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Culpeper County, Virginia facts for kids

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Culpeper County
U.S. county
Culpeper County Courthouse
Culpeper County Courthouse
Flag of Culpeper County
Flag
 Official seal of Culpeper County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Culpeper 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 1749
Named for Thomas Colepeper
Seat Culpeper
Largest town Culpeper
Area
 • Total 383 sq mi (990 km2)
 • Land 379 sq mi (980 km2)
 • Water 3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 52,552
 • Density 137.21/sq mi (52.98/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 7th

Culpeper County is a county located in the central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culpeper.

Culpeper County is included in the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area.

History

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Culpeper County were a Siouan-speaking sub-group of the Manahoac tribe called the Tegninateo. Culpeper County was established in 1749 from Orange County. The county is named for Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683. During the Civil War the Battle of Cedar Mountain took place on August 9, 1862 and the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863, in Culpeper County.

In May 1749, the first Culpeper Court convened in the home of Robert Coleman, not far from where the Town of Culpeper is now located. In July 1749, 17-year-old George Washington was commissioned as the first County surveyor. One of his first duties was to lay out the County's courthouse complex, which included the courthouse, jail, stocks, gallows and accessory buildings. By 1752 the complex stood at what is now the northeast corner of Davis and Main Streets. The courthouse village was named the Town of Fairfax after Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781).

During the Virginia convention held in May 1775, the colony was divided into sixteen districts. Each district had instructions to raise a battalion of men "to march at a minute's notice." Culpeper, Orange and Fauquier, forming one district, raised 350 men in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate, who came to be called the Culpeper Minute Men. In December, the Minute Men, marching under their flag depicting a rattlesnake and inscribed with the words "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me", took part in the Battle of Great Bridge, the first Revolutionary battle on Virginia soil. The Culpeper Minute Men reorganized in 1860 in response to the impending Civil War and became part of 13th Infantry's Company B. The Culpeper Minutemen were again organized for World War I, and joined the 116th Infantry.

Culpeper County is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are quickly accessed beginning with Old Rag Mountain and the Skyline Drive just up Route 522.

Culpeper County is home to Commonwealth Park, site for many world-class equestrian events. It was here that actor Christopher Reeve suffered his accident during a competition.

Culpeper is home to famous battlefield at Brandy Station and the boyhood home to Civil War General A. P. Hill.

The town of Culpeper was rated #10 by Norman Crampton, author of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," in February, 1993.

Culpeper was the last County in Virginia to integrate schools.

In April 2016, the county Board of Supervisors denied a routine request from the Islamic Center of Culpeper for a pump and haul permit to serve their envisioned mosque. This act resulted in a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice in December.

Geography

Cornfields east of Culpeper, VA IMG 4315
Cornfields east of Culpeper

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 383 square miles (990 km2), of which 379 square miles (980 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • US 15
  • US 29
  • US 211
  • US 522
  • SR 3
  • SR 229
  • SR 299

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 22,105 —
1800 18,100 −18.1%
1810 18,967 4.8%
1820 20,944 10.4%
1830 24,027 14.7%
1840 11,393 −52.6%
1850 12,282 7.8%
1860 12,063 −1.8%
1870 12,227 1.4%
1880 13,408 9.7%
1890 13,233 −1.3%
1900 14,123 6.7%
1910 13,472 −4.6%
1920 13,292 −1.3%
1930 13,306 0.1%
1940 13,365 0.4%
1950 13,242 −0.9%
1960 15,088 13.9%
1970 18,218 20.7%
1980 22,620 24.2%
1990 27,791 22.9%
2000 34,262 23.3%
2010 46,689 36.3%
2020 52,552 12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Culpeper County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 33,482 34,840 71.71% 66.30%
Black or African American alone (NH) 7,212 6,453 15.45% 12.28%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 129 110 0.28% 0.21%
Asian alone (NH) 593 767 1.27% 1.46%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 12 20 0.03% 0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 100 233 0.21% 0.44%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,004 2,620 2.15% 4.99%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4,157 7,509 8.90% 14.29%
Total 46,689 52,552 100.00% 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

US Route 211 in Culpeper County
U.S. Route 211 as it passes through Culpeper County

Town

Unincorporated communities

Economy

Culpeper County has a civilian workforce of 24,313. 30% of residents live and work within the county while 70% of workers commute out of the locality. The most residents are commuting to Fairfax or Fauqier counties. In comparison, the equivalent of 45% are in-commuters. The most in-commuters are coming from Orange County.

The Top 10 non-governmental Culpeper employers as of March 2021:

  1. Culpeper Memorial Hospital
  2. Walmart
  3. S.W.I.F.T.
  4. Merillat Industries
  5. Cintas Corporation
  6. Continental Automotive
  7. Culpeper Health and Rehabilitation Center
  8. Virginia Baptist Homes
  9. Bingham and Taylor Corporation
  10. Childhelp

Education

Culpeper County Public Schools

Elementary schools

  • A.G. Richardson Elementary
  • Culpeper Christian
  • Emerald Hill Elementary
  • Epiphany Catholic School
  • Farmington Elementary
  • Pearl Sample Elementary
  • Sycamore Park Elementary
  • Yowell Elementary

Middle schools

  • Culpeper Christian
  • Culpeper Middle
  • Floyd T. Binns Middle

High schools

  • Culpeper County High School
  • Eastern View High School
  • Culpeper Technical Education Center

Notable people

  • Kenny Alphin - (b. 1963) country music singer
  • Thomas Colepeper - Governor of Virginia Colony (1677-1683)
  • Pete Hill - (1882-1951) professional baseball player, in Hall of Fame
  • Dangerfield Newby - (c.1820-October 17, 1859), one of John Brown's men killed in the raid on the federal armory at Harper's Ferry, VA
  • Eppa Rixey - (1891-1963) professional baseball player, in Hall of Fame
  • D. French Slaughter, Jr. - US Congressman (1985-1991)
  • Andrew Stevenson – Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • French Strother - (1730-1800) significant political figure in early national history

Images for kids

  • 2019-09-02 12 07 55 View north along U.S. Route 15 and U.S. Route 29 (James Madison Highway) from the overpass for U.S. Route 522 and Virginia State Route 3 (Germanna Highway) just southeast of Culpeper in Culpeper County, Virginia

    US 15/US 29 near Culpeper in Culpeper County

See also

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

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