Editing Parksley, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Parksley, Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Town (Virginia)|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Dunne Avenue, Parksley, VA, August 2014.JPG
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Dunne Avenue and Bennett Street, the commercial center of Parksley
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Accomack County Virginia incorporated and unincorporated areas Parksley highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack County]] and the state of [[Virginia]].

<!-- 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        = [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack]]

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

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.62
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.62
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 842
|population_density_sq_mi = 1311.69

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = −5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −4
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 43
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|47|6|N|75|39|15|W|region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 23421
|area_code                = [[Area codes 757 and 948|757, 948]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 51-60680<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1497072<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1497072}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2019
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse"/>
|population_est = 808
|area_total_km2 = 1.60
|area_land_km2 = 1.60
|area_water_km2 = 0.00
|population_density_km2 = 506.15
}}
'''Parksley''' is a town in [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack County]], [[Virginia]], United States. The population was 842 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Parksley town, Virginia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 5, 2012 }}</ref> It is home to the [[Eastern Shore Railway Museum]].

==Geography==
Parksley is located at {{coord|37|47|6|N|75|39|15|W|type:city}} (37.785078, -75.654222).<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>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]] the town has a total area of 0.6&nbsp;square mile (1.6&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), all  land.

It lies at an elevation of 43 feet.<ref name=gnis/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1920= 601
|1930= 697
|1940= 701
|1950= 883
|1960= 850
|1970= 903
|1980= 979
|1990= 779
|2000= 837
|2010= 842
|estyear=2019
|estimate=808
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] there were 837 people, 363 households, and 226 families living in the town. The human population density was 1,368.5 people per square mile (529.8/km{{sup|2}}). There were 405 housing units at an average density of 662.2 per square mile (256.3/km{{sup|2}}).  The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the town was 82.20% White, 10.75% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 4.30% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.65%.<ref name="GR2" />

Of the 363 households 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.8% of households were one person and 18.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.87.

The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the town was $35,313, and the median family income was $45,227. Males had a median income of $30,909 versus $21,538 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,855. About 4.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

== History ==
[[File:Depot at Eastern Shore Railway Museum, Parksley, VA, August 2014.jpg|thumb|left|The former Hopeton railroad station, now restored in Parksley as part of the Eastern Shore Railway Museum]]
The history of Parksley is directly tied to the arrival of the [[New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad|New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk [NYP&N] Railroad]] on Virginia's Eastern Shore in the mid-1880s. When the rail line connecting the lower [[Delmarva Peninsula]] to the markets of the northeast was built in 1884, several new towns were created along its route which bypassed many of the shore's older established communities. Parksley was the second such planned town on the Virginia shore (after [[Cape Charles, Virginia|Cape Charles]] at the railroad's southern terminus in [[Northampton County, Virginia|Northampton County]]) and was laid out in 1885 under the management of the Parksley Land Improvement Company.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turman|first1=Nora Miller|title=The Eastern Shore of Virginia 1603-1964|date=1964|publisher=The Eastern Shore News, Inc.|location=Onancock, VA| page=203}}</ref> In 1898, town leaders made an unsuccessful attempt to relocate the county seat from [[Accomac, Virginia|Accomac]] to the Parksley.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turman|first1=Nora Miller|title=The Eastern Shore of Virginia 1603-1964|date=1964|publisher=The Eastern Shore News, Inc.|location=Onancock, VA| page=208}}</ref> The town was incorporated in 1904. During the first half of the 20th century, Parksley became an important shipping point for seafood and agricultural products harvested from the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in Accomack County.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bennett|first1=H.R.|title=Parksley|url=http://www.esva.net/ghotes/history/ghotes1a.htm|website=Eastern Shore History: Parksley Virginia in 1929|publisher=Ghotes of Virginia}}</ref> During World War II, Parksley was the site of the Shore National Guard Armory and its airfield was utilized by the [[Civil Air Patrol]], part of military reconnaissance activities guarding the east coast of the United States against possible German invasion.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turman|first1=Nora Miller|title=The Eastern Shore of Virginia 1603-1964|date=1964|publisher=The Eastern Shore News, Inc.|location=Onancock, VA| page=243}}</ref> Parksley was home to the [[Parksley Spuds]], a team which played in the [[Eastern Shore Baseball League]].

As of 2021, Parksley has had most of its historic train tracks removed. The removal was approved by the company Canonie Atlantic Co., despite the protests of some locals and [[New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Alkin|first1=Maddie|title=Virginia Shore railroad tracks are disappearing. Is removal the right track?|url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2021/11/03/railroad-tracks-removed-eastern-shore-virginia-some-hold-hope-revitalize-economy-canonie-atlantic/8581287002/|website=delmarva now|publisher=Salisbury Daily Times}}</ref> The removal was approved; the only remaining train tracks in Parksley are associated with the Eastern Shore Railway Museum.

==Economy==
The local economy of Parksley is dominated by the [[agriculture]] industry; both [[Perdue Farms]] and [[Tyson Foods]] operate large [[chicken]] processing facilities in Parksley.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dreier |first=Hannah |date=September 18, 2023 |title=The Kids on the Night Shift |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/magazine/child-labor-dangerous-jobs.html |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Transportation==
===Major highway===
*{{jct|state=VA|VA|176}}

===Public transportation===
[[STAR Transit (Virginia)|STAR Transit]] provides [[public transit]] services, linking Parksley with [[Onley, Virginia|Onley]], [[Oak Hall, Virginia|Oak Hall]], and other communities in Accomack and [[Northampton County, Virginia|Northampton]] counties.

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.parksley.com Welcome to Parksley Virginia]
*[http://www.easternshorevisitor.com/parksley.html Parksley, Virginia] at ''Eastern Shore Visitor''

{{Accomack County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Accomack County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1885]]
[[Category:1885 establishments in Virginia]]