User:Leakeyroof/VA County Descriptions

Prior Nebraska Description
The County was named for John Adams. The County has Natchez as its seat and the County was created 1799. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

Accomack Description
Accomack County is located on the Northernmost portion of Virginia's Eastern Shore and was created in 1634 as one of the eight original counties of the Commonwealth. The county’s name comes from the Native American word Accawmack, meaning “the other shore”. Accomack is the County seat.

Albemarle Description
Albemarle County is located in the Central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1744 by an act of the General Assembly. It was named in honor of William Ann Keppel, second Earl of Albemarle, who was then governor of the colony. The County seat was moved to Charlottesville which was established as a city in 1888.

Alleghany Description
Alleghany County is located on the far Western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia and took its name from the mountain range on which it borders. It was formed by act of Virginia Legislature on January 5, 1822 from parts of Botetourt, Bath, and Monroe counties. Covington is the County seat.

Amelia Description
Amelia County is located in the Central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia just west of the state's capital of Richmond. It was created in 1735 from portions of Prince George and Brunswick Counties and named in honor of Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II. Amelia Courthouse is the County seat.

Amherst Description
Amherst County is located in the Piedmont region near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1761 from the southern half of Albemarle County in honor of Lord Jeffery Amherst, British Commander-in-Chief. Amherst is the County seat.

Appomattox Description
Appomattox County is located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was created in 1845 when Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte and Campbell Counties each surrendered portions of their territory for a new county. The area was named after the Appamatuck people who were shown on Captain John Smith's map of 1612 and the name eventually evolved into "Appomattox". Appomattox is the County seat.

Arlington Description
Arlington County is a jurisdiction of 25.8 square miles located across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. The County was originally part of the ten-mile square surveyed in 1791 for the Nation’s Capital. From 1801 to 1847, what are now Arlington and a portion of the City of Alexandria were known as Alexandria County, District of Columbia. In 1847, at the request of the local residents, Congress retroceded Alexandria County to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The name “Arlington” was chosen because General Robert E. Lee’s home of that name is located in the County, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is the County seat.

Augusta Description
Augusta County is located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and was created on November 1, 1738 when Orange County was divided. Augusta County was named for the Princess of Wales. Staunton is the County seat.

Bath Description
Bath County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. It was established in 1745 and named for England's resort City of Bath because it, too, is the home to a number of warm mineral springs. The County Seat is located in Warm Springs, Virginia.

Bedford Description
Bedford County is located in the Western Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1754 from Lunenburg County in honor of John Russell, The Fourth Duke of Bedford. Bedford is the County seat.

Bland Description
Bland County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. Bland County was established by an Act passed by the State General Assembly on March 30, 1861 and was named after Richard Bland, a leader of Colonial Virginia. Bland is the County seat.

Botetourt Description
Botetourt County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was created by an Act of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769. It is named after popular governor Lord Botetourt, who was regarded as the best of Governors and best of men. Fincastle is the County seat.

Brunswick Description
Brunswick County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the North Carolina border and was named for the House of Brunswick which had assumed the English throne in 1714.

Buchanan Description
Buchanan County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is the only county to border West Virginia and Kentucky. The County was named after the 15th U.S. President, James Buchanan.

Buckingham Description
Buckingham County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the origin of its name is unknown. Some surmise it was named for either a person or place in England; it is the only Buckingham County in the United States.

Campbell Description
Campbell County is located in the Piedmont area of the Commonwealth of Virginia was named for General William Campbell, the Revolutionary War hero famous for his leadership in defeating the Tories and Loyalists at the Battle of King’s Mountain in the Carolinas.

Caroline Description
Caroline County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named in honor of Caroline of Ansbach, wife of the then reigning King, George II of Great Britain.

Carroll Description
Carroll County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Carroll County was officially named in honor of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Charles City Description
Charles City County is located in the East-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of the original eight shires of the Virginia Colony. The Charles City shire was named for the English King's son, Charles, who later became King Charles I.

Charlotte Description
Charlotte County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain.

Chesterfield Description
Chesterfield County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Philip Dormer Stanhope, Fourth Earl of Chesterfield, a prominent English statesman who had been the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Clarke Description
Clarke County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Clarke County was named for revolutionary war hero, George Rogers Clark.

Craig Description
Craig County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. Craig was formed in 1851 from parts of six neighboring counties. Craig County was named for Robert Craig, a 19th-century Virginia congressman. New Castle is the County seat.

Culpeper Description
Culpeper County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named after Thomas Culpeper, second baron Culpeper of Thoresway, a governor of Virginia (1677–1683).

