King William County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
King William County
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King William County Courthouse, the oldest in continuous use in the United States
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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 | 1702 | |
| Named for | William III | |
| Seat | King William | |
| Largest town | West Point | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 286 sq mi (740 km2) | |
| • Land | 274 sq mi (710 km2) | |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (30 km2) 4.1% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,810 | |
| • Density | 62.27/sq mi (24.04/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
King William County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,810. Its county seat is King William.
King William County is located in the Middle Peninsula and is included in the Greater Richmond Region.
Contents
History
For thousands of years before European contact, indigenous peoples of North America lived in the Tidewater area of present-day Virginia. At the time of the founding of Jamestown, 30 Virginia Native American tribes comprised the Powhatan paramountcy, numbering 14,000-21,000 people. The Algonquian-speaking Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Upper Mattaponi tribe, among the 11 tribes recognized by the state of Virginia, are located in the county. The Mattaponi are one of two Virginia Indian tribes who still occupy reservation land first allocated by the English under treaty in the 17th century.
One prominent family during Colonial Virginia times was that of William Aylett. The Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730 established a tobacco inspection warehouse at Aylett's. Aylett's daughters intermarried with other Northern Neck families.
English colonists formed King William County in 1702 out of King and Queen County. The county is named for William of Orange, King of England. The courthouse, built in 1725, is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 274 square miles (710 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (4.1%) is water. King William County is bounded by the Mattaponi River to the north and the Pamunkey River to the south. The two rivers combine to form the York River, at West Point, the county's largest town.
Adjacent counties
- Caroline County - northwest
- King and Queen County - northeast
- New Kent County - south
- Hanover County - southwest
Major highways
US 360
SR 30
SR 33
SR 296
SR 298
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 8,128 | — | |
| 1800 | 9,055 | 11.4% | |
| 1810 | 9,285 | 2.5% | |
| 1820 | 9,697 | 4.4% | |
| 1830 | 9,812 | 1.2% | |
| 1840 | 9,258 | −5.6% | |
| 1850 | 8,779 | −5.2% | |
| 1860 | 8,530 | −2.8% | |
| 1870 | 7,515 | −11.9% | |
| 1880 | 8,751 | 16.4% | |
| 1890 | 9,605 | 9.8% | |
| 1900 | 8,380 | −12.8% | |
| 1910 | 8,547 | 2.0% | |
| 1920 | 8,739 | 2.2% | |
| 1930 | 7,929 | −9.3% | |
| 1940 | 7,855 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 7,589 | −3.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,563 | −0.3% | |
| 1970 | 7,497 | −0.9% | |
| 1980 | 9,334 | 24.5% | |
| 1990 | 10,913 | 16.9% | |
| 2000 | 13,146 | 20.5% | |
| 2010 | 15,935 | 21.2% | |
| 2020 | 17,810 | 11.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 12,107 | 13,499 | 75.98% | 75.79% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,806 | 2,585 | 17.61% | 14.51% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 223 | 277 | 1.40% | 1.56% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 118 | 129 | 0.74% | 0.72% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 9 | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 12 | 76 | 0.08% | 0.43% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 342 | 759 | 2.15% | 4.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 324 | 476 | 2.03% | 2.67% |
| Total | 15,935 | 17,810 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,935 people living in the county. 77.2% were White, 17.7% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.6% of some other race and 2.3% of two or more races. 2.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 18.6% were of English, 16.5% American, 8.7% German and 7.6% Irish ancestry.
Communities
Town
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
- Aylett
- Aylett Mill
- Beulahville
- Calno
- Chericoke
- Cohoke
- Corinth Fork
- Duane
- Duane Fork
- Elsing Green
- Enfield
- Epworth
- Etna Mills
- Globe
- Gordon Landing
- Horse Landing
- Horseshoe
- Johnson Landing
- Keith
- Lanesville
- Mangohick
- Manquin
- Midway
- Pointers Landing
- Pollards Corner
- Poplar Landing
- Port Richmond
- Riverview Landing
- Romancoke
- Rosespout
- Rumford
- Scotland Landing
- Tuck Fork
- Turpin
- Upshaw
- Venter
- Wakema
- White Oak Landing
- Whitebank
Two Indian reservations exist in the county. They are the only ones in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de King William para niños
