King and Queen County, Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

King and Queen County

U.S. county

Old King and Queen County Courthouse

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1691

Named for

William III and Mary II of England

Seat

King and Queen Court House

Area

• Total

326 sq mi (840 km²)

• Land

315 sq mi (820 km²)

• Water

11 sq mi (30 km²) 3.4%

Population

(2020)

• Total

6,608

• Density

20.27/sq mi (7.826/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

1st

King and Queen County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia, located in the state's Middle Peninsula on the eastern edge of the Richmond, VA metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,608. Its county seat is King and Queen Court House.

History
Geography
- Adjacent Counties
- Major Highways
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
See also

History

King and Queen County was established in 1691 from New Kent County. The county is named for King William III and Queen Mary II of England. King and Queen County is notable as one of the few counties in the United States to have recorded a larger population in the 1790 census than in the 2010 one.

Among the earliest settlers of King and Queen County was Roger Shackelford, an emigrant from Old Alresford, Hampshire, England, after whom the village of Shacklefords, Virginia, in King and Queen County is named. Shackelford's descendants continued to live in the county, and by the nineteenth century had intermarried with the Taliaferro, Beverley, Thornton and Sears families, among others.

In 1762 when he was 11, future president James Madison was sent to a boarding school run by Donald Robertson at the Innes plantation in King and Queen County. Robertson was a Scottish teacher who tutored numerous prominent plantation families in the South. From Robertson, Madison learned mathematics, geography, and modern and classical languages—he became especially proficient in Latin. He attributed his instinct for learning "largely to that man (Robertson)." At age 16, Madison returned to his father's Montpelier estate in Orange County, Virginia.

On March 2, 1864, the Battle of Walkerton, an engagement of the American Civil War took place here, resulting in a Confederate victory.

For many years, county publications noted that the county lacked any traffic lights. This is now no longer the case, as a traffic light has been installed on U.S. Route 360 at St. Stephen's Church.

The county contains no incorporated towns and is among the more rustic of the counties of Virginia.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 326 square miles (840 km²), of which 315 square miles (820 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (3.4%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Caroline County – north
Essex County – northeast
Middlesex County – east
Gloucester County – southeast
James City County – south
New Kent County – southwest
King William County – west

Major Highways

US 360
SR 14
SR 33
SR 40
SR 69

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,377	—
1800	9,879	5.4%
1810	10,988	11.2%
1820	11,798	7.4%
1830	11,644	−1.3%
1840	10,862	−6.7%
1850	10,319	−5.0%
1860	10,328	0.1%
1870	9,709	−6.0%
1880	10,502	8.2%
1890	9,669	−7.9%
1900	9,265	−4.2%
1910	9,576	3.4%
1920	9,161	−4.3%
1930	7,618	−16.8%
1940	6,954	−8.7%
1950	6,299	−9.4%
1960	5,889	−6.5%
1970	5,491	−6.8%
1980	5,968	8.7%
1990	6,289	5.4%
2000	6,630	5.4%
2010	6,945	4.8%
2020	6,608	−4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**King and Queen County, Virginia - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	4,547	4,460	65.47%	67.49%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,970	1,561	28.37%	23.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	109	82	1.57%	1.24%
Asian alone (NH)	17	23	0.24%	0.35%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	3	0.00%	0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	7	19	0.10%	0.29%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	111	278	1.60%	4.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	184	182	2.65%	2.75%
Total	6,945	6,608	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.