Grayson County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grayson County
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Present-day Grayson County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Virginia |
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| Founded | 1793 | |
| Named for | William Grayson | |
| Seat | Independence | |
| Largest town | Independence | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 446 sq mi (1,160 km2) | |
| • Land | 442 sq mi (1,140 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.8 sq mi (10 km2) 0.8% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 15,333 | |
| • Density | 34.38/sq mi (13.274/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 9th | |
Grayson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,333. Its county seat is Independence. Mount Rogers, the state's highest peak at 5,729 feet (1,746 m), is in Grayson County.
Contents
History
Grayson County was founded in 1793 from part of Wythe County. It was named for William Grayson, delegate to the Continental Congress from 1784 to 1787 and one of the first two U.S. Senators from Virginia.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 446 square miles (1,160 km2), of which 442 square miles (1,140 km2) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) (0.8%) is water. The southernmost point in Virginia lies in Grayson County.
Adjacent counties
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National protected areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- Jefferson National Forest (part)
- Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (part)
Major highways
US 21
US 58
US 221
SR 16
SR 89
SR 93
SR 94
SR 274
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,912 | — | |
| 1810 | 4,941 | 26.3% | |
| 1820 | 5,598 | 13.3% | |
| 1830 | 7,675 | 37.1% | |
| 1840 | 9,087 | 18.4% | |
| 1850 | 6,677 | −26.5% | |
| 1860 | 8,252 | 23.6% | |
| 1870 | 9,587 | 16.2% | |
| 1880 | 13,068 | 36.3% | |
| 1890 | 14,394 | 10.1% | |
| 1900 | 16,853 | 17.1% | |
| 1910 | 19,856 | 17.8% | |
| 1920 | 19,816 | −0.2% | |
| 1930 | 20,017 | 1.0% | |
| 1940 | 21,916 | 9.5% | |
| 1950 | 21,379 | −2.5% | |
| 1960 | 17,930 | −16.1% | |
| 1970 | 15,439 | −13.9% | |
| 1980 | 16,579 | 7.4% | |
| 1990 | 16,278 | −1.8% | |
| 2000 | 17,917 | 10.1% | |
| 2010 | 15,533 | −13.3% | |
| 2020 | 15,333 | −1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 14,627 | 13,396 | 94.17% | 87.37% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 317 | 887 | 2.04% | 5.78% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 30 | 26 | 0.19% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 15 | 24 | 0.10% | 0.16% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 7 | 30 | 0.05% | 0.20% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 121 | 372 | 0.78% | 2.43% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 416 | 596 | 2.68% | 3.89% |
| Total | 15,533 | 15,333 | 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.
Culture
Located in the Appalachian region of the United States, Grayson County has long been famous for its traditional, or "old-time" music and musicians. Although the entire Appalachian region is known for its music, the region around Mount Airy, North Carolina and Galax, Virginia is one of the areas where this music has remained strongest, even among young people. The Old Fiddler's Convention, one of the most prominent traditional music contests in the United States, has been held annually in Galax since 1935.[1] Grayson County is also the home of other fiddlers' conventions and old time and bluegrass festivals such as the Grayson County Fiddlers Convention, Fries Fiddlers Convention, and the Wayne C. Henderson Guitar Festival. The Whitetop Mountain Band, The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, The Wolfe Brothers String Band, and the Konnarock Critters are among many of the best known old time bands of the area.
Communities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
- Baywood
- Carsonville
- Comers Rock
- Elk Creek
- Fairview
- Flat Ridge
- Grant
- Mouth of Wilson
- Rugby
- Volney
Economy
Grayson is economically isolated, without an Interstate Highway and surrounded by mountains. It struggled to attract and retain business; a situation made much worse beginning in 2009 with the recession. Losses of jobs in the furniture and textile sectors resulted in an unemployment rate of 14.6%. As part of the reformation of county government beginning in 2009, the new but idle River North Correctional Center was activated by the state brought in several hundred jobs. County government efforts were successful in retaining Core Fitness' Nautilus facility as the largest employer in the county and integrating local businesses as part of their supply chain. Independence Lumber suffered significant losses in a fire in November 2012 which forced it to relocate operations to North Carolina. Efforts by the county led to the company rebuilding and reopening its facility in 2014 with 125 jobs. By 2014 a focus on job creation brought additional business operations and 300 more jobs to the county and resulted in an unemployment rate of only 6.9%. By April 2019, the unemployment rate had plummeted to just 2.6%.
Education
Public high school
- Grayson County High School, Independence
Private high school
- Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson
Notable residents
- John Calhoun Dickenson (1815-1890), planter and politician
- Henry Whitter (1892–1941), early country musician
- Wade Ward (1892–1971), old-time country music banjo player and fiddler
- Estil C. Ball (1913–1978), singer-songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, and country, gospel and folk musician
- Wayne Henderson, guitar maker and fingerstyle guitar player
- Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, former editor of Reader's Digest
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Grayson (Virginia) para niños
