Editing Rappahannock County, Virginia (section)

==Communities==
[[File:Municipalities in Rappahannock County.svg|right|frameless|400x400px]]
There is one incorporated town (Washington) and five village settlements in the county (Chester Gap, Flint Hill, Amissville, Sperryville, and Woodville). The villages have no defined legal boundaries and are characterized generally by having a rural post office and general store, older homes, one or more houses of worship, service stations, and small commercial establishments.

===Town===
* [[Washington, Virginia|Washington]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Chester Gap, Virginia|Chester Gap]]
* [[Flint Hill, Rappahannock County, Virginia|Flint Hill]]
* [[Sperryville, Virginia|Sperryville]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Amissville, Virginia|Amissville]]
* [[Boston, Rappahannock County, Virginia|Boston]]
* [[Castleton, Virginia|Castleton]]
* [[Huntly, Virginia|Huntly]]
* [[Laurel Mills, Virginia|Laurel Mills]]
* [[Peola Mills, Virginia|Peola Mills]]
* Revercombs Corner
* [[Wakefield Manor, Virginia|Wakefield Manor]]
* [[Woodville, Virginia|Woodville]]
{{div col end}}

===Community facilities and activities===
There are no stoplights in Rappahannock County. There are also no large stores, franchise fast-food places, or sprawling subdivisions in the county.

The county maintains one public library, located in the central part of the county, managed by three employees and a nine-member Board of Trustees. In 2020, there were 3,349 library card holders, circulation was 22,245, and there were 16,768 individual uses of the library's WiFi; the latter statistic is indicative of the lack of internet service to the county. The operating budget for the library was $315,857, of which the county provided 66%, the State provided 15%, and 19% was from endowment and other sources.<ref>FY2020 Activity Report for the Rappahannock County Public Library</ref>

In nighttime photos taken from space, the county is one of the few conspicuous dark spots amid a blaze of lights illuminating the East Coast from Miami to Maine. It is one of the last places on the East Coast with a view of the Milky Way. In 2019, the Rappahannock County Park was certified as an International Dark-Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. It is the third Virginia park to receive a Dark-Sky Park designation, the other two being state parks. Rappahannock County Park is also the third county park in the U.S. to be awarded this honor. Throughout the year, multiple lectures and dark sky viewing events are held during evenings in the Park.<ref>[https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/parks/rappahannock-county-park/ "Rappahannock County Park (U.S.) "], ''Rappahannock News'', March 8, 2019</ref>

There are seven volunteer fire and rescue companies in the county. Amissville, Castleton, Chester Gap, Flint Hill, and Washington handle both fire and ambulance calls; Sperryville has separate squads. None of the members of these squads have paid positions. The county is served by the weekly ''Rappahannock News'' newspaper. The county seat of Washington is home to the three Michelin Star Inn at Little Washington. Thirty-five churches are located in the county, although many of these have small congregations. There are two medical facilities. The Rappahannock Historical Society, founded in 1964 and located in the town of Washington, serves as a resource for historical and genealogical information about the county.

Local support for the arts is provided through the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community. The annual Rappahannock County Arts Tour provides an opportunity to visit artists in their studios. There are three performing arts theaters: the Theatre at Washington, Virginia, the RAAC Community Theater, and the Theater House at Castleton Farms, founded by the late Lorin Maazel which features the Castleton Chamber Players and the Castleton Music Festival. The nationally renowned Kid Pan Alley originated in and is still based in the county. Rappahannock Radio interviews members of the local community and beyond.

Other amusements and events include a 9-hole golf course; the annual Fodderstack 10K race; Sperryfest street fair featuring the Great Rubber Duck Race Down the Thornton River; Oktoberfest held in Sperryville, a collaborative effort by local farms, breweries, and businesses involving beer and food prepared and served by the brewers and farmers of the county; the annual Rappahannock Farm Tour; the annual Artists of Rappahannock tour of artists’ studios; Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point races; the Amissville carnival and parade; Rappahannock Rough Ride for bicyclists; John Jackson Piedmont Blues festival; Fourth of July celebration and fireworks; and Christmas in Little Washington parade and festivities.

Recreation in Rappahannock County includes fishing, horseback riding, camping, hiking, and canoeing, particularly in Shenandoah National Park. The Sperryville Community Alliance has created two walking trails along the Thornton River. Three foxhunting associations are active in the county, the Rappahannock Hunt, the Old Dominion Hounds, and the Thornton Hill Hounds. Hunting is a popular activity, and in 2020 there were 23 bears and 1,848 white-tailed deer harvested in the county.<ref>Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources</ref>

The county is a popular tourist site. A 31-item Civil War Trails markers system is located throughout the county.