Botetourt County, Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Botetourt County

U.S. county

Botetourt County Courthouse

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1770

Lord Botetourt

Largest place

Area

• Total

546 sq mi (1,410 km²)

• Land

541 sq mi (1,400 km²)

• Water

4.7 sq mi (12 km²) 0.9%

Population

(2020)

• Total

33,596

• Density

61.53/sq mi (23.757/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

6th

Botetourt County ( BOT-ə-tot) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.

Botetourt County was created in 1770 from part of Augusta County and was named for Norborne Berkeley, known as Lord Botetourt. It originally comprised a vast area, which included the southern portion of present-day West Virginia and all of Kentucky. Portions were set off to form new counties beginning in 1772, until the current borders were established in 1851.

Botetourt County is part of the Roanoke Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the county seat is the town of Fincastle. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 33,596.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
Education
Notable people
See also

History

Botetourt County, Virginia, from 1895 state map

First proposed in the House of Burgesses in 1767, Botetourt County was created in 1770 from Augusta County. The county is named for Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, more commonly known as Lord Botetourt (1718–1770), who was a popular governor of the Virginia Colony from 1768 to 1770, when he died suddenly while in office.

In the 1770s, when Virginia claimed most of the Northwest Territory which would later form all or part of six states, the land was initially divided between Botetourt and Augusta Counties. The territory that would eventually become the state of Kentucky was quickly removed from Botetourt, however, and became Fincastle County in 1772 and then Kentucky County in 1776.

Botetourt County is a part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the southern parts of the county have become increasingly suburban in recent decades. Much of the area's former farmland and orchards have been developed into residential subdivisions and businesses.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km²), of which 541 square miles (1,400 km²) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km²) (0.9%) is water. The Blue Ridge Mountains run along the eastern part of the county. The Appalachian Mountains run along the western part of the county. The two mountain ranges come close together, separated by the town of Buchanan and the James River.

The James River originates in Botetourt County, near the village of Iron Gate, just south of the Alleghany County border by the merger of the pristine Cowpasture River and the Jackson River. The James River runs south until Eagle Rock, where it turns east and meanders through the county, passing Springwood and James River High School until entering Buchanan. In Buchanan, the river turns northward and flows into Rockbridge County towards Glasgow.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
George Washington National Forest (part)
Jefferson National Forest (part)

Major highways

I-81
US 11
US 220
US 221
US 460
SR 43

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	10,524	—
1800	10,427	−0.9%
1810	13,301	27.6%
1820	13,589	2.2%
1830	16,354	20.3%
1840	11,679	−28.6%
1850	14,908	27.6%
1860	11,516	−22.8%
1870	11,329	−1.6%
1880	14,809	30.7%
1890	14,854	0.3%
1900	17,161	15.5%
1910	17,727	3.3%
1920	16,557	−6.6%
1930	15,457	−6.6%
1940	16,447	6.4%
1950	15,766	−4.1%
1960	16,715	6.0%
1970	18,193	8.8%
1980	23,270	27.9%
1990	24,992	7.4%
2000	30,496	22.0%
2010	33,148	8.7%
2020	33,596	1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Botetourt County, Virginia - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	31,212	30,506	94.16%	90.80%
Black or African American alone (NH)	987	905	2.98%	2.69%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	76	43	0.23%	0.13%
Asian alone (NH)	174	234	0.52%	0.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	3	0.01%	0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	9	102	0.03%	0.30%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	332	1,027	1.00%	3.06%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	356	776	1.07%	2.31%
Total	33,148	33,596	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.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

Botetourt County Public Schools operates public schools serving the county, with students attending one of two high schools:

Lord Botetourt High School opened in Daleville in the fall of 1959 and serves the southern parts of the county, including the communities of Blue Ridge, Cloverdale, parts of Fincastle and Troutville, and the northernmost suburbs of Roanoke.
James River High School in the Springwood area of Buchanan also opened in 1959. It serves the northern parts of the county including Buchanan, Eagle Rock, Springwood, and parts of Fincastle and Troutville.

Notable people

George A. Anderson (1853–1896), United States Congressman from Illinois
Samuel Barton (1749–1810), Explorer, pioneer, early settler of Nashville and patriot
George Louis Alfonso Pogue (1887-1956), African American doctor who opened an integrated pharmacy in the 1920s in Bedford
Edward Rumsey (1796–1868), United States Representative from Kentucky
Angela Tincher, Virginia Tech softball pitcher from 2005 to 2008
Matthew Ramsey, Songwriter and lead vocalist of the band Old Dominion

Botetourt County, Virginia facts for kids

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