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Albemarle County, Virginia facts for kids

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"Albemarle County" redirects here. For the North Carolina county abolished in 1739, see Albemarle County, North Carolina.
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Albemarle County
U.S. county
The Albemarle County Office Building
The Albemarle County Office Building
Flag of Albemarle County
Flag
 Official seal of Albemarle County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Albemarle County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Virginia
Founded 1744
Named for Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle
Seat Charlottesville
Largest town Scottsville
Area
 • Total 726 sq mi (1,880 km2)
 • Land 721 sq mi (1,870 km2)
 • Water 5 sq mi (10 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 112,395
 • Density 155/sq mi (60/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 5th, 7th

Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,395.

Albemarle County was created in 1744 from the western portion of Goochland County, though portions of Albemarle were later carved out to create other counties. Albemarle County was named in honor of Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle. Its most famous inhabitant was Thomas Jefferson, who built his estate home, Monticello, in the county.

History

Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
Thomas Jefferson lived most of his life in Albemarle County

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Albemarle County were a Siouan-speaking tribe called the Saponi. In 1744, the Virginia General Assembly created Albemarle County from the western portion of Goochland County. The county was named in honor of Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle and titular Governor of Virginia at the time. The large county was partitioned in 1761, forming Buckingham and Amherst counties, at which time the county seat was moved from the formerly central Scottsville to a piece of newly central land, christened Charlottesville. In 1777, Albemarle County was divided and Fluvanna County established, finalizing the boundaries of modern Albemarle County.

Albemarle County is well known for its association with President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, who was born in the county at Shadwell, though it was then part of Goochland County. However, his home of Monticello is located in the county. When the American Revolutionary War started in 1775, Jefferson was made colonel of the Albemarle Militia.

During the Civil War, the Battle of Rio Hill was a skirmish in which Union cavalry raided a Confederate camp in Albemarle County, Virginia.

Until the Civil War, the majority of Albemarle County's population consisted of enslaved African Americans.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 726 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 721 square miles (1,870 km2) is land and 5 square miles (13 km2) (0.7%) is water.

Waterways

The Rivanna River's south fork forms in Albemarle County and was historically important for transportation. The south fork flows in-between Darden Towe Park and Pen Park. Boat ramp access is available at Darden Towe Park. The James River acts as a natural border between Albemarle and Buckingham Counties.

Major highways

2019-06-25 12 38 39 View west along Interstate 64 from the overpass for Virginia State Route 691 (Greenwood Road) in Greenwood, Albemarle County, Virginia
I-64 in Albemarle County
  • I-64
  • US 29
  • US 250
  • SR 6
  • SR 20
  • SR 22
  • SR 53
  • SR 240

Protected areas

Albemarle's western border with Augusta and Rockingham Counties is located within the Shenandoah National Park.

Adjacent counties

Albemarle County borders 8 other counties, more than any other county in Virginia.

Parks and recreation

  • Beaver Creek Lake
  • Biscuit Run Park
  • Brook Hill Park
  • Chris Greene Lake Park
  • Darden Towe Park
  • Charlotte Humphris Park
  • Beaver Creek Park
  • Dorrier Park
  • Charlotte Y. Humphris Park
  • Ivy Creek Natural Area
  • Mint Springs Valley Park
  • Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park
  • Preddy Creek Park
  • Simpson Park
  • Totier Creek Park
  • Walnut Creek Park
  • Western Park

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 12,585 —
1800 16,439 30.6%
1810 18,268 11.1%
1820 19,750 8.1%
1830 22,618 14.5%
1840 22,294 −1.4%
1850 25,800 15.7%
1860 26,625 3.2%
1870 27,544 3.5%
1880 32,618 18.4%
1890 32,379 −0.7%
1900 28,473 −12.1%
1910 29,871 4.9%
1920 26,005 −12.9%
1930 26,981 3.8%
1940 24,652 −8.6%
1950 26,662 8.2%
1960 30,969 16.2%
1970 37,780 22.0%
1980 55,783 47.7%
1990 68,040 22.0%
2000 79,236 16.5%
2010 98,970 24.9%
2020 112,395 13.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Albemarle County, Virginia – 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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 77,130 80,335 77.93% 71.48%
Black or African American alone (NH) 9,487 9,793 9.59% 8.71%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 150 96 0.15% 0.09%
Asian alone (NH) 4,597 8,186 4.64% 7.28%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 42 44 0.04% 0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 173 604 0.17% 0.54%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 1,974 4,884 1.99% 4.35%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,417 8,453 5.47% 7.52%
Total 98,970 112,395 100.00% 100.00%