Cumberland Description
Cumberland County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, second son of King George II of Great Britain.

Dickenson Description
Dickenson County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with Kentucky. The County was named for Delegate William J. Dickenson, who sponsored the bill in the House of Delegates to establish the 100th county.

Dinwiddie Description
Dinwiddie County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, 1751-1758.

Essex Description
Essex County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named either for the shire or county in England or for the Duke of Essex.

Fairfax Description
Fairfax County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The County was named for Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

Fauquier Description
Fauquier County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The County was named for Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Virginia from 1758 to 1768.

Floyd Description
Floyd County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for then Governor John Floyd.

Fluvanna Description
Fluvanna County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the Fluvanna River, the name given to the James River west of Columbia, Virginia. Fluvanna means "Annie's River" in honor of Queen Anne of England.

Franklin Description
Franklin County lies in the Western Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia was formed in 1786 from parts of Bedford and Henry Counties by an act of the General Assembly. It was named for Benjamin Franklin, the governor of Pennsylvania, where many settlers originated. Rocky Mount is the County seat.

Frederick Description
Frederick County is located in the Northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with West Virginia. The County was named after the Prince of Wales.

Giles Description
Giles County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. Giles County was formed on May 1, 1806 by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly that was passed on January 16, 1806. It was named for William Branch Giles, United States Senator from Virginia at that time. It was formed from the Counties of Montgomery, Monroe (now in West Virginia), and Tazewell. Pearisburg is the County seat.

Gloucester Description
Gloucester County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed from York County (one of the original Virginia Colony counties) in 1651. It was named for Henry, Duke of Gloucester, third son of Charles I. Gloucester Courthouse is the County seat.

Goochland Description
Goochland County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia just west of the City of Richmond. It was formed from Henrico County in 1727, Henrico being one of the original eight shires in which the Colony was divided after being established on Jamestown Island. Goochland was the first subdivision of Henrico's "Shire" lines of 1634. The new County of Goochland was named for its creator, the Colonial Governor William Gooch. Goochland is the County seat.

Grayson Description
Grayson County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with North Carolina. Grayson County was named for William Grayson one of Virginia’s first two senators, and was formed in 1793. Independence is the County seat.

Greene Description
Greene County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed from Orange County in 1838 by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly. The new county was given the name of Greene in honor of Nathanael Greene who gained fame in the Revolutionary War as second-in-command to General George Washington. Stanardsville is the County seat in honor of William Stanard who developed a large portion of Green County in the 1700s.

Greensville Description
Greensville County is located in the Southeastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Greensville County was probably named for Sir Richard Grenville, leader of the settlement on Roanoke Island, 1585. There is also belief that it may be named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army and one of George Washington's brightest officers. .

Halifax Description
Halifax County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Halifax County was named for the Second Earl of Halifax, George Montagu Dunk, a friend of Virginia’s colonial governor Robert Dinwiddie.

Hanover Description
Hanover County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia just north of the City of Richmond. Hanover County was officially formed on November 26, 1720 from the area of New Kent County called St. Paul's Parish and was named for King George I of England, who was Elector of Hannover in Germany when he came to the throne. Hanover is the County seat.

Henrico Description
Henrico County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia, bordering the City of Richmond on the west. In 1634, Virginia was divided into eight shires, or counties, one being Henrico and it was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James I of England. Henrico is the County seat

Henry Description
Henry County is located in the Southern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Henry County was named in honor of Patrick Henry, who was then serving as the first Governor of Virginia.

Highland Description
Highland County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with West Virginia. It is often referred to as "Virginia's Switzerland" and the County received its name from its prevailing high altitude.

Isle of Wight Description
Isle of Wight County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named after the island in the English channel of the same name.

James City Description
James City County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was one of the eight original shires of the Virginia Colony. James City County took its name from King James I, the father of the then-king, Charles I.

King and Queen Description
King and Queen County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia about 50 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. It was formed from New Kent County in 1691. King and Queen County was named after King William III and Queen Mary of England. King and Queen Courthouse is the County seat.

King George Description
King George County is located in the Northeastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the Rappahannock River. It was formed in 1720 from the upper part of Richmond County and named for King George I. King George is the County seat.

King William Description
King William County is located in the East-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the Middle Peninsula, one of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Formed as a new county from King & Queen County, King William County was established by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly on April 11, 1702. The County was named for King William III, King of England, Scotland and Ireland from April 11, 1689 to March 19, 1702. King William Courthouse is the County seat.

Lancaster Description
Lancaster County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia bounded on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and to the south and west by the Rappahannock River. Lancaster County was named for its counterpart county in England.

