Fauquier County, Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Fauquier County

County

Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1759

Largest community

Area

• Total

651 sq mi (1,690 km²)

• Land

647 sq mi (1,680 km²)

• Water

3.8 sq mi (10 km²) 0.6%

Population

(2020)

• Total

72,972

• Density

112.09/sq mi (43.28/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

10th

Website

www.fauquiercounty.gov

Fauquier County /fɔːˈkɪər/ is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton.

Fauquier County is in Northern Virginia and is a part of the Washington metropolitan area.

History

Portrait of Francis Fauquier, for whom Fauquier County was named

In 1608, the first European to explore in the vicinity, Captain John Smith, reported that the Whonkentia (a subgroup of the Siouan-speaking Manahoac tribe) inhabited the area. The Manahoac were forced out around 1670 by the Iroquois (Seneca), who did not resettle the area. The Conoy camped briefly near The Plains, from 1697 to 1699. The Six Nations ceded the entire region including modern Fauquier to Virginia Colony at the Treaty of Albany, in 1722.

Fauquier County was established on May 1, 1759, from Prince William County. It is named for Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia at the time, who won the land in a poker game, according to legend.

American Civil War battles in Fauquier County included (in order) the First Battle of Rappahannock Station, the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, the Battle of Kelly's Ford, the Battle of Aldie, the Battle of Middleburg, the Battle of Upperville, the First and Second Battle of Auburn, the Battle of Buckland Mills, and the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station.

Geography

View west along I-66/SR 55 and north along US 17 in northwestern Fauquier County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 651 square miles (1,690 km²), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km²) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) (0.6%) is water. Fauquier county is not densely populated, but exurban development from Washington, DC has sprung up in some parts. Even in rural areas, housing complexes can be seen along highways. The highest point by elevation is Blue Mountain at 2,205 ft (672 meters) on the county's northwestern border with Warren County.

Adjacent counties

Clarke County (north)
Loudoun County (north)
Prince William County (east)
Stafford County (southeast)
Culpeper County (southwest)
Rappahannock County (west)
Warren County (northwest)

Major highways

I-66
US 15
US 17
US 29
US 50
US 211
SR 28
SR 55
SR 215
SR 245
SR 355

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	17,892	—
1800	21,329	19.2%
1810	22,689	6.4%
1820	23,103	1.8%
1830	26,086	12.9%
1840	21,897	−16.1%
1850	20,868	−4.7%
1860	21,706	4.0%
1870	19,690	−9.3%
1880	22,993	16.8%
1890	22,590	−1.8%
1900	23,374	3.5%
1910	22,526	−3.6%
1920	21,869	−2.9%
1930	21,071	−3.6%
1940	21,039	−0.2%
1950	21,248	1.0%
1960	24,066	13.3%
1970	26,375	9.6%
1980	35,889	36.1%
1990	48,741	35.8%
2000	55,139	13.1%
2010	65,203	18.3%
2020	72,972	11.9%
2023 (est.)	75,165	15.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Fauquier 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)	53,410	54,969	81.91%	75.33%
Black or African American alone (NH)	5,232	4,999	8.02%	6.85%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	186	128	0.29%	0.18%
Asian alone (NH)	826	1,204	1.27%	1.65%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	27	49	0.04%	0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	103	339	0.16%	0.46%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	1,241	3,491	1.90%	4.78%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,178	7,793	6.41%	10.68%
Total	65,203	72,972	100.00%	100.00%

Education

Elementary schools

C. M. Bradley Elementary School
James G. Brumfield Elementary School
W. G. Coleman Elementary School
Grace Miller Elementary School
H. M. Pearson Elementary School
C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary School
P. B. Smith Elementary School
Claude Thompson Elementary School
Mary Walter Elementary School
Greenville Elementary School
M. M. Pierce Elementary School

Middle schools

Auburn Middle School
Cedar Lee Middle School
W. C. Taylor Middle School
Marshall Middle School
Warrenton Middle School

High schools

Fauquier High School
Liberty High School
Southeastern Alternative School
Kettle Run High School
Mountain Vista Governor's School

Private schools

Fresta Valley Christian School
Highland School
St. John The Evangelist Catholic School
Wakefield School

Higher education

Laurel Ridge Community College
Thorpe House Adult Learning Center

Economy

Top Employers

According to the county's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the county's largest employers are:

Rank	Employer	Number of Employees
1	Fauquier County School Board	1,000 and over
2	County of Fauquier	500 to 999
3	Fauquier Health System	500 to 999
4	United States Department of Transportation	500 to 999
5	Walmart	250 to 499
6	Town of Warrenton	100 to 249
7	Food Lion	100 to 249
8	White Horse OPCO LLC	100 to 249
9	The Home Depot	100 to 249
10	Blue Ridge Orthopedic Associates	100 to 249

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

James Markham Ambler, American naval surgeon
Turner Ashby, born in Fauquier County, Confederate Army colonel in the American Civil War.
Martin Berkofsky, classical pianist and philanthropist.
Matt Carson, Entrepreneur and author
Irv Cross, American footballer and sportscaster.
Susan Cummings, an heiress infamous for killing Argentine polo player Roberto Villegas.
Robert Duvall, American-born actor who maintains a farm in The Plains.
Bertram and Diana Firestone, owners of Newstead Farm.
George B. Fitch, American businessman, Mayor of Warrenton, founder of Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Rear Admiral Cary Travers Grayson, owner of historic Blue Ridge Farm.
Eppa Hunton, U.S. Representative and Senator from Virginia, born and lived in Warrenton.
Charles Marshall, born in Warrenton, assistant adjutant general, aide de camp and military secretary to Gen. Robert E. Lee. Grandnephew of Chief Justice John Marshall.
James K. Marshall, Colonel in the Confederate States Army, killed in action during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg while leading the brigade of J. Johnston Pettigrew, grandson of Chief Justice John Marshall.
John Marshall, born in Fauquier County, Chief Justice of the United States.
Paul Mellon, philanthropist, an Exemplar of Racing and owner of Rokeby Farm.
John S. Mosby, lived in Warrenton, was a Confederate partisan ranger and cavalryman during the American Civil War. Buried in Warrenton cemetery.
Karen O'Connor and David O'Connor, Olympic eventing riders
Dorothy B. Porter, Bibliographer and curator, built the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
Albert Rust, 19th-century American politician who served as a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
Michaele Salahi and Tareq Salahi, the White House Gate Crashers.
Willard Scott, an American media personality best known for his work on NBC's The Today Show who lived in Paris, Virginia.
Scott Shipp, born in Warrenton, Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute from 1890 to 1907.
Isabel Dodge Sloane, owner of Brookmeade Stud.
William "Extra Billy" Smith, died in Warrenton, was a lawyer, congressman, two-time Governor of Virginia and one of the oldest Confederate generals in the American Civil War.
Liz Whitney Tippett, owner of the Llangollen estate.
William B. Waddell (Pony Express founder), Pony Express founder

Fauquier County, Virginia facts for kids

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