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Essex County, Virginia facts for kids

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Essex County
Essex County Courthouse in Tappahannock
Essex County Courthouse in Tappahannock
Flag of Essex County
Flag
Official seal of Essex County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Essex 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 1692
Seat Tappahannock
Largest town Tappahannock
Area
 • Total 286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Land 257 sq mi (670 km2)
 • Water 29 sq mi (80 km2)  10.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 10,599
 • Density 37.06/sq mi (14.309/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 1st

Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County on the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,599. Its county seat is Tappahannock.

History

Essex County was established in 1692 from the old Rappahannock County, Virginia (not to be confused with the present-day Rappahannock County, Virginia). The county is named for either the shire or county in England, or for the Earl of Essex.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 257 square miles (670 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (10.1%) is water. Its main town, Tappahanock, is focused at the Rappahanock River.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • US 17
  • US 360

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 9,122
1800 9,508 4.2%
1810 9,376 −1.4%
1820 9,909 5.7%
1830 10,521 6.2%
1840 11,309 7.5%
1850 10,206 −9.8%
1860 10,469 2.6%
1870 9,927 −5.2%
1880 11,032 11.1%
1890 10,047 −8.9%
1900 9,701 −3.4%
1910 9,105 −6.1%
1920 8,542 −6.2%
1930 6,976 −18.3%
1940 7,006 0.4%
1950 6,530 −6.8%
1960 6,690 2.5%
1970 7,099 6.1%
1980 8,864 24.9%
1990 8,689 −2.0%
2000 9,989 15.0%
2010 11,151 11.6%
2020 10,599 −5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Essex 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) 6,239 5,871 55.95% 55.39%
Black or African American alone (NH) 4,224 3,743 37.88% 35.31%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 46 61 0.41% 0.58%
Asian alone (NH) 86 62 0.77% 0.58%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 3 0.02% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 13 40 0.12% 0.38%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 192 450 1.72% 4.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 349 369 3.13% 3.48%
Total 11,151 10,599 100.00% 100.00%

Education

Essex County Public Schools (ECPS) is the public schools system for Essex County, Virginia, United States. The following schools make up the Essex County Public Schools system:

Tappahannock Elementary School (Grades PK - 4th)
Essex Intermediate School (Grades 5th - 8th)
Essex High School (Grades 9th - 12th)

Other schools located in Essex County include:

St Margaret's School (Grades 8th - 12th, girls only)
Tappahannock Junior Academy (Grades K - 10th)
Aylett Country Day School (Grades PK - 8th)

Communities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Essex (Virginia) para niños

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