Isle of Wight County, Virginia facts for kids

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"Isle of Wight County" redirects here. For the county in England, see Isle of Wight.

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Isle of Wight County

U.S. county

Isle of Wight Courthouse and Confederate Monument (removed May 8, 2021).

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1634

Largest town

Area

• Total

363 sq mi (940 km²)

• Land

316 sq mi (820 km²)

• Water

47 sq mi (120 km²) 13.0%

Population

(2020)

• Total

38,606

• Density

106.35/sq mi (41.06/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

3rd

Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was named after the Isle of Wight, England, south of the Solent, from where many of its early colonists had come. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,606. Its county seat is Isle of Wight, an unincorporated community.

Isle of Wight County is located in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its northeastern boundary is on the coast of Hampton Roads waterway.

Isle of Wight County features two incorporated towns, Smithfield and Windsor. The first courthouse for the county was built in Smithfield in 1750. The original courthouse and its associated tavern (The Smithfield Inn) are still standing.

As the county population developed, leaders thought they needed a county seat near the center of the area. They built a new courthouse near the center of the county in 1800. The 1800 brick courthouse and its associated tavern (Boykin's Tavern) are still standing, as are the 1822 clerk's offices nearby. Some additions have been made. The 1800 courthouse is used daily, serving as the government chambers for the Board of Supervisors, as well as the meeting hall for the school board. The chambers are sometimes used as a court for civil trials if the new courthouse is fully in use. The new courthouse opened in 2010; it is across the street from the sheriff's office and county offices complex.

History
Geography
- Adjacent counties and independent cities
- Major highways
Demographics
- 2020 census
- 2010 Census
Communities
Gallery
See also

History

During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. Captain John Smith in 1608 crossed the James River and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from the Native American inhabitants, the Warrosquyoackes or Warraskoyaks. They were a tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy, who had three towns in the area of modern Smithfield. The Warraskoyaks were driven off from their villages in 1622 and 1627, as part of the reprisals for the Great Massacre of 1622.

The first English plantations along the south shore within present-day Isle of Wight were established by Puritan colonists, beginning with that of Christopher Lawne in May 1618. Several members of the Puritan Bennett family also came to settle the area, including Richard Bennett who led the Puritans to neighboring Nansemond in 1635, and later became governor of the Virginia Colony.

By 1634, the Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. One of these was Warrosquyoake Shire, renamed Isle of Wight County in 1637, after the island off the south coast of England of the same name. The name was probably changed because the Isle of Wight had been the home of some of the principal colonists, although the Native American name also went through multiple Anglicisations, eventually becoming "Warwicke Squeake".

St. Luke's Church [1], built in the 17th century, is the Virginia's oldest church building. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its significance. Many landmark and contributing structures on the National Register are located in Smithfield including the Wentworth-Grinnan House.

In 1732 a considerable portion of the northwestern part of the original shire was added to Brunswick County; and in 1748 the entire county of Southampton was carved out of it.

During the American Civil War, Company F of the 61st Virginia Infantry of the Confederate Army was called the "Isle of Wight Avengers."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km²), of which 316 square miles (820 km²) is land and 47 square miles (120 km²) (13.0%) is water.

The county is bounded by the James River on the north and the Blackwater River to the south. The land is generally low-lying, with many swamps and pocosins.

Adjacent counties and independent cities

Newport News, Virginia — northeast
Suffolk, Virginia — southeast
Southampton County — west
Franklin, Virginia — southwest
Surry County — northwest

Major highways

US 17
US 258
US 460
SR 10
SR 32

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,028	—
1800	9,342	3.5%
1810	9,186	−1.7%
1820	10,139	10.4%
1830	10,517	3.7%
1840	9,972	−5.2%
1850	9,353	−6.2%
1860	9,977	6.7%
1870	8,320	−16.6%
1880	10,572	27.1%
1890	11,313	7.0%
1900	13,102	15.8%
1910	14,929	13.9%
1920	14,433	−3.3%
1930	13,409	−7.1%
1940	13,381	−0.2%
1950	14,906	11.4%
1960	17,164	15.1%
1970	18,285	6.5%
1980	21,603	18.1%
1990	25,503	18.1%
2000	29,728	16.6%
2010	35,270	18.6%
2020	38,606	9.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

**Isle of Wight County, Virginia - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	24,969	26,410	70.79%	68.41%
Black or African American alone (NH)	8,656	8,579	24.54%	22.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	104	139	0.29%	0.36%
Asian alone (NH)	275	391	0.78%	1.01%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	13	31	0.04%	0.08%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	54	202	0.15%	0.52%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	541	1,655	1.53%	4.29%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	658	1,199	1.87%	3.11%
Total	35,270	38,606	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.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile (36/km²). There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.8% White, 24.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,319 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,387, and the median income for a family was $52,597. Males had a median income of $37,853 versus $22,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,235. About 6.60% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.