Spotsylvania County, Virginia

History

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Spotsylvania County were a Siouan-speaking tribe called the Manahoac.

As the colonial population increased, Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from parts of Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood, later the great-great-grandfather of Robert E. Lee.

Many major battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fredericksburg, and Battle 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.

General Stonewall Jackson was shot and seriously wounded by friendly fire in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North 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 from pneumonia 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.

Geography

It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, the independent city of Fredericksburg (all of which were part of the area's early history), and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.

Adjacent counties and independent city

• Culpeper County – north
• Stafford County – northeast
• City of Fredericksburg – northeast
• Caroline County – southeast
• Hanover County – south
• Louisa County – southwest
• Orange County – west and northwest

National protected area

• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (part)

Points of interest

• Lake Anna State Park
• Spotsylvania County Public Schools
• Spotsylvania Courthouse
• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
• Spotsylvania Towne Centre
• Central Rappahannock Regional Library
• Dominion Raceway

Communities

There are no incorporated towns or cities in Spotsylvania County. Unincorporated communities in the county include:

Census-designated places

• Lake Wilderness
• Spotsylvania Courthouse

Other unincorporated communities

• Alsop
• Arcadia
• Artillery Ridge
• Bells Crossroad
• Belmont
• Blades Corner
• Brandon
• Brockroad
• Brokenburg
• Carters Store
• Chancellor
• Chancellor Green, a local Hispanic enclave
• Chancellorsville
• Chewnings Corner
• Cookstown
• Cosner's Corner
• Dunavant
• Five Mile Fork
• Four Mile Fork
• Granite Springs
• Lanes Corner
• Leavells
• Lewiston
• Margo
• Marye
• Massaponax
• McHenry
• Old Trap
• Olivers Corner
• Partlow
• Paytes
• Post Oak
• Shady Grove Corner
• Snell
• Stubbs
• Thornburg
• Todds Tavern

Many areas of the county have Fredericksburg addresses.

Major highways

Governance

County government

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.

Board of Supervisors

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.

The following is the current list of supervisors and districts which they represent:

County wide offices

State representation

Federal representation

Spotsylvania residents are represented by Eugene Vindman (D-7th District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are Mark Warner (D) and Tim 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.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

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.

2020 census

As of the 2020 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.

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 and Pacific Islander, 5.9% from some other race, and 9.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.9% of the population.

68.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 32.0% lived in rural areas.

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.

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%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 122,397 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 PD/sqmi. There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was:

• 78.4% White
• 15.8% Black or African American
• 0.4% Native American
• 2.4% Asian
• 0.05% Pacific Islander
• 2.8% from other races, and
• 1.88% from two or more races.

7.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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.

Infrastructure

Emergency services

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.

Education

Public schools

Main article: Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Private schools

• Fredericksburg Academy
• Fredericksburg Christian School
• The Summit Academy
• Odyssey Montessori School
• Saint Patrick School
• Saint Michael the Archangel High School
• Faith Baptist Christian School
• Mount Hope Academy

Colleges and universities

Germanna Community College is part of the Virginia Community College System and serves the City of Fredericksburg, and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, Culpeper, and King George.

The University of Mary Washington located in neighboring Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a four-year university and graduate school that also serves the area.

Notable people

• John Day Andrews (1795–1882), Mayor of Houston
• Thomas Dickens Arnold, United States Congressman from Virginia
• Francis Asbury (1745–1816), one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church
• Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia 2009 and Miss America 2010
• Elijah Craig, Baptist minister arrested in Fredericksburg for preaching without a license from the Anglican Church before the American Revolution
• Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette (1842–1914), author
• Joe Gibbs, former Washington Redskins coach
• Rahman "Rock" Harper, chef, television personality, and restaurateur
• Alexander Holladay (1811–1877), U. S. Representative
• Danny McBride, actor
• Phil Short, former member of the Louisiana State Senate and United States Marine Corps officer
• Matthew Fontaine Maury, father of modern oceanography

References

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