Lee Description
Lee County is located in the far Southwestern corner of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares borders with Kentucky and Tennessee. Lee County is named for Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia, 1791-1794.

Loudoun Description
Loudoun County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shares a border with Maryland and is included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The County is named for John Campbell, Fourth Earl of Loudoun, a Scottish nobleman who served as Commander-in-Chief for all British armed forces in North America and titular Governor of Virginia from 1756 to 1768.

Louisa Description
Louisa County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1742 from Hanover County in honor of Princess Louisa, daughter of King George II and Queen Caroline of England. Louisa is the County seat.

Lunenburg Description
Lunenburg County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the former Duchy of Brunswick-Lünenburg.

Madison Description
Madison County is located in the North-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the Madison family that owned a tract of land along the Rapidan River. This family produced one of our nation’s early presidents, James Madison.

Matthews Description
Matthews County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, then speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Mecklenburg Description
Mecklenburg County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Mecklenburg County was named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III.

Middlesex Description
Middlesex County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was more than likely named for its English county equivalent.

Montgomery Description
Montgomery County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general.

Nelson Description
Nelson County is located in the West-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the third Governor of Virginia, Thomas Nelson, Jr.

New Kent Description
New Kent County is a county located in the Eastern part the Commonwealth of Virginia. Named for Kent in England, the County was formed in 1654, by the House of Burgesses when it was carved from what was then York County. New Kent is the County seat.

Northampton Description
Northampton County is located at the Southern end of Virginia's Eastern Shore (also called the Delmarva Peninsula), cradled by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. The County was one of the original eight shires of Virginia established in 1634 and renamed by the English in 1642. Eastville is the County seat.

Northumberland Description
Northumberland County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named after County Northumberland, England.

Nottoway Description
Nottoway County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe.

Orange Description
Orange County is located in the North-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named after William IV, Prince of Orange.

Page Description
Page County is located in the Northwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for John Page, Governor of Virginia, 1802-1805.

Patrick Description
Patrick County is located in the Southern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Patrick County was named in honor of Patrick Henry.

Pittsylvania Description
Pittsylvania is the largest county (per square miles) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is situated in the South-Central Piedmont plateau region. The County was formed in 1767 from Halifax County and was named for William Pitt, First Earl of Chatham, a British Statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Chatham is the County seat.

Powhatan Description
Originally settled by French Huguenots in the early 1700s, Powhatan County was created by The Virginia General Assembly in 1777. The County was named in honor of the Indian Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas. Powhatan County is located in the Central portion of the state, 20 miles west of Richmond, the Commonwealth's capital. Powhatan is the County seat.

Prince Edward Description
Prince Edward County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1753 from Amelia County. The County was named after Prince Edward Augustus, fourth son and fifth child of King George III who reigned throughout the Revolutionary War. The original County seat was in the village of Worsham where the first Clerk of Court office still stands but in 1871 the County seat was moved to Farmville which was formed in 1798.

Prince George Description
Prince George County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia just south of Richmond and was named for Prince George of Denmark, the husband of England's Queen Anne. The County was formed from the part of Charles City County that was divided by the James River. Charles City County consisted of land on both sides of the James River; when it became inconvenient for the settlers on the south side of the James to make the water crossing for monthly court visits, the Virginia General Assembly declared the lands on the south side of the river to be Prince George County. The County was officially established in 1703. Prince George is the County seat.

Prince William Description
Prince William is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The Virginia General Assembly formed the County in 1730 naming it after the second son of England's King George II. Manassas is the County seat.

Pulaski Description
Pulaski County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is known as the heart of the New River Valley. The County was created from portions of Montgomery and Wythe Counties on March 30, 1839 and was named in honor of Count Casimir Pulaski, an exiled Polish nobleman, who came to the colonies in 1777 to join Washington's army. Pulaski is the County seat.

Rappahannock Description
Rappahannock County was formed from Culpeper County by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1833 and named for the Rappahannock River. It is located in the Piedmont Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington is the County seat.

Richmond Description
Richmond County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is no consensus on the origin of Richmond County’s name, but it has been accepted that the county was named for the First Duke of Richmond, cousin to King William and Queen Mary.

Roanoke Description
Roanoke County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and in 1838 the County was carved out of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties. Roanoke County's name comes from the Indian word "Rawrenock," which means wampum. These were white shell beads worn by native Americans. Salem is the County seat.

Rockbridge Description
Rockbridge County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Natural Bridge, one of the wonders of the Western World.

Rockingham Description
Rockingham County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with West Virginia. The County was named for the Marquis of Rockingham, a