first Democrat to win Spotsylvania County in a gubernatorial election since 1985.[15]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 576 | 42.76% | 771 | 57.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 820 | 49.28% | 844 | 50.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 922 | 51.22% | 876 | 48.67% | 2 | 0.11% |
| 1892 | 679 | 42.62% | 849 | 53.30% | 65 | 4.08% |
| 1896 | 903 | 50.50% | 877 | 49.05% | 8 | 0.45% |
| 1900 | 817 | 51.19% | 774 | 48.50% | 5 | 0.31% |
| 1904 | 237 | 40.79% | 330 | 56.80% | 14 | 2.41% |
| 1908 | 282 | 43.93% | 346 | 53.89% | 14 | 2.18% |
| 1912 | 58 | 9.40% | 390 | 63.21% | 169 | 27.39% |
| 1916 | 249 | 38.37% | 398 | 61.33% | 2 | 0.31% |
| 1920 | 380 | 45.56% | 440 | 52.76% | 14 | 1.68% |
| 1924 | 255 | 34.65% | 448 | 60.87% | 33 | 4.48% |
| 1928 | 654 | 59.84% | 439 | 40.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 346 | 30.17% | 784 | 68.35% | 17 | 1.48% |
| 1936 | 453 | 35.01% | 836 | 64.61% | 5 | 0.39% |
| 1940 | 365 | 31.63% | 785 | 68.02% | 4 | 0.35% |
| 1944 | 504 | 40.29% | 744 | 59.47% | 3 | 0.24% |
| 1948 | 517 | 34.24% | 818 | 54.17% | 175 | 11.59% |
| 1952 | 1,174 | 48.98% | 1,194 | 49.81% | 29 | 1.21% |
| 1956 | 1,244 | 51.94% | 993 | 41.46% | 158 | 6.60% |
| 1960 | 1,288 | 46.02% | 1,482 | 52.95% | 29 | 1.04% |
| 1964 | 1,261 | 37.45% | 2,097 | 62.28% | 9 | 0.27% |
| 1968 | 1,675 | 34.00% | 1,647 | 33.43% | 1,604 | 32.56% |
| 1972 | 3,577 | 65.73% | 1,775 | 32.62% | 90 | 1.65% |
| 1976 | 3,210 | 42.46% | 4,210 | 55.69% | 140 | 1.85% |
| 1980 | 5,385 | 53.82% | 4,039 | 40.37% | 581 | 5.81% |
| 1984 | 8,207 | 66.74% | 4,012 | 32.63% | 78 | 0.63% |
| 1988 | 10,978 | 66.16% | 5,486 | 33.06% | 129 | 0.78% |
| 1992 | 11,829 | 49.26% | 8,133 | 33.87% | 4,052 | 16.87% |
| 1996 | 13,786 | 52.62% | 10,342 | 39.48% | 2,069 | 7.90% |
| 2000 | 20,739 | 59.22% | 13,455 | 38.42% | 827 | 2.36% |
| 2004 | 28,527 | 62.77% | 16,623 | 36.58% | 295 | 0.65% |
| 2008 | 28,610 | 52.91% | 24,897 | 46.05% | 562 | 1.04% |
| 2012 | 31,844 | 54.93% | 25,165 | 43.41% | 965 | 1.66% |
| 2016 | 34,623 | 55.35% | 24,207 | 38.70% | 3,719 | 5.95% |
| 2020 | 39,411 | 52.33% | 34,307 | 45.55% | 1,599 | 2.12% |
| 2024 | 42,531 | 53.49% | 35,747 | 44.96% | 1,236 | 1.55% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 11,252 | — | |
| 1800 | 13,002 | 15.6% | |
| 1810 | 13,296 | 2.3% | |
| 1820 | 14,254 | 7.2% | |
| 1830 | 15,134 | 6.2% | |
| 1840 | 15,161 | 0.2% | |
| 1850 | 14,911 | −1.6% | |
| 1860 | 16,076 | 7.8% | |
| 1870 | 11,728 | −27.0% | |
| 1880 | 14,828 | 26.4% | |
| 1890 | 14,233 | −4.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,239 | −35.1% | |
| 1910 | 9,935 | 7.5% | |
| 1920 | 10,571 | 6.4% | |
| 1930 | 10,056 | −4.9% | |
| 1940 | 9,905 | −1.5% | |
| 1950 | 11,920 | 20.3% | |
| 1960 | 13,819 | 15.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,424 | 18.9% | |
| 1980 | 34,435 | 109.7% | |
| 1990 | 57,403 | 66.7% | |
| 2000 | 90,395 | 57.5% | |
| 2010 | 122,397 | 35.4% | |
| 2020 | 140,032 | 14.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 1790–1960[19] 1900–1990[20] 1990–2000[21] 2010[22] 2020[23] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[22] | Pop 2020[23] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 88,077 | 87,278 | 71.96% | 62.33% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 18,298 | 22,436 | 14.95% | 16.02% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 323 | 375 | 0.26% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,768 | 3,933 | 2.26% | 2.81% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 135 | 122 | 0.11% | 0.09% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 272 | 845 | 0.22% | 0.60% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3,246 | 8,389 | 2.65% | 5.99% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9,278 | 16,654 | 7.58% | 11.89% |
| Total | 122,397 | 140,032 | 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 the2020 census, the county had a population of 140,032. The median age was 38.5 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.3 males age 18 and over.[24][25]
The racial makeup of the county was 64.4% White, 16.4%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 5.9% from some other race, and 9.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.9% of the population.[25]
68.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 32.0% lived in rural areas.[26]
There were 48,958 households in the county, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[24]
There were 52,250 housing units, of which 6.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.2% were owner-occupied and 22.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.[24]
As of thecensus[27] of 2010, there were 122,397 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 inhabitants per square mile (87/km2). There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 units per square mile (32 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was:
7.8% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 31,308 households, out of which 42.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% weremarried couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The 2021 median income for a household in the county was $98,973 compared to $69,021 for the United States; the median income for a family was $87,922. Males had a median income of $49,166 versus $38,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,212. 6.6% of the population lives below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.[28]
Fire and rescue services in Spotsylvania County are provided by a combination of career and volunteer organizations. The career staff of the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management provide fire and rescue services 24/7/365 at all 11 stations, 1 (Courthouse), 2 (Brokenburg), 3 (Partlow), 4 (Four Mile Fork), 5 (Chancellor), 6 (Salem Church), 7 (Wilderness), 8 (Thornburg), 9 (Belmont), 10 (Salem Fields), 11 (Crossroads). Volunteers provide additional staffing nights and weekends at Stations 1, 2, 4, and 8. The volunteer organizations include The Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department, and The Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad.[29]
Germanna Community College is part of theVirginia Community College System and serves the City of Fredericksburg, and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, Culpeper, and King George.
TheUniversity of Mary Washington located in neighboring Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a four-year university and graduate school that also serves the area.
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Places adjacent to Spotsylvania County, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofSpotsylvania County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
38°11′N77°39′W / 38.18°N 77.65°W /38.18; -77.65
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