Pulaski County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pulaski County
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Pulaski County Courthouse
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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 | |
State | Virginia | |
Founded | 1839 | |
Named for | Casimir Pulaski | |
Seat | Pulaski | |
Largest town | Pulaski | |
Area | ||
• Total | 330 sq mi (900 km2) | |
• Land | 320 sq mi (800 km2) | |
• Water | 10 sq mi (30 km2) 3.0% | |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 33,800 | |
• Density | 102.4/sq mi (39.5/km2) | |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 9th |
Pulaski County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,800. Its county seat is Pulaski.
Pulaski County is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Pulaski County was formed on March 30, 1839 from parts of Montgomery and Wythe counties, becoming the 87th county of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, who fought during the American Revolution as part of George Washington's army. Pulaski had been a nobleman in Poland, but had been exiled. He joined the army in 1777 and became a brigadier general and chief of cavalry in the Continental Army. He was fatally wounded at Savannah and died on October 11, 1779. Casimir Pulaski is one of the most honored American heroes in terms of places and events named in his honor.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 330 square miles (850 km2), of which 320 square miles (830 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (3.0%) is water.
Pulaski County is the site of Claytor Lake State Park, which is located on Claytor Lake, a 4,500-acre (18 km2), 21-mile (34 km) long man made lake on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W. Graham Claytor, Sr. (1886–1971) of Roanoke, Virginia, a vice president of Appalachian Power who supervised construction of the dam and creation of the lake.
Adjacent counties / Independent city
- Bland County, Virginia – northwest
- Giles County, Virginia – north
- Montgomery County, Virginia – northeast
- Radford, Virginia – northeast
- Floyd County, Virginia – southeast
- Carroll County, Virginia – south
- Wythe County, Virginia – southwest
National protected area
- Jefferson National Forest (part)
Major highways
- I-81
- US 11
- SR 99
- SR 100
- SR 114
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1840 | 3,739 | — | |
1850 | 5,118 | 36.9% | |
1860 | 5,416 | 5.8% | |
1870 | 6,538 | 20.7% | |
1880 | 8,755 | 33.9% | |
1890 | 12,790 | 46.1% | |
1900 | 14,609 | 14.2% | |
1910 | 17,246 | 18.1% | |
1920 | 17,111 | −0.8% | |
1930 | 20,566 | 20.2% | |
1940 | 22,767 | 10.7% | |
1950 | 27,758 | 21.9% | |
1960 | 27,258 | −1.8% | |
1970 | 29,564 | 8.5% | |
1980 | 35,229 | 19.2% | |
1990 | 34,496 | −2.1% | |
2000 | 35,127 | 1.8% | |
2010 | 34,872 | −0.7% | |
2020 | 33,800 | −3.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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White alone (NH) | 31,972 | 29,716 | 91.68% | 87.92% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,744 | 1,633 | 5.00% | 4.83% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 61 | 49 | 0.17% | 0.14% |
Asian alone (NH) | 179 | 177 | 0.51% | 0.52% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 7 | 3 | 0.02% | 0.01% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 25 | 100 | 0.07% | 0.30% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 452 | 1,418 | 1.30% | 4.20% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 432 | 704 | 0.96% | 2.08% |
Total | 34,872 | 33,800 | 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.
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Economy
The Volvo Trucks North America plant in Pulaski County will begin manufacturing a battery-powered VNR Electric truck model starting in early 2021. It is the largest Volvo truck plant in the world, and the Dublin, Virginia facility currently employed close to 3,000 people building multiple models of heavy-duty trucks.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Pulaski (Virginia) para niños