2010 Census

The largest self-reported ancestry groups in Albemarle County are English 16.3%, German 16.0%, Irish 12.7%, "American" 11.4% and Italian 5.2%.

As of the census of 2010, there were 98,970 people, 38,157 households, and 24,578 families residing in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile (53 people/km2). There were 42,122 housing units at an average density of 58 units per square mile (22 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.6% White, 9.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. 5.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 38,157 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.9% 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 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.69 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.59 males.

22% of Albemarle residents have a graduate or professional degree, compared with 10% nationwide.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,001, and the median income for a family was $98,934. Males had a median income of $55,530 versus $52,211 for females. The per capita income for the county was $36,718. About 3.8% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

35% of people working in Albemarle live in the county, while 65% commute in. 19% of those commuting in live in Charlottesville, while the remainder live in the surrounding counties. 26,800 people commute out of Albemarle for work. 48% of which commute to Charlottesville, making up 51% of Charlottesville's in-commuters. In 2022, Albemarle had a 2.7% unemployment rate, compared with a national rate of 3.6%.

The top 10 employers as of Q4 2022 were:

  1. University of Virginia
  2. Sentara Healthcare
  3. U.S. Department of Defense
  4. County of Albemarle
  5. Crutchfield Corporation
  6. Walmart
  7. Piedmont Virginia Community College
  8. Northrop Grumman Corporation
  9. Boar's Head Inn
  10. Atlantic Coast Athletic Club

Education

The Albemarle County Public School System operates public education in the county. It provides education to nearly 14,000 students including preschool through high school. The Albemarle County Public School System's mission is to "establish a community of learners and learning, through relationships, relevance and rigor, one student at a time." ACPS provides 25 school facilities which include Community Lab School, a charter school that is located in the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle High School, Western Albemarle High School, and Monticello High School. The School Board and the Superintendent, Matthew Haas, work closely together in operating the Albemarle County Public School System.

Many private schools in Albemarle serve the county and students from surrounding areas. These include:

  • The Covenant School (upper campus)
  • Field School of Charlottesville
  • Free Union Country School
  • The Miller School of Albemarle
  • Montessori Community School
  • North Branch School
  • Peabody School
  • Charlottesville Catholic School
  • St. Anne's-Belfield School
  • Tandem Friends School

Some students attend several private schools in the City of Charlottesville.

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Albemarle.

Communities

The city of Charlottesville is enclaved within Albemarle County. Under Virginia law in effect since 1871, all municipalities in the state incorporated as cities are legally and politically independent of any county.

(Population according to the 2020 United States Census)

Municipalities in Albemarle County.svg

Towns

  1. Scottsville, the original county seat (524)
    (also in Fluvanna County)

Census-designated places

  1. Afton (313) new in 2020
    (also in Nelson County)
  2. Crozet (9,224)
  3. Earlysville (1,153) new in 2020
  4. Esmont (491)
  5. Free Union (187)
  6. Hollymead (8,601)
  7. Ivy (917)
  8. Keswick (321) new in 2020
  9. North Garden (461) new in 2020
  10. Pantops (4,682)
  11. Piney Mountain (1,880)
  12. Rio (2.076) new in 2020
  13. Rivanna (east county) (2,174)
  14. University of Virginia (7.704)

Unincorporated Communities

Many of these unincorporated areas have Charlottesville addresses.

Notable people

Monticellofromgardens
United States President and Governor of Virginia Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, is located in Albemarle County.
AshLawnHighland
United States President and Governor of Virginia James Monroe's home, Ash Lawn-Highland, is located in Albemarle County.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Albemarle (Virginia) para niños

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