Editing Washington County, Virginia

{{short description|County in Virginia, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county    = Washington County
 | state              = Virginia
 | flag                 = Flag of Washington County, Virginia.png
 | seal                 = Washington County, Virginia seal.png
 | founded              = 1776
 | seat wl            = Abingdon
 | largest city wl    = Abingdon
 | city type            = town
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 566
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 561
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 5.0
 | area percentage      = 0.9
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 53935 {{loss}}
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 
 | density_sq_mi        = 95
 | web        = www.washcova.com
 | ex image             = WashingtonCountyVACourthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Washington County Courthouse
 | ex image size        = 200px
 | time zone           = Eastern
 | district             = 9th
 | named for            = [[George Washington]] }}

'''Washington County''' is a [[county (United States)|county]] located in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] of [[Virginia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census]], the population was 53,935.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Washington County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US51191|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Washington County is part of the [[Kingsport, Tennessee|Kingsport]]–[[Bristol, Tennessee|Bristol]]–[[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]], [[Tennessee|TN]]-VA [[Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA MSA|Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is a component of the [[Johnson City, Tennessee|Johnson City]]–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA [[Combined Statistical Area]], commonly known as the "[[Tri-Cities, Tennessee|Tri-Cities]]" region, which includes Bristol TN-VA, Kingsport TN, and Johnson City TN.

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
For thousands of years, indigenous peoples of varying cultures lived in the area. At the time of European massacre, the [[Chiska]] had a chief village near what is now [[Saltville, Virginia|Saltville]], destroyed by the Spaniards in 1568. The [[Cherokee]] annexed the region from the [[Xualae]] around 1671, and ceded it to the [[Virginia Colony]] in 1770 at the [[Treaty of Lochaber]].

The county was formed by Virginians in 1776 from [[Fincastle County, Virginia|Fincastle County]]. It was named for [[George Washington]], who was then [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Continental Army]]. Washington County is among the first geographical regions to be named after the president of the United States.

Washington County was raided by the [[Chickamauga Cherokee]] during the [[Cherokee–American wars]]. In July 1776, Chief [[Dragging Canoe]] led an attack on Black's Fort (renamed Abingdon in 1778). The area remained prone to attack until after Chickamauga leader [[Bob Benge]] was brutally taken over by Europeans with ammunition in 1794.

As with many other frontier counties, the boundaries and territory changed over the years. In 1786 the northwestern part of Washington County became [[Russell County, Virginia|Russell County]]. In 1814 the western part of what remained of Washington County was combined with parts of [[Lee County, Virginia|Lee]] and [[Russell County, Virginia|Russell]] counties to form [[Scott County, Virginia|Scott County]]. In 1832 the northeastern part of Washington was combined with part of [[Wythe County, Virginia|Wythe County]] to form [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]]. Finally, with the incorporation of the town of Goodson as the [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]] of [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]] in 1890, Washington County assumed its present size.

On January 27, 2025, [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[JD Vance]] and [[Governor of Virginia|Governor]] [[Glenn Youngkin]] visited Washington County to meet with survivors of [[Hurricane Helene]] and review the recovery progress.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=VP |number=1884298327413645665 |title=It was a moving experience yesterday hearing the stories of Virginians who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cain |first=Andrew |date=January 27, 2025 |title=Virginia Politics Insider: Vance on the road to Damascus |url=https://richmond.com/virginia-politics-insider-vance-on-the-road-to-damascus/article_6c3a91a2-dc48-11ef-873c-57ed2835ec14.html |access-date=May 1, 2025 |newspaper=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]}}</ref>

[[File:WashingtonCountyVA.jpg|thumb|right|A farm in Washington County, Virginia]]

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|566|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|561|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|5|sqmi|km2}} (0.9%) 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> Washington County is one of the 423 counties served by the [[Appalachian Regional Commission]],<ref name="ARC">{{cite web |title=About the Appalachian Region |url=https://www.arc.gov/about-the-appalachian-region/ |publisher=Appalachian Regional Commission |access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref> and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book ''[[American Nations|American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America]]''.<ref name="NYT_CW">{{cite news |last1=Woodard |first1=Colin |title=The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/urban-rural-united-states-regions-midterms.html |work=New York Times |date=July 30, 2018 |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref>

===Districts===
The county is divided into seven magisterial districts: Harrison, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Taylor, Tyler, and Wilson.

