| County: | Spotsylvania County |
| State: | Virginia |
| Seal: | Seal of Spotsylvania County, Virginia.png |
| Flag: | Flag of Spotsylvania County, Virginia.png |
| Founded: | 1721 |
| Motto: | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Seat Wl: | Spotsylvania |
| Largest City Wl: | Spotsylvania |
| City Type: | community |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 414 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 401 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 13 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.1 |
| Population Total: | 145,324 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Footnotes: | [5] |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Web: | http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/ |
| Ex Image: | St. Julien (Spotsylvania County, Virginia).png |
| Ex Image Cap: | Historic home listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Spotsylvania County |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 7th |
| Zip Codes: | 22407, 22408, 22551, 22553, 22534, 22508, 22580, 23024 |
Spotsylvania County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a suburb approximately 60 miles (90km) south of D.C. It is a part of the Northern Virginia region and the D.C. area. As of 2024, Spotsylvania County is the 14th most populated county in Virginia with 149,588 residences.[6] Its county seat is Spotsylvania.[7]
Located along the Rappahannock River bordering the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County, Spotsylvania County is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Since 2010, the population has increased by 19.3%; for comparison, Virginia's population has only increased 7.7% in that time period. Spotsylvania County is currently the 74th highest-income county in America.[8]
At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Spotsylvania County were a Siouan-speaking tribe called the Manahoac.[9]
As the colonial population increased, Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from parts of Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood who incidentally was also the second great-grandfather of Robert E. Lee.[10]
Many major battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fredericksburg, and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The war resulted in widespread disruption and opportunity: some 10,000 African-American slaves left area plantations and city households to cross the Rappahannock River, reaching the Union lines and gaining freedom. This exodus is commemorated by historical markers on both sides of the river.[11]
General Stonewall Jackson was shot and seriously wounded by friendly fire in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina were in the woods and heard General Jackson's party returning from reconnoitering the Union lines. They mistook them for a Federal patrol and fired on them, wounding Jackson in both arms. His left arm was amputated. General Jackson died a few days later from pneumonia at nearby Guinea Station. He and other Confederate wounded were being gathered there for evacuation to hospitals to the south and further away from enemy lines.
It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, the independent city of Fredericksburg (all of which were part of the area's early history), and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.
There are no incorporated towns or cities in Spotsylvania County. Unincorporated communities in the county include:
Many areas of the county have Fredericksburg addresses.
Spotsylvania County's highest level of management is that of County Administrator. This post oversees all county departments and agencies and serves as the Spotsylvania County's Board of Supervisors' liaison to state and regional agencies.
Spotsylvania is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The board consists of seven members (one from each district within the county). The Board of Supervisors sets county policies, adopts ordinances, appropriates funds, approves land rezoning and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and carries out other responsibilities set forth by the county code.[12]
The following is the current list of supervisors and districts which they represent:[13]
| Position | Name | valign=bottom | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Jacob Lane | Republican | Livingston | ||
| Vice Chairman | Chris Yakabouski | Republican | Battlefield | ||
| Member | Kevin Marshall | Independent | Berkeley | ||
| Member | Gerald Childress | Republican | Chancellor | ||
| Member | Drew Mullins | Republican | Courtland | ||
| Member | Lori Hayes | Independent | Lee Hill | ||
| Member | Deborah H. Frazier | Independent | Salem | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth's Attorney | Ryan Mehaffey | Republican | ||
| Commissioner of the Revenue | Deborah F Williams | Independent | ||
| Sheriff | Roger Harris | Independent | ||
| Treasurer | Larry Keith Pritchett | Independent | ||
| Clerk of Circuit Court | Christalyn Mitchell Jett | Republican | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delegate | Phillip Scott | Republican | 63 | ||
| Delegate | Joshua G. Cole | Democratic | 65 | ||
| Delegate | Bobby Orrock | Republican | 66 | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Richard Stuart | Republican | 25 | ||
| Senator | Tara Durant | Republican | 27 | ||
| Senator | Bryce Reeves | Republican | 28 | ||
Spotsylvania residents are represented by Abigail Spanberger (D-7th District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D).
| White alone (NH) | 88,077 | 87,278 | 71.96% | 62.33% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 18,298 | 22,436 | 14.95% | 16.02% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 323 | 375 | 0.26% | 0.27% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,768 | 3,933 | 2.26% | 2.81% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 135 | 122 | 0.11% | 0.09% | |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 272 | 845 | 0.22% | 0.60% | |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3,246 | 8,389 | 2.65% | 5.99% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9,278 | 16,654 | 7.58% | 11.89% | |
| Total | 122,397 | 140,032 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census[16] of 2010, there were 122,397 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was:
7.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 31,308 households, out of which 42.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The 2021 median income for a household in the county was $98,973 compared to $69,021 for the United States; the median income for a family was $87,922. Males had a median income of $49,166 versus $38,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,212. 6.6% of the population lives below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.[17]
Fire and rescue services in Spotsylvania County are provided by a combination of career and volunteer organizations. The career staff of the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management provide fire and rescue services 24/7/365 at all 11 stations, 1 (Courthouse), 2 (Brokenburg), 3 (Partlow), 4 (Four Mile Fork), 5 (Chancellor), 6 (Salem Church), 7 (Wilderness), 8 (Thornburg), 9 (Belmont), 10 (Salem Fields), 11 (Crossroads). Volunteers provide additional staffing nights and weekends at Stations 1, 2, 4, and 8. The volunteer organizations include The Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department, and The Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad.[18]
See main article: Spotsylvania County Public Schools.
Germanna Community College is part of the Virginia Community College System and serves the City of Fredericksburg, and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, Culpeper, and King George.
The University of Mary Washington located in neighboring Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a four-year university and graduate school that also serves the area.