Editing Chester, Virginia

{{use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Chester, Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Chester_Station_Replica.jpg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = Chester Station replica in downtown Chester
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = VAMap-doton-Chester.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Chester, Virginia
|image_map1               =
|mapsize1                 =
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Virginia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Virginia|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = Bermuda District
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            =
|leader_name1             =
|established_title        =
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 34.4
|area_land_km2            = 34.1
|area_water_km2           = 0.3
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 23414	
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 53
|elevation_ft             = 174
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|21|12|N|77|26|9|W|region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 23831, 23836
|area_code                = [[Area code 804|804]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 51-16096<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1492754<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  =
|footnotes                =
}}
'''Chester''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield County]], [[Virginia]], United States. Per the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], the population was 23,414.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chester CDP, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US5116096|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 15, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Chester, Virginia Station on the Seaboard Air Line 1914.jpg|thumb|left|Chester, Virginia station on the Seaboard Air Line, 1914]]

Chester's original "downtown" was a stop which was an intersection of the [[Richmond and Petersburg Railroad]], running north to south, and the [[Clover Hill Railroad]], which became the [[Brighthope Railway]], then the [[Farmville and Powhatan Railroad]]. In 1900, when the Richmond and Petersburg merged with the [[Atlantic Coast Line Railroad|Atlantic Coast Line]], that new railroad intersected the same east west railroad which became the [[Tidewater and Western Railroad]] in 1905.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moving Forward…The Comprehensive Plan For Chesterfield County,CHAPTER 8: HISTORICAL & CULTURAL RESOURCES |url=http://www.chesterfield.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8589944296 |publisher=[[Chesterfield, Virginia]] |accessdate=19 April 2016 |archivedate=2016-04-13 |page=55 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413042643/http://www.chesterfield.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8589944296 }}</ref> 
 
The [[Seaboard Air Line]] also passed through in 1900 running north to south which to day is replaced with [[Chester Linear Park, (Chester, Virginia)|Chester Linear Park]]. Chester today is a [[Commuter town|bedroom community]] along [[Virginia State Route 10|State Route 10]]. Recent commercial development in Chester has emerged at the sprawling intersection of SR 10 and [[U.S. Route 1 in Virginia|U.S. Route 1]] ([[Jefferson Davis Highway]]) near the on-ramp to [[Interstate 95 in Virginia|Interstate 95]].

In April, 1781, during the [[American Revolution]], the Osborne's Landing area of Chester was the site of the [[Action at Osborne's]] in which General [[Benedict Arnold]] destroyed much of Virginia's navy.

In May, 1864, the Chester Station was the scene of the [[Battle of Chester Station]] during the [[Bermuda Hundred Campaign]] of the [[American Civil War]]. The area was damaged by [[Hurricane Isabel]] in 2003.

==Geography==
Chester is located at {{coord|37|21|12|N|77|26|9|W|type:city}} (37.353449, -77.435767).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|34.4|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|34.1|sqkm|order=flip}} is land, and {{convert|0.3|sqkm|order=flip}} (0.90%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Chester CDP, Virginia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=November 29, 2011 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1960 = 1290
| 1970 = 5556
| 1980 = 11728
| 1990 = 14986
| 2000 = 17890
| 2010 = 20987
| 2020 = 23414
| estref = 
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Chester CDP, Virginia – Demographic Profile'''<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')
!Race / Ethnicity
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chester CDP, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US5116096&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chester CDP, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US5116096&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|14,182
|13,025
|67.58%
|55.63%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|4,010
|5,644
|19.11%
|24.11%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|73
|57
|0.35%
|0.24%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|465
|493
|2.22%
|2.11%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|9
|20
|0.04%
|0.09%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|38
|167
|0.18%
|0.71%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|449
|973
|2.14%
|4.16%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,761
|3,035
|8.39%
|12.96%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''20,987'''
|'''23,414'''
|'''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.''

===2000 Census===
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 17,890 people, 6,727 households and 5,119 families residing in the CDP. The [[population density]] was {{convert|531.7|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|people|people|abbr=on}}. There were 6,951 housing units at an average density of {{convert|206.6|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|units|units|abbr=on}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 81.3% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 13.4% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.0% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 6,727 households, of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.

