Culpeper, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Culpeper, Virginia
Town
Main Street in Culpeper
Seal
Motto(s):  "Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future"
Location of Culpeper within Culpeper County
Culpeper, Virginia Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Culpeper, Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Culpeper
Founded	1759
Area
• Total	7.31 sq mi (18.94 km2)
• Land	7.27 sq mi (18.83 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation	413 ft (126 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,293
• Density	2,759.56/sq mi (1,065.43/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	22701, 22735
Area code(s)	540, 826
FIPS code	51-20752
GNIS feature ID	1498471

Culpeper is a town in Virginia, United States. It was once known as Culpeper Courthouse and even earlier as Fairfax. In 2020, about 21,293 people lived there. Culpeper is the main town of Culpeper County.

History of Culpeper

Culpeper County was created in 1748. Then, on February 22, 1759, the Virginia House of Burgesses decided to create the Town of Fairfax. This name honored Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. He owned a huge area of land called the Northern Neck.

Culpeper Courthouse during the Confederacy, August 1862

The town's first plan had ten blocks. These blocks still form the center of downtown Culpeper today. A young George Washington, who was 17 at the time, helped survey the original town.

In 1795, the town got a U.S. Post Office. It was called Culpeper Court House. But many maps still showed the name Fairfax. To avoid confusion with other places named Fairfax, the town was officially renamed Culpeper in 1869.

Culpeper in Early Wars

During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), a group of pro-Independence soldiers called the Culpeper Minutemen formed in the town. They gathered in a place then known as "Clayton's Old Field."

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Culpeper was an important crossroads. Both Union and Confederate armies marched through and occupied the town. The childhood home of Confederate General A.P. Hill is still in downtown Culpeper.

Modern Growth and Events

Culpeper started growing a lot in the 1980s. Many people moved there from the busier areas of Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.. They often still work in those bigger cities.

In 2011, East Davis Street in downtown Culpeper was named a "Great Place" by the American Planning Association.

On August 23, 2011, an earthquake hit Virginia. Downtown Culpeper was one of the most affected areas. Some buildings were damaged. The earthquake also caused a temporary evacuation of the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation.

In 2014, the Museum of Culpeper History moved into the town's old train depot.

Geography and Climate

Culpeper is in the Piedmont region of Virginia. It is about 70 miles (113 km) southwest of Washington, D.C.. It is also about 50 miles (80 km) north of Richmond, Virginia. The town is located where two major highways, U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 15, meet.

The town of Culpeper covers about 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Culpeper's Weather

Culpeper has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has very warm and humid summers. Winters are cool. It rains a good amount throughout the year, with more rain usually in the summer months. The average yearly rainfall is about 45.19 inches (1148 mm).

Population of Culpeper

In 2010, the town's population was made up of different groups. About 61.5% were White, 21.9% Black, and 2.1% Asian. About 17.0% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

About 25.7% of the town's population was under 18 years old. Around 15.0% were 65 years or older. The average age in Culpeper was 35 years.

Arts and Culture in Culpeper

View north along US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus and US 522 in Culpeper

The downtown Culpeper Theater

National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation in Culpeper

Culpeper's historic downtown has many local restaurants, shops, and stores. You can find bakeries, different types of food, delis, and breweries. Main Street also has many unique local boutiques.

Recently, new activities have been added for the community. These include the reopening of The Dominion Skate Park and State Climb. The old George Washington Carver High School has been updated. It is now a community kitchen that helps locals grow and produce food.

Special Events in Culpeper

• During the Civil War, the Army of the Potomac camped in Culpeper in the winter of 1863-64. From here, General Ulysses S. Grant started his campaign against General Robert E. Lee's army.
• In 1960, Lyndon B. Johnson, who later became president, started his campaign tour in Culpeper.
• In 1995, actor Christopher Reeve had an accident during a horse competition in Culpeper.
• Culpeper was featured in an episode of the Small Town News Podcast. This podcast makes up funny stories inspired by local newspaper articles.

Education in Culpeper

Culpeper has several public schools for students of all ages:

• A.G. Richardson Elementary
• Emerald Hill Elementary
• Farmington Elementary
• Pearl Sample Elementary
• Sycamore Park Elementary
• Yowell Elementary
• Culpeper Middle School
• Floyd T. Binns Middle School
• Culpeper County High School
• Eastern View High School
• Culpeper Technical Education Center

Transportation in Culpeper

Culpeper Amtrak station, visitor center, and Museum of Culpeper History

Several main roads serve Culpeper. These include U.S. Route 15 Business, U.S. Route 29 Business, and U.S. Route 522. These roads help people travel to other parts of Virginia and beyond.

Amtrak has a train station in Culpeper. Trains like the Cardinal, Northeast Regional, and Crescent stop here daily. You can travel to cities like New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and Boston from this station.

The town also has local bus services provided by Virginia Regional Transit. There are buses for different parts of town and a special service for people with disabilities. There's also a commuter bus that goes from Culpeper to Washington, D.C..

For air travel, the Culpeper Regional Airport serves the area. It has a 5,000-foot runway.

Notable People from Culpeper

Many interesting people have connections to Culpeper:

• William T. Amiger (1870–1929), an educator and college president.
• Nell Arthur (1837–1880), the wife of Chester A. Arthur, who became the 21st U.S. President.
• Kenny Alphin, a member of the country music group Big & Rich.
• John S. Barbour Jr., a U.S. congressman and senator.
• Andrew J. Boyle, a U.S. Army lieutenant general.
• Robert Young Button, a former Attorney General of Virginia.
• Cary Travers Grayson, a U.S. Navy surgeon and aide to President Woodrow Wilson.
• A. P. Hill (1825–1865), a Confederate general during the Civil War.
• John Preston "Pete" Hill, a famous Negro league baseball player.
• John Jameson (1751–1810), a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War.
• Ann Jarvis, whose daughter Anna Jarvis started Mother's Day.
• Keith Jennings, a former NBA basketball player.
• William Morgan, whose disappearance in 1826 led to a movement against Freemasonry.
• Waller T. Patton, a Confederate colonel and great-uncle of World War II General George S. Patton.
• John Pendleton, an American diplomat.
• Eppa Rixey, a major league baseball pitcher and Hall of Famer.
• D. French Slaughter Jr., a former U.S. Congressman.
• Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle.
• J. Loren Wince, lead singer and songwriter for the band Hurt.

Images for kids

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  Seal of Culpeper

See also

In Spanish: Culpeper para niños