Botetourt County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Botetourt County
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(2).jpg)
Botetourt County Courthouse
|
|||||
|
|||||
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
|
|||||
 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
|||||
| Country |  United States |
||||
| State |  Virginia |
||||
| Founded | 1770 | ||||
| Named for | Lord Botetourt | ||||
| Seat | Fincastle | ||||
| Largest community | Cloverdale | ||||
| 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 (/ˈbɒtətɒt/ BOT-ə-tot) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region 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, 4th Baron 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.
Contents
History
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, 4th Baron Botetourt, who served as governor of the colony of Virginia from 1768 to 1770, when he died suddenly while in office.
In 1772, the county was reduced to the area east of the New and Kanawha rivers by the creation of Fincastle County. Most of that latter county became the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792. The other counties established directly from portions of Botetourt County are: Rockbridge (1778), Bath (1791), Alleghany (1822), Roanoke (1833), and Craig (1851).
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, while the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians run along the western portion. 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 line and near the merger of the 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.
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.
Adjacent counties
- Roanoke County, Virginia - southwest
- Craig County, Virginia - west
- Alleghany County, Virginia - northwest
- Rockbridge County, Virginia - northeast
- Bedford County, Virginia - southeast
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
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | 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 or 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% |
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.
Fire, Emergency medical services, and Law enforcement
Botetourt County Fire & EMS uses a combination of career staff and volunteers to provide fire protection, emergency medical services, fire safety education, swiftwater rescue, and other emergency services to the county. The department operates out of seven stations with a range of fire apparatus and ambulances to provide these services.
Botetourt County Sheriff's Office is the policing body within Botetourt County. They are stationed in Fincastle, Virginia along with the county jail. The Sheriff is Matthew T. Ward, who was elected in November 2019. Botetourt County Sheriff's Office works closely with Virginia State Police, as the county only has 69 officers within their force. The county also has their own Emergency Communications Center, which serves to take 9-1-1 calls and help direct law enforcement and first responders to emergency scenes.
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
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
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Botetourt para niños
