Editing Orange County, Virginia (section)

==Geography==
{{Location map+ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
| caption =
| width=400
| places =
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.110254
    | lon_deg =-78.376743
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.14
    | lon_deg =-78.012808
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Greene County, Virginia|Greene]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =bottom
    | lat_deg =38.3
    | lon_deg =-78.47
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Page County, Virginia|Page]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =bottom
    | lat_deg =38.79
    | lon_deg =-78.35
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Madison County, Virginia|Madison]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.41
    | lon_deg =-78.28
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Rappahannock County, Virginia|Rappahannock]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.6925163
    | lon_deg = -78.4170725
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=5
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.08
    | lon_deg = -78.479
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Fauquier County, Virginia|Fauquier]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.74
    | lon_deg =-77.81
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=5
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.751415
    | lon_deg =-77.47
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Manassas Park, Virginia|Manassas{{nbsp}}Park]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=5
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.773564
    | lon_deg =-77.46
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince{{nbsp}}William]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.7
    | lon_deg =-77.48
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Spotsylvania County, Virginia|Spotsylvania]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.18
    | lon_deg =-77.65
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Stafford County, Virginia|Stafford]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.41
    | lon_deg =-77.45
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=5
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.301829
    | lon_deg =-77.470778
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.49
    | lon_deg =-77.96
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =Orange
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.24
    | lon_deg =-78.01
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[Caroline County, Virginia|Caroline]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.03
    | lon_deg =-77.35
    }}
  {{Location map~ | Charlottesville to Merrifield
    | label =[[King George County, Virginia|King{{nbsp}}George]]
    | label_size=100
    | marksize=0
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.26
    | lon_deg =-77.18
    }}
}}

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|343|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|341|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.5|sqmi}} (0.7%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> The terrain is characterized by rolling hills, generally increasing in altitude and slope as they continue westward toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. The highest point is Cowherd Mountain at {{convert|1,196|ft|m|abbr=on}}, approximately {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} northwest of Gordonsville.<ref>Orange County 2009 Comprehensive Plan. Retrieved July 26, 2013. {{cite web |url=http://orangecountyva.gov/index.aspx?nid=328 |title=Orange County, VA - Official Website - Comprehensive Plan |access-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820185415/http://orangecountyva.gov/index.aspx?nid=328 |archive-date=August 20, 2013 }}</ref>

Orange County lies within the watersheds of both the [[Rappahannock River]] and the [[York River (Virginia)|York River]], both of which drain into the [[Chesapeake Bay]].<ref>Virginia Watersheds. Retrieved July 26, 2013. {{cite web |url=http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/sol/watersheds.asp |title=Virginia Watersheds |access-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813125101/http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/sol/watersheds.asp |archive-date=August 13, 2013 }}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Madison County, Virginia|Madison County]] – northwest
* [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper County]] – north
* [[Spotsylvania County, Virginia|Spotsylvania County]] – east
* [[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa County]] – south
* [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle County]] – southwest
* [[Greene County, Virginia|Greene County]] – west

===Waterbodies===
* [[Rapidan River|The Rapidan River]] defines the northern boundary of the county
* Lake Orange – a 124-acre public lake southeast of the Town of Orange
* [[Lake of the Woods, Virginia]] includes 500 acres, The 500-acre Main Lake and smaller Keaton's Lake is a 35-acre impoundment of Lake of the Woods

===Nationally protected areas===
* [[Wilderness Battlefield|The Wilderness Battlefield]] in the eastern portion of the county lies within the [[Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park|Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park]]