King George County, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids King George County
U.S. county
King George County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1720
Named for	George I
Seat	King George
Largest CDP	King George
Area
• Total	188 sq mi (490 km2)
• Land	180 sq mi (500 km2)
• Water	21 sq mi (50 km2)  4.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,723
• Estimate  (2021)	27,489
• Density	142.1/sq mi (54.88/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th

King George County is a county in Virginia. In 2020, about 26,723 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is also called King George.

The biggest employer in the county is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. This is a very important place for the Navy. The county is also near the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, which is a long bridge over the Potomac River.

You can find King George County using the ZIP codes 22448 (for Dahlgren) and 22485 (for other areas). The phone area code is 540.

History of King George County

King George County was created in 1720. It was formed from a part of Richmond County, Virginia. The county is named after King George I of Great Britain. Its borders were changed a bit in 1776 and 1777 with Stafford and Westmoreland counties.

In the early days, farmers grew a lot of tobacco. This crop needed many workers. At first, people from Britain who agreed to work for a set time came. Later, enslaved Africans were forced to do most of the work. This was a very difficult and unjust time in history. Over time, farmers started growing different crops because the soil became tired from growing only tobacco.

A very famous person, James Madison, was born here on March 16, 1751. He later became the fourth President of the United States. He was born at Belle Grove plantation in Port Conway. His mother, Eleanor Rose "Nellie" Conway, grew up there. Another important person, William "Extra Billy" Smith, who was governor of Virginia twice, was born in the county in 1797.

During the American Civil War, in 1861, soldiers set up artillery (large guns) at Mathias Point. They wanted to stop ships from using the Potomac River. On June 27, a ship called the Thomas Freeborn fired at the soldiers. The soldiers fired back, and a Union officer named Commander James H. Ward was badly hurt and died. He was the first Union naval officer to die in the war.

Landscape in King George County

After he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and David Herold came through King George County. They crossed from Maryland by boat on April 21, 1865. They met people who helped them travel through Port Conway and then into Caroline County.

Geography and Location

King George County covers about 188 square miles. Most of this is land (180 square miles), and a small part is water (8 square miles).

The county is part of a region called the Northern Neck. To the north, it borders the Potomac River, which is in Charles County, Maryland. To the south, it borders the Rappahannock River. Across this river are Caroline and Essex counties. To the east is Westmoreland County, and to the west is Stafford County. All these are in Virginia.

Protected Natural Areas

• Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part) - This refuge helps protect wildlife and their homes.

Main Roads and Highways

• US 301
• SR 3
• SR 205
• SR 206
• SR 218

Population and People

In 2010, there were 23,584 people living in King George County. The average age was about 35 years old. Many households had children under 18. The county's population has grown steadily over the years.

Fun Festivals and Events

The King George Fall Festival is a big event held every year in October. It takes place on the second weekend of the month. All the money raised from this festival helps support the volunteer King George Fire & Rescue teams.

The Fall Festival is a lot of fun! It includes a parade, a carnival with rides, a craft fair where local artists sell their work, and a car show. There's also a dance, a 5-K run, and a Fall Festival Queens Pageant. This festival first started in October 1959.

Towns and Communities

King George County has several towns and communities. Some of these are called "census-designated places," which means they are areas identified by the census bureau.

Main Census-Designated Places

• Dahlgren
• Dahlgren Center
• Fairview Beach
• King George
• Passapatanzy

Other Communities

Education and Schools

Most students in King George County attend schools run by King George County Schools. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.

However, if you live in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division area, your school is run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). This area has one school, Dahlgren Elementary Middle School, which teaches students from PreK to 8th grade.

Famous People from King George County

Many interesting people have connections to King George County:

• James Madison - The fourth President of the United States.
• Mark Warner - A current U.S. Senator who has a home and farm here.
• Krystal Ball - A political talk show host who grew up in King George.
• Collette Wolfe - An actress who grew up in King George, Virginia.
• Jermon Bushrod - A professional football player (tackle for the New Orleans Saints) who grew up here.
• Al Bumbry - A Major League Baseball player.
• Nell Zink - An American novelist who grew up in King George County.
• Dorthia Cottrell - A musician who grew up in King George County.
• Philip Scholz - An author and former Paralympic swimmer.
• Gladys West - A Black American mathematician who helped develop satellite geodesy. Her work was important for creating the Global Positioning System (GPS), which helps us find our way around!

See also

In Spanish: Condado de King George para niños