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Dinwiddie County, Virginia facts for kids

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Dinwiddie County
Dinwiddie County's historic courthouse
Dinwiddie County's historic courthouse
Flag of Dinwiddie County
Flag
Official seal of Dinwiddie County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Dinwiddie 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 1752
Named for Robert Dinwiddie
Seat Dinwiddie
Largest town McKenney
Area
 • Total 507 sq mi (1,310 km2)
 • Land 504 sq mi (1,310 km2)
 • Water 3.5 sq mi (9 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 27,947
 • Density 55.12/sq mi (21.283/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 4th

Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its county seat is Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie County is part of the Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Robert Dinwiddie from NPG
Portrait of Robert Dinwiddie; Dinwiddie County was named in his honor

The first inhabitants of the area were Paleo-Indians, prior to 8000 BC. They are believed to have been nomadic hunter-gatherers following animal migrations. Early stone tools have been discovered in various fields within the county. At the time of European contact, Native Americans made their homes in the region.

Dinwiddie County was formed May 1, 1752, from Prince George County. The county is named for Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, 1751–58. The county raised several militia units that would fight in the American Revolution.

Dinwiddie County was the birthplace of Elizabeth (Burwell) Hobbs Keckly, a free black dressmaker who worked for two presidents' wives: Mrs. Jefferson Davis and later Mary Todd Lincoln. Thomas Day was also a native; he was well known later at Milton, North Carolina, as a free black cabinetmaker. Another native son was Dr. Thomas Stewart, perhaps America's first free black 18th-century rural physician.

During the Civil War the Battle of Lewis's Farm was fought along Quaker Road [Rt. 660]. It took place on March 29, 1865. This was the first in several attempts by Union General Ulysses S. Grant to cut Robert E. Lee's final supply line—the Southside Railroad—in the spring of 1865. Here the Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain engaged Confederates under Maj. Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson. After sharp fighting, the Union troops entrenched nearby along the Boydton Plank Road, and Johnson withdrew to his lines at White Oak Road. The Union army cut the rail line four days later, after capturing Five Forks on April 1, 1865, at the Battle of Five Forks. Several other engagements were fought in Dinwiddie County, including the Battle of Dinwiddie Court House, Battle of Sutherland's Station, and Battle of White Oak Road.

The Dinwiddie County Historical Society currently occupies the historic Dinwiddie County Court House.

Civil War battles

Geography

Dinwiddie is located in southern Virginia, southwest of the independent city of Petersburg, which separated from the county (and adjacent Prince George County) in 1871. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 507 square miles (1,310 km2), of which 504 square miles (1,310 km2) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) (0.7%) is water. It is located between two US Army forts, Fort Gregg-Adams to the east and Fort Barfoot to the west.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Major highways

  • I-85
  • US 1
  • US 460

  • US 460 Bus.
  • SR 40
  • SR 142
  • SR 226

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 13,934
1800 15,374 10.3%
1810 18,190 18.3%
1820 20,482 12.6%
1830 21,901 6.9%
1840 22,558 3.0%
1850 25,118 11.3%
1860 30,198 20.2%
1870 30,702 1.7%
1880 32,870 7.1%
1890 13,515 −58.9%
1900 15,374 13.8%
1910 15,442 0.4%
1920 17,949 16.2%
1930 18,492 3.0%
1940 18,166 −1.8%
1950 18,839 3.7%
1960 22,183 17.8%
1970 25,046 12.9%
1980 22,602 −9.8%
1990 20,960 −7.3%
2000 24,533 17.0%
2010 28,001 14.1%
2020 27,947 −0.2%
2021 (est.) 27,912 −0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Dinwiddie 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) 17,617 17,346 62.92% 62.07%
Black or African American alone (NH) 9,134 8,115 32.62% 29.04%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 83 91 0.30% 0.33%
Asian alone (NH) 122 119 0.44% 0.43%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 7 3 0.02% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 18 102 0.06% 0.36%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 346 1,043 1.24% 3.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 674 1,128 2.41% 4.04%
Total 28,001 27,947 100.00% 100.00%

Communities

The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the independent cities of Petersburg and Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes.

Town

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

Appomattox Regional Library serves as the public library for the area.

See also

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

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