Wise County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Wise County Courthouse in Wise | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°58′N82°37′W / 36.97°N 82.62°W /36.97; -82.62 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Named after | Henry A. Wise |
| Seat | Wise |
| Largest town | Big Stone Gap |
| Area | |
• Total | 405 sq mi (1,050 km2) |
| • Land | 403 sq mi (1,040 km2) |
| • Water | 2 sq mi (5.2 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,130 |
• Estimate (2023) | 35,174 |
| • Density | 89.7/sq mi (34.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
Wise County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofVirginia. The county was formed in 1856 fromLee,Scott, andRussell Counties and named forHenry A. Wise, who was theGovernor of Virginia at the time. The county seat is inWise.
TheCherokee colonized the area including Wise from theXualae between 1671 and 1685. It was later contested by theSix Nations and theShawnee. Cherokee and Shawnee hunting parties fought a protracted battle at the headwaters of theClinch River for two days in the summer of 1786, a victory for the Cherokee although losses were heavy on both sides.
The first white explorers to reach present-day Wise county are said to have beenThomas Walker andChristopher Gist, both in 1750. Several forts were built all along the Clinch from 1774 onward, but only afterChickamauga Cherokee leaderBob Benge was slain in 1794 was present-day Wise considered safe for white settlers even to hunt in. One of the earliest settlers within the county was William Wells around 1792.[1]
In the 1880s, coal deposits became the dominant resource utilized in the area. The Stonega Coke and Coal Company (SC&C) was formed in the town ofAppalachia, Virginia.[2] Immigration trends and economic conditions across the country attracted many people to the area for work, including African Americans and Irish, Polish, Italian, and Hungarian immigrants.
Virginia's two highest security state prisons are located in Wise County:Red Onion State Prison, opened in 1998, andWallens Ridge State Prison, opened in 1999.[3]
In July 2012 Dominion Energy builtVirginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County, a hybrid power plant that burns 80% coal and up to 20% biomass. In 2014, the plant was fined $47,651 by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for emitting carbon monoxide and other gases at levels exceeding state regulations.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 405 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 403 square miles (1,040 km2) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.5%) is water.[5] The county is part of the Appalachians and has many mountainous features, including the peak ofHigh Knob andPowell Valley.
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,508 | — | |
| 1870 | 4,785 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 7,772 | 62.4% | |
| 1890 | 9,345 | 20.2% | |
| 1900 | 19,653 | 110.3% | |
| 1910 | 34,162 | 73.8% | |
| 1920 | 46,500 | 36.1% | |
| 1930 | 51,167 | 10.0% | |
| 1940 | 52,458 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 56,336 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 43,579 | −22.6% | |
| 1970 | 35,947 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 43,863 | 22.0% | |
| 1990 | 39,573 | −9.8% | |
| 2000 | 40,123 | 1.4% | |
| 2010 | 41,452 | 3.3% | |
| 2020 | 36,130 | −12.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 35,174 | [6] | −2.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[12] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 38,301 | 32,586 | 92.40% | 90.19% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,118 | 1,771 | 5.11% | 4.90% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 51 | 48 | 0.12% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 141 | 150 | 0.34% | 0.42% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 11 | 0.00% | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 20 | 86 | 0.05% | 0.24% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 348 | 1,026 | 0.84% | 2.84% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 471 | 452 | 1.14% | 1.25% |
| Total | 41,452 | 36,130 | 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[13] of 2010, there were 41,452 people, 15,968 households, and 10,892 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 102.8 people per square mile (39.7 people/km2). There were 17,940 housing units at an average density of 44 units per square mile (17 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93%White, 5.2%Black orAfrican American, 0.10%Native American, 0.30%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 15,968 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% weremarried couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.80% under the age of 18 and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.08 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,053. Theper capita income for the county was $17,512. About 19.30% of the population were below thepoverty line. Thehomeownership rate for the county is 70.00%
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Wise County Public Schools operates thirteen school facilities in the county for its students.[14] For several years the Wise County School Board has considered consolidating high schools, and in 2011 it consolidated six high schools into three; Union High which serves the western part of the county, Central High which serves the central and northern parts of the county, and Eastside High which serves the eastern part of the county.
Wise County Christian School operates as a private school in the county.
A large portion of theJefferson National Forest is contained within Wise County, and theClinch River winds through the county. These two factors, combined with Wise County's location in theAppalachian Mountains, mean that Wise County offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation.
In addition to many trails connecting to and surrounding theAppalachian Trail system, Wise county is home to many parks, including Miners' Park in Big Stone Gap and the Louis E. Henegar Miners' Memorial Park in Appalachia.
Among the unique features of Wise County areHigh Knob, a mountain which featured one of the last remaining Appalachian Fire Towers until its destruction by arson on October 31, 2007,[16] and the Wetlands Estonoa Project, an Appalachian Wetland and part of the Clinch River Watershed.[17]
UVa-Wise hosts NCAA Division II Baseball, Basketball, Football, Lacrosse, Softball, and other inter-collegiate games on the campus of UVa-Wise.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 851 | 31.08% | 1,279 | 46.71% | 608 | 22.21% |
| 1916 | 1,862 | 55.33% | 1,468 | 43.63% | 35 | 1.04% |
| 1920 | 3,236 | 55.29% | 2,587 | 44.20% | 30 | 0.51% |
| 1924 | 3,322 | 40.39% | 4,157 | 50.55% | 745 | 9.06% |
| 1928 | 4,504 | 49.70% | 4,559 | 50.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 2,405 | 31.06% | 5,276 | 68.13% | 63 | 0.81% |
| 1936 | 2,057 | 27.54% | 5,399 | 72.28% | 14 | 0.19% |
| 1940 | 1,448 | 24.14% | 4,538 | 75.66% | 12 | 0.20% |
| 1944 | 1,817 | 28.30% | 4,588 | 71.46% | 15 | 0.23% |
| 1948 | 2,836 | 36.15% | 4,862 | 61.98% | 147 | 1.87% |
| 1952 | 3,911 | 45.16% | 4,729 | 54.61% | 20 | 0.23% |
| 1956 | 4,871 | 46.41% | 5,567 | 53.04% | 57 | 0.54% |
| 1960 | 3,876 | 39.89% | 5,822 | 59.92% | 18 | 0.19% |
| 1964 | 3,309 | 31.40% | 7,220 | 68.51% | 10 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 5,004 | 39.70% | 5,942 | 47.14% | 1,660 | 13.17% |
| 1972 | 6,739 | 59.94% | 4,402 | 39.16% | 101 | 0.90% |
| 1976 | 5,691 | 42.63% | 7,134 | 53.43% | 526 | 3.94% |
| 1980 | 5,767 | 43.89% | 6,779 | 51.59% | 595 | 4.53% |
| 1984 | 7,909 | 51.36% | 7,303 | 47.43% | 187 | 1.21% |
| 1988 | 6,189 | 46.23% | 7,017 | 52.42% | 180 | 1.34% |
| 1992 | 5,144 | 34.62% | 7,681 | 51.70% | 2,032 | 13.68% |
| 1996 | 4,660 | 35.59% | 6,712 | 51.27% | 1,720 | 13.14% |
| 2000 | 6,504 | 48.87% | 6,412 | 48.17% | 394 | 2.96% |
| 2004 | 8,330 | 58.20% | 5,802 | 40.54% | 180 | 1.26% |
| 2008 | 8,914 | 63.05% | 4,995 | 35.33% | 229 | 1.62% |
| 2012 | 11,076 | 73.75% | 3,760 | 25.04% | 182 | 1.21% |
| 2016 | 12,086 | 79.71% | 2,701 | 17.81% | 376 | 2.48% |
| 2020 | 13,366 | 80.45% | 3,110 | 18.72% | 139 | 0.84% |
| 2024 | 13,655 | 81.22% | 3,036 | 18.06% | 121 | 0.72% |
Places adjacent to Wise County, Virginia | |
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Municipalities and communities ofWise County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
