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King William County, Virginia facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Prince William County, Virginia.
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King William County
U.S. county
King William County Courthouse, the oldest in continuous use in the United States
King William County Courthouse, the oldest in continuous use in the United States
Official seal of King William County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting King William County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Virginia
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)
 • 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.

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

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

2020 census

King William 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) 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

Two Indian reservations exist in the county. They are the only ones in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de King William para niños

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