Shenandoah County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shenandoah County
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Shenandoah County Courthouse in Woodstock
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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 | 1772 | ||||
| Named for | Shenandoah River | ||||
| Seat | Woodstock | ||||
| Largest town | Strasburg | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 512 sq mi (1,330 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 509 sq mi (1,320 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 0.7% | ||||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 44,186 | ||||
| • Density | 86.30/sq mi (33.32/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||||
| Congressional district | 6th | ||||
Shenandoah County (formerly Dunmore County) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 44,186. Its county seat is Woodstock. It is part of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
Contents
History
The Senedos, possibly an Iroquoian group, are thought to have occupied the area at one time, until they were said to have been slaughtered by the Catawba in the latter 17th century. The name of the Valley, and of the county, is most likely connected with this Native American group. It has also been attributed to General George Washington naming it in honor of John Skenandoa, an Oneida chief from New York who helped gain support of Oneida and Tuscarora warriors to aid the rebel colonists during the American Revolutionary War.
Colonial Governor Gooch formally purchased the entire Shenandoah Valley from the Six Nations of the Iroquois by the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. The Iroquois had controlled the valley as a hunting ground, but European settlement had begun by that time. During Pontiac's War (1763–1766), Shawnee efforts to repel the white intruders reached as far east as the current county.
The county was established in 1772 as 'Dunmore County' for Virginia Colonial Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. Woodstock was designated the county seat. Dunmore was Virginia's last royal governor, and was forced from office during the American Revolution. During the war (1778), the rebels renamed the county 'Shenandoah.'
During the Civil War, the Battle of New Market took place in the county on May 15, 1864.
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 509 square miles (1,320 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.7%) is water. Fort Valley and the western slopes of the Massanutten Mountain are located within the county boundary.
Adjacent counties
- Hardy County, West Virginia – northwest
- Frederick County – northeast
- Warren County – east
- Page County – southeast
- Rockingham County – southwest
National protected areas
- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (part)
- George Washington National Forest (part)
Transportation
- Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus Service offers weekday commuter bus service from the Northern Shenandoah Valley including Shenandoah County and Warren County to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., including Arlington County and Fairfax County. Origination points in Shenandoah County include Woodstock. Origination points in Warren County include Front Royal and Linden.
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Major highways
I-81
US 11
US 48
US 211
SR 42
SR 55
SR 211
SR 263
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 10,510 | — | |
| 1800 | 13,823 | 31.5% | |
| 1810 | 13,646 | −1.3% | |
| 1820 | 18,926 | 38.7% | |
| 1830 | 19,750 | 4.4% | |
| 1840 | 11,618 | −41.2% | |
| 1850 | 13,768 | 18.5% | |
| 1860 | 13,896 | 0.9% | |
| 1870 | 14,936 | 7.5% | |
| 1880 | 18,204 | 21.9% | |
| 1890 | 19,671 | 8.1% | |
| 1900 | 20,253 | 3.0% | |
| 1910 | 20,942 | 3.4% | |
| 1920 | 20,808 | −0.6% | |
| 1930 | 20,655 | −0.7% | |
| 1940 | 20,898 | 1.2% | |
| 1950 | 21,169 | 1.3% | |
| 1960 | 21,825 | 3.1% | |
| 1970 | 22,852 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 27,559 | 20.6% | |
| 1990 | 31,636 | 14.8% | |
| 2000 | 35,075 | 10.9% | |
| 2010 | 41,993 | 19.7% | |
| 2020 | 44,186 | 5.2% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 37,886 | 37,304 | 90.22% | 84.42% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 699 | 1,031 | 1.66% | 2.33% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 71 | 84 | 0.17% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 210 | 344 | 0.50% | 0.78% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 8 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 28 | 149 | 0.07% | 0.34% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 516 | 1,540 | 1.23% | 3.49% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,577 | 3,726 | 6.14% | 8.43% |
| Total | 41,993 | 44,186 | 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.
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 41,993 people in the county. 93.0% were White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% of some other race and 1.6% of two or more races. 6.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 26.4% were of American, 22.0% German, 10.3% English and 7.6% Irish ancestry.
Education
Private
Secondary institutions
- Shenandoah Valley Academy
- Massanutten Military Academy
Primary institutions
- Shenandoah Valley Adventist Elementary School
- Valley Baptist Christian School
Public
High schools
- Stonewall Jackson High School (Shenandoah County, Virginia)
- Strasburg High School
- Central High School (Woodstock)
Elementary and middle schools
- W.W. Robinson Elementary School (Woodstock)
- Peter Muhlenberg Middle School (Woodstock)
- Ashby-Lee Elementary School (Quicksburg)
- North Fork Middle School (Quicksburg)
- Sandy Hook Elementary School (Strasburg)
- Signal Knob Middle School (Strasburg)
Other
- Triplett Tech (Mount Jackson)
- Massanutten Regional Governor's School (High School level, in Mount Jackson)
Communities
Towns
- Edinburg (pop. 1,041)
- Mount Jackson (pop. 1,994)
- New Market (pop. 2,146)
- Strasburg (pop. 6,398)
- Toms Brook (pop. 258)
- Woodstock (pop. 5,097)
Census-designated places
- Basye (pop. 1,374)
- Bowmans Crossing
- Clary
- Columbia Furnace
- Conicville
- Fishers Hill
- Forestville
- Lebanon Church
- Locust Grove
- Hudson Crossroads
- Maurertown
- Mount Clifton
- Mount Olive
- Orkney Springs (pop. 58)
- Quicksburg
- Saumsville
Other unincorporated communities
- Alonzaville
- Bedford
- Borden
- Calvary
- Carmel
- Coleytown
- Detrick
- Hamburg
- Harrisville
- Hawkinstown
- Hepners
- Jadwyn
- Jerome
- Kings Crossing
- Lantz Mill
- Macanie
- Moore's Store
- Mount Hermon
- Oak Grove
- Oranda
- Saint Luke
- Silver City
- Swover Creek
- Valley View
- Walkers Chapel
- Wesley Chapel
- Wheatfield
- Williamsville
- Zepp
Law enforcement
| Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SCSO |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | May 26, 1772 |
| Employees | 100+ |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Constituting instrument |
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| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Woodstock, Virginia |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| Official Website: http://www.shencosheriff.com/ | |
The Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Shenandoah County. The SCSO was created on May 26, 1772, when the position of High Sheriff position was created; its main duty was to collect taxes.
The SCSO was accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission between 2006, when it first became accredited, and 2022, when it lost accreditation following an evaluation.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Shenandoah para niños
