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Augusta County, Virginia facts for kids

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Augusta County
U.S. county
The Augusta County Courthouse in March 2005
The Augusta County Courthouse in March 2005
Flag of Augusta County
Flag
 Official seal of Augusta County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Augusta 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 1738
Named for Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Seat Staunton
Largest community Staunton
Area
 • Total 971 sq mi (2,510 km2)
 • Land 967 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Water 3.9 sq mi (10 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 77,487
 • Density 79.80/sq mi (30.811/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 6th

Augusta County is a county located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in the United States. It's the second-largest county in Virginia by total area. It completely surrounds the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, which are independent cities (meaning they are not part of the county).

The county's main office is in Verona, even though its official county seat (the place where the county government is) is Staunton.

Augusta County was created in 1738 from a part of Orange County. It was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who was the mother of the future King George III of the United Kingdom. When it was first formed, it was a huge area. Over time, many parts of it were used to create other counties and even parts of other states. Its current borders were set in 1790.

In 2020, about 77,487 people lived in Augusta County. The county, along with Staunton and Waynesboro, forms a larger metropolitan area.

History

Augusta Church
Augusta Stone Church, built in 1749

Augusta County was officially formed in 1738. However, because not many people lived there at first, the county government didn't start working until 1745. It was named after Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who was a princess and the mother of King George III.

When it was first created, Augusta County was enormous. It included most of what is now West Virginia and all of Kentucky. It even theoretically stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean!

The county started to shrink in 1770 when its southern part became Botetourt County. More changes happened in the 1770s and 1780s, as new counties and even a new territory (Illinois County) were formed from its vast lands. By 1790, Augusta County had reached its current size.

During the American Civil War, Augusta County was very important for farming. It was known as the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy" because it produced so much food. The Virginia Central Railroad ran through the county, connecting the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.

A major battle, the Battle of Piedmont, took place here on June 5, 1864. The Union Army won, which allowed them to take over Staunton and destroy things that helped the Confederate war effort. Later, during General Philip H. Sheridan's "Burning," many farms were destroyed, and most farm animals were killed.

Staunton, which had been the county seat for many years, became an independent city in 1902. This meant it was no longer part of Augusta County, but it still remained the county seat.

Geography

Augusta County, Virginia countryside
View of Augusta County countryside toward the Blue Ridge Mountains
Aug-info-pop-map-01
Map of Augusta County and neighboring Counties.

Augusta County covers a total area of about 971 square miles. Most of this (967 square miles) is land, and a small part (3.9 square miles) is water. It is the third-largest county in Virginia by land area.

Neighboring Areas

Augusta County is surrounded by several other counties and independent cities:

County Districts

The county is divided into seven areas called magisterial districts:

  • Beverley Manor
  • Middle River
  • North River
  • Pastures
  • Riverheads
  • South River
  • Wayne

Schools and Parks

Major Roads

2019-06-25 09 32 06 View east along Interstate 64 and north along Interstate 81 from the overpass for Virginia State Route 620 (Spotswood Road) in Spotswood, Augusta County, Virginia
Interstate 64 and Interstate 81 in Augusta County

Important highways that run through Augusta County include:

  • I-64
  • I-81
  • US 11
  • US 250
  • US 340
  • SR 42
  • SR 56
  • SR 252
  • SR 254
  • SR 256
  • SR 262
  • SR 276

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 10,886 —
1800 11,712 7.6%
1810 14,308 22.2%
1820 16,742 17.0%
1830 19,926 19.0%
1840 19,628 −1.5%
1850 24,610 25.4%
1860 27,749 12.8%
1870 28,763 3.7%
1880 35,710 24.2%
1890 37,005 3.6%
1900 32,370 −12.5%
1910 32,445 0.2%
1920 34,671 6.9%
1930 38,163 10.1%
1940 42,772 12.1%
1950 34,154 −20.1%
1960 37,363 9.4%
1970 44,220 18.4%
1980 53,732 21.5%
1990 54,677 1.8%
2000 65,615 20.0%
2010 73,750 12.4%
2020 77,487 5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010 2020

Population in 2020

The 2020 census showed that Augusta County had a population of 77,487 people. The table below shows the different racial and ethnic groups living in the county.

Augusta 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) 68,011 68,375 92.22% 88.24%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,881 3,072 3.91% 3.96%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 141 130 0.19% 0.17%
Asian alone (NH) 365 461 0.49% 0.59%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 13 27 0.02% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 40 198 0.05% 0.26%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 774 2,496 1.05% 3.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,525 2,728 2.07% 3.52%
Total 73,750 77,487 100.00% 100.00%

Towns and Communities

Here are the populations of the towns and some of the larger communities in Augusta County, based on the 2010 U.S. Census:

# Town Population
1 Grottoes 2,668
2 Craigsville 923

Most of the town of Grottoes is actually in Rockingham County. Only a small number of its residents live in Augusta County.

# Unincorporated Community Population
1 Stuarts Draft 9,235
2 Fishersville 7,462
3 Verona 4,239
4 Weyers Cave 2,473
5 Crimora 2,209
6 Lyndhurst 1,490
7 Dooms 1,327
8 Swoope 1,323
9 Jolivue 1,129
10 Greenville 832
11 Fort Defiance 780
12 Sherando 688
13 Mount Sidney 663
14 Churchville 194

Economy

The economy of Augusta County is supported by various businesses and organizations. Here are some of the top employers in the county as of 2023:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Augusta County Public Schools 1,000+
2 Augusta Medical Center 1,000+
3 Hershey 1,000+
4 Target 500-999
5 McKee Foods 1,000+
6 AAF-McQuay 500-999
7 Hollister Co. 500-999
8 County of Augusta 500-999
9 NIBCO of Virginia 250-499
10 University Instructors Inc 250-499

Communities

As mentioned, the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro are within Augusta County's borders but are not part of the county itself. Staunton is still the county seat, but most county offices are in Verona.

Towns

Census-designated places

These are areas that are identified for census purposes but are not officially incorporated towns.

Other communities

These are other smaller, unincorporated communities in Augusta County.

Notable people

Augusta County has been home to several important figures throughout history:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Augusta para niños

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