Age distribution was 28.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The [[median household income]] was $53,171, and the median family income was $60,632. Males had a median income of $44,167 versus $30,295 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $23,258. About 6.5% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Local media==
Chester was served by the local newspaper ''The Village News''. It ceased publication in December 2022.<ref>https://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/the-observer-ends-its-watch/ Retrieved April 7, 2024</ref> Chester is also in the [[Richmond-Petersburg]] media market served by the [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].

==Education==
Chester is served by [[Chesterfield County Public Schools]]. Students are also able to apply to [[Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology]] and [[Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies]].

Schools include [[Thomas Dale High School]], [[Matoaca High School]], [[L. C. Bird High School]], [[G.W. Carver Middle School (Chester, Virginia)|Carver Middle School]], Enon Elementary, Marguerite Christian Elementary, C.E. Curtis Elementary, C.C. Wells Elementary, Ecoff Elementary, Harrowgate Elementary, Elizabeth N. Scott Elementary, and Elizabeth Davis Middle School.

The city is also home to [[Brightpoint Community College]] (originally known as John Tyler Community College). During the 2020–21 school year, Brightpoint served nearly 13,000 students.

== Notable people ==
{{div col}}
* [[Will Bates]] (b. 1991) – soccer player<ref>{{Cite web |title= Will Bates |url=https://virginiasports.com/player/will-bates/ |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer|Virginia Cavaliers]]}}</ref>
* [[Roger Bothe]] (b. 1988) – soccer player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roger Bothe |url=https://tribeathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/roger-bothe/546 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[William & Mary Tribe men's soccer|William & Mary Tribe]]}}</ref>
* [[Nate Eaton]] (b. 1996) – [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nate Eaton |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/nate-eaton-681987 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Major League Baseball]]}}</ref>
* [[Jordan Evans (soccer)|Jordan Evans]] (b. 1987) – soccer player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jordan Evans Biography |url=http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1552484 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312094050/http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1552484 |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer|Virginia Cavaliers]]}}</ref>
* [[Ken Oxendine]] (b. 1975) – [[National Football League]] (NFL) player and educator<ref>{{Cite news |last=Luttenberger |first=Rich |title=Where are They Now? Catching up with Ken Oxendine Virginia Tech Running Back 1994-1997 (Part II) |url=https://sonsofsaturday.com/vt/articles/where-are-they-now-catching-up-with-ken-oxendine-virginia-tech-running-back-1994-1997-part-ii |access-date=January 9, 2025 |work=Sons of Saturday}}</ref>
* [[C. J. Reavis]] (b. 1995) – NFL and [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) player<ref>{{Cite web |title=C.J. Reavis |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/ReavC.00.htm |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Sports Reference|Pro Football Reference]]}}</ref>
* [[William C. Trueheart]] (1918–1992) – [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Nigeria|US ambassador to Nigeria]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Bart |date=December 24, 1992 |title=WILLIAM CLYDE TRUEHEART DIES |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/12/25/william-clyde-trueheart-dies/9554ef6c-bc28-4414-a568-be9ab57dcc94/ |access-date=January 9, 2025 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
* [[Chris Tyree]] (b. 2001) – [[College football|college football]] player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Tyree |url=https://virginiasports.com/player/chris-tyree/ |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Virginia Cavaliers football|Virginia Cavaliers]]}}</ref>
* [[Lacey Waldrop]] (b. 1993) – [[College softball|college softball]] player and coach<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lacey Waldrop – Assistant Coach – Staff Directory – Duke University |url=https://goduke.com/staff-directory/lacey-waldrop/112 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Duke Blue Devils]]}}</ref>
* [[Wyatt Tee Walker]] (1928–2018) – pastor, [[Civil and political rights|civil rights]] activist, [[Theology|theologian]], and [[Cultural history|cultural historian]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chesterfield honoring Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, a man who 'wanted to help everyone' |url=https://www.chesterfield.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=3148 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=[[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield County]]}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203204845/http://chesterfield.k12.va.us/ Chesterfield County Schools]
*[http://www.villagenewsonline.com ''Village News'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101229171042/http://chesterva.net/ Chester Business Directory & Connections]

{{Chesterfield County, Virginia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Virginia]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Chesterfield County, Virginia]]