Tazewell County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tazewell County
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Tazewell 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 |
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| State |  Virginia |
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| Founded | December 20, 1799 | ||
| Named for | Henry Tazewell | ||
| Seat | Tazewell | ||
| Largest town | Richlands | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 520 sq mi (1,300 km2) | ||
| • Land | 519 sq mi (1,340 km2) | ||
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2) 0.2% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 40,429 | ||
| • Density | 77.7/sq mi (30.02/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 9th | ||
Tazewell County (/tæz.wɛl/) is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell.
Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its economy was dependent on coal and iron of the Pocahontas Fields from the late 19th into the 20th century.
Contents
History
Before the arrival of pioneers, Tazewell County was a hunting ground for Native Americans. Although rare in the eastern United States, there are petroglyphs near the summit of Paintlick Mountain.
In the spring of 1771, Thomas and John Witten established the first permanent settlement in Tazewell County at Crab Orchard.
Tazewell County was created on December 20, 1799. The land for the county was taken from portions of Wythe and Russell counties. It was named after Henry Tazewell, a United States Senator from Virginia, state legislator and judge. Delegate Littleton Waller Tazewell originally opposed the formation of the new county but when Simon Cotterel, who drew up the bill to form the county, changed the originally proposed name of the county to Tazewell's namesake, in honor of his father Henry who had died earlier that year. The bill passed.
Jeffersonville was established the following year (1800) as the county seat. On February 29, 1892, Jeffersonville was renamed Tazewell.
Paramount's 1994 film Lassie was filmed here.
Representation in other media
Paramount's 1994 film Lassie was filmed here. It was based on stories of Albert Payson Terhune.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 520 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 519 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.2%) is water.
Since it contains portions of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians and the Cumberland Plateau, Tazewell County has very distinct geologic areas within the county. Of the most unusual areas is Burke's Garden, a bowl-shaped valley formed by the erosion of a doubly plunging anticline. Tazewell County includes the headwaters of four watersheds, which are the Upper Clinch, Middle New, North Fork Holston, and Tug.
Adjacent counties
- McDowell County, West Virginia, (North and West)
- Mercer County, West Virginia, (Northeast)
- Buchanan County, (Northwest)
- Russell County, (West)
- Smyth County, (South)
- Bland County, (East)
National protected area
- Jefferson National Forest (part)
Major highways
US 19
US 460
SR 16
SR 61
SR 67
SR 91
SR 102
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 2,127 | — | |
| 1810 | 3,007 | 41.4% | |
| 1820 | 3,916 | 30.2% | |
| 1830 | 5,749 | 46.8% | |
| 1840 | 6,290 | 9.4% | |
| 1850 | 9,942 | 58.1% | |
| 1860 | 9,920 | −0.2% | |
| 1870 | 10,791 | 8.8% | |
| 1880 | 12,861 | 19.2% | |
| 1890 | 19,899 | 54.7% | |
| 1900 | 23,384 | 17.5% | |
| 1910 | 24,946 | 6.7% | |
| 1920 | 27,840 | 11.6% | |
| 1930 | 32,477 | 16.7% | |
| 1940 | 41,607 | 28.1% | |
| 1950 | 47,512 | 14.2% | |
| 1960 | 44,791 | −5.7% | |
| 1970 | 39,816 | −11.1% | |
| 1980 | 50,511 | 26.9% | |
| 1990 | 45,960 | −9.0% | |
| 2000 | 44,598 | −3.0% | |
| 2010 | 45,078 | 1.1% | |
| 2020 | 40,429 | −10.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 39,120 | −13.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 42,692 | 37,336 | 94.71% | 92.35% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,330 | 961 | 2.95% | 2.38% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 54 | 56 | 0.12% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 286 | 213 | 0.63% | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 15 | 0.01% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 23 | 89 | 0.05% | 0.22% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 391 | 1,252 | 0.87% | 3.10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 296 | 507 | 0.66% | 1.25% |
| Total | 45,078 | 40,429 | 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.
Education
Colleges
- Bluefield University, Bluefield
- Southwest Virginia Community College, borders Russell County, near Richlands
Public high schools
All public schools in Tazewell County are operated by Tazewell County Public Schools system.
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
- Claypool Hill
- Gratton
- Raven (partially in Russell County)
- Springville
Other unincorporated communities
Law enforcement
| Tazewell County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | TCSO |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Constituting instrument |
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| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Tazewell, Virginia |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| Official Website: http://tazewellcountyva.org/government/sheriffs-office/ | |
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Tazewell County. As of 2022[update] the agency is headed by Sheriff Brian Hieatt. Since the establishment of the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, two prohibition officers, one justice of the peace, and one sheriff's deputy have died in the line of duty.
In 2016, the department was criticized by the Freedom from Religion Foundation for having stickers saying "In God We Trust" on its cars. In 2022, the department again received a letter from the FFRF, stating that Sheriff Hieatt led prayers at religious events in uniform, and criticizing it for posting religious messages on its Facebook page.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Tazewell (Virginia) para niños
