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Smyth County, Virginia facts for kids

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Smyth County
Smyth County Courthouse in Marion
Smyth County Courthouse in Marion
Flag of Smyth County
Flag
Official seal of Smyth County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Smyth 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 1832
Named for Alexander Smyth
Seat Marion
Largest town Marion
Area
 • Total 452 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Land 451 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Water 1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 29,800
 • Density 65.93/sq mi (25.46/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 9th

Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion.

History

Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county is named after Alexander Smyth, a general during the War of 1812 who was elected to the state Senate, House of Delegates, and as a Representative to the United States Congress.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 452 square miles (1,170 km2), of which 451 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water. Smyth County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

  • Jefferson National Forest (part)
  • Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (part)

Major highways

  • I-81
  • US 11
  • SR 16
  • SR 42
  • SR 91
  • SR 107

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 6,522
1850 8,162 25.1%
1860 8,952 9.7%
1870 8,898 −0.6%
1880 12,160 36.7%
1890 13,360 9.9%
1900 17,121 28.2%
1910 20,326 18.7%
1920 22,125 8.9%
1930 25,125 13.6%
1940 28,861 14.9%
1950 30,187 4.6%
1960 31,066 2.9%
1970 31,349 0.9%
1980 33,366 6.4%
1990 32,370 −3.0%
2000 33,081 2.2%
2010 32,208 −2.6%
2020 29,800 −7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Smyth County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 30,642 27,762 95.14% 93.16%
Black or African American alone (NH) 630 408 1.96% 1.37%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 41 36 0.13% 0.12%
Asian alone (NH) 82 104 0.25% 0.35%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 1 0.01% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 18 49 0.06% 0.16%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 265 882 0.82% 2.96%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 527 558 1.64% 1.87%
Total 32,208 29,800 100.00% 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.

Tourism

The Smyth County Tourism Association was formed in April 2006 to promote sustainable tourism development and manages the operation of the state-certified H.L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center. The organization markets the area through https://visitsmythcountyva.com/

Education

Public high schools

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Smyth para niños

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