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]] - northeast
* [[Grayson County, Virginia|Grayson County]] - east-southeast
* [[Johnson County, Tennessee]] - south
* [[Sullivan County, Tennessee]] - southwest
* [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol (City)]] - southwest
* [[Scott County, Virginia|Scott County]] - west
* [[Russell County, Virginia|Russell County]] - northwest

===National protected areas===
* [[Jefferson National Forest]] (part)
* [[Mount Rogers National Recreation Area]] (part)

===Major highways===
* {{jct|state=VA|I|81}}
* {{jct|state=VA|US|11}}
* {{jct|state=VA|US|19}}
* {{jct|state=VA|US|58}}
* {{jct|state=VA|US-Alt|58}}
* {{jct|state=VA|US|421}}
* {{jct|state=VA|SR|75}}
* {{jct|state=VA|SR|80}}
* {{jct|state=VA|SR|91}}
* {{jct|state=VA|Sec|617}}
* {{jct|state=VA|Sec|625}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 5625
|1800= 9536
|1810= 12156
|1820= 12444
|1830= 15614
|1840= 13001
|1850= 14612
|1860= 16892
|1870= 16816
|1880= 25203
|1890= 29020
|1900= 28995
|1910= 32830
|1920= 32376
|1930= 33850
|1940= 38197
|1950= 37536
|1960= 38076
|1970= 40835
|1980= 46487
|1990= 45887
|2000= 51103
|2010= 54876
|2020= 53935
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref><br /> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Washington County, 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) - Washington County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51191&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) - Washington County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51191&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|52,798
|50,338
|96.21%
|93.33%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|686
|651
|1.25%
|1.21%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|90
|91
|0.16%
|0.17%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|202
|334
|0.37%
|0.62%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|6
|0
|0.01%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|21
|134
|0.04%
|0.25%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|349
|1,496
|0.64%
|2.77%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|724
|891
|1.32%
|1.65%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''54,876'''
|'''53,935'''
|'''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===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|91|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of {{convert|41|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.56% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 1.32% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.11% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.27% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.14% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 21,056 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,742, and the median income for a family was $40,162. Males had a median income of $30,104 versus $21,307 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $18,350. About 8.10% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==

===Colleges===
* [[Emory and Henry College]], Emory
* [[Virginia Highlands Community College]], [[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]]
* [[Virginia Intermont College]], [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]] (closed 2014) ** Portion ** The main VIC campus was located in the City of Bristol, however the Equestrian Center (now part of Emory & Henry College) is located in Washington County.

===Public high schools===
* [[Abingdon High School (Virginia)|Abingdon High School]], [[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]]
* [[Holston High School]], [[Damascus, Virginia|Damascus]]
* [[John S. Battle High School]], [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]]
* [[Patrick Henry-Glade Spring|Patrick Henry High School]], [[Glade Spring, Virginia|Glade Spring]]

==Communities==
===Towns===
[[File:ScenicWashingtonCoVa.jpg|thumb|Farmland in Washington County near [[Friendship, Virginia|Friendship]] and [[Wideners Valley]]]]
* [[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]]
* [[Damascus, Virginia|Damascus]]
* [[Glade Spring, Virginia|Glade Spring]]
* [[Saltville, Virginia|Saltville]] (Partially in [[Smyth County]])

===Census-designated places===
* [[Emory, Virginia|Emory]]
* [[Meadowview, Virginia|Meadowview]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
* [[Alvarado, Virginia|Alvarado]]
* [[Azen, Virginia|Azen]]
* [[Bethel, Washington County, Virginia|Bethel]]
* [[Blackwell, Virginia|Blackwell]]
* [[Clinchburg, Virginia|Clinchburg]]
* [[Friendship, Virginia|Friendship]]
* [[Goose Pimple Junction, Virginia|Goose Pimple Junction]]
* [[Greendale, Virginia|Greendale]]
* [[Green Spring, Washington County, Virginia|Green Spring]]
* [[Hayter, Virginia|Hayter]]
* [[Holston, Virginia|Holston]]
* [[Konnarock, Virginia|Konnarock]]
* [[Lindell, Virginia|Lindell]]
* [[Lodi, Virginia|Lodi]]
* [[Mendota, Virginia|Mendota]]
* [[Osecola, Virginia|Osecola]]
* [[Plasterco, Virginia|Plasterco]]
* [[Taylors Valley, Virginia|Taylors Valley]]
* [[Wyndale, Virginia|Wyndale]]

Several unincorporated portions of the county have Bristol addresses.

==Notable people==
* [[Frederick C. Boucher]], Member of Congress
* [[Red Byron]], race car driver
* [[David Campbell (Virginia politician)|David Campbell]], Governor of Virginia
* [[John Buchanan Floyd]], Governor of Virginia, U.S. Secretary of War and C.S.A. general
* [[Robert William Hughes]], lawyer, newspaper publisher, U.S. District Court judge
* [[John Warfield Johnston]], lawyer, judge, U.S. Senator
* [[Barbara Kingsolver]], writer and novelist
* [[Joseph Meek]], American frontiersman
* [[William Frank Newton]], jazz musician
* [[John E. Reinhardt]], Ambassador to Nigeria, Director of the U.S. Information Agency and Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
* [[Wyndham Robertson]], Governor of Virginia 
* [[Connally Findlay Trigg]]. Member of Congress
* [[Hiram Emory Widener, Jr.]], U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals judge
* [[Boogie2988|Steven Jason Williams]], better known by his alias [[Boogie2988]], an American YouTube personality born in [[Abingdon, Virginia]]. He was raised in St. Paul.

==Governance and politics==
===Presidential election results===
Washington County is politically conservative, voting for the [[Republican Party (USA)|Republican]] nominee in every presidential election since [[1968 United States presidential election in Virginia|1968]].
{{PresHead|place=Washington County, Virginia|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|22,455|6,772|291|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|21,679|6,617|389|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|19,320|5,553|973|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|18,141|7,076|415|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|16,077|8,063|360|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|14,749|7,339|426|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|12,064|7,549|609|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|9,098|6,939|2,132|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|9,150|7,269|2,576|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|10,722|5,819|358|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|12,132|5,573|121|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|8,402|6,390|805|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|6,865|6,547|603|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|8,805|3,028|278|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|6,665|3,243|3,121|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|4,146|5,070|10|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|4,473|3,833|41|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|4,651|3,547|52|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,810|2,778|11|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,972|2,510|211|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|2,792|2,849|23|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,697|3,245|34|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|2,047|2,595|12|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,774|2,784|69|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,449|2,666|0|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|2,848|3,083|90|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,672|2,251|12|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,717|1,863|9|Virginia}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|590|1,721|1,004|Virginia}}

===Governance===
====Federal====
Virginia is represented in the [[U.S. Senate]] by [[Democratic Party (USA)|Democrats]] [[Tim Kaine]] and [[Mark Warner]]. Washington County is located in the state's [[Virginia's 9th congressional district|9th congressional district]], represented by Republican [[Morgan Griffith]].
====State Legislature====
Washington County is represented in the [[Virginia Senate|State Senate]] by Republican [[Todd Pillion]] of the [[Virginia's 6th Senate district|6th district]] and in the [[Virginia House of Delegates|House of Delegates]] by Republican [[Israel O'Quinn]] in the [[Virginia's 44th House of Delegates district|44th district]].
====County====
Like many counties in Virginia, the county has an elected [[board of supervisors]].

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Virginia]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.washcova.com/ Washington County government official website]
* [http://www.wcs.k12.va.us/ Washington County Virginia Public Schools]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051227074834/http://washingtonvachamber.org/area.htm Washington County Virginia Chamber of Commerce]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070313021255/http://216.184.85.84/gis_public_testing/htdocs/ Washington County Virginia GIS (Geographic Information Systems)]
* [http://www.mrpdc.org/ Mount Rogers Planning District]
* [http://www.bartertheatre.com/ Barter Theater (State Theater of Virginia)]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Washington County, Virginia
|North     =
|Northeast = [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]]
|East      = [[Grayson County, Virginia|Grayson County]]
|Southeast = [[Johnson County, Tennessee]]
|South     =
|Southwest = [[Bristol, Virginia|City of Bristol]] and [[Sullivan County, Tennessee]]
|West      = [[Scott County, Virginia|Scott County]]
|Northwest = [[Russell County, Virginia|Russell County]]
}}

{{Washington County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia}}

{{coord|36.72|-81.96|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Washington County, Virginia| ]]
[[Category:Virginia counties]]
[[Category:1776 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1776]]