Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a
county located in the
U.S. state — officially, "
Commonwealth" — of
Virginia. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of
Orange County. For ten years it was the home of
George Washington. As of 2000, the population was 59,209. Its
county seat is
Winchester6.
Frederick County was established in 1743 from
Orange County. The county is named for
Frederick Louis,
Prince of Wales and eldest son of King
George II of Great Britain.
American Revolutionary War
Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial forces,
General George Washington's headquarters was located in Winchester. Washington's represented Frederick County in his first elective offices, having been elected to the
House of Burgesses in 1758 and 1761.
Daniel Morgan was another famous General during the
American Revolutionary War, from the county (present day
Clarke County).
American Civil War
Winchester changed hands between the
Confederate and
Union Armies on average once every three weeks during the war. Many battles were fought in Frederick County. Some of those battles include:
*
First Battle of Kernstown, March 1862
*
First Battle of Winchester, May 1862
*
Second Battle of Winchester, June 1863
*
Second Battle of Kernstown, July 1864
*
Third Battle of Winchester, September 1864
*
Battle of Cedar Creek, October 1864
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,076
km² (416
mi²). 1,074 km² (415 mi²) of it is land and 3 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.24%) is water.
| Historical populations |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| 1790 | 19,681 |
| 1800 | 24,744 |
| 1810 | 22,574 |
| 1820 | 24,706 |
| 1830 | 26,046 |
| 1840 | 14,242 |
| 1850 | 15,975 |
| 1860 | 16,546 |
| 1870 | 16,596 |
| 1880 | 17,553 |
| 1890 | 17,880 |
| 1900 | 13,239 |
| 1910 | 12,787 |
| 1920 | 12,461 |
| 1930 | 13,167 |
| 1940 | 14,008 |
| 1950 | 17,537 |
| 1960 | 21,941 |
| 1970 | 28,893 |
| 1980 | 34,150 |
| 1990 | 45,723 |
| 2000 | 59,209 |
| 2004 | 66,611 |
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 59,209 people, 22,097 households, and 16,727 families residing in the county. The
population density was 55/km² (143/mi²). There were 23,319 housing units at an average density of 22/km² (56/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.99%
White, 2.62%
Black or
African American, 0.16%
Native American, 0.66%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 0.56% from
other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 22,097 households out of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.50% were
married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% were non-families. 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,941, and the median income for a family was $52,281. Males had a median income of $35,705 versus $25,046 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $21,080. About 4.00% of families and 6.40% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 7.30% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated Towns
*
Middletown*
Stephens CityUnincorporated Communities
*
WinchesterNote: Winchester, like all cities under Virginia law, is an
independent city—politically independent of any county.
*
Complete List of routes in Frederick County, Virginia*
Official Website for the County of Frederick*
Frederick County Public Schools*
VAGenWeb Frederick County*
Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce*
Winchester Frederick County Convention and Visitor Bureau*
Winchester Frederick County Circuit Court Clerks*
Frederick County's Historical Markers
