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Pulaski County, Virginia facts for kids

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Pulaski County
Pulaski County Courthouse
Pulaski County Courthouse
Official seal of Pulaski County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Pulaski 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 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)
 • 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 BlacksburgChristiansburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

National protected area

  • Jefferson National Forest (part)

Major highways

  • I-81
  • US 11
  • SR 99
  • SR 100
  • SR 114

Demographics

Historical population
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

Pulaski County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Pulaski (Virginia) para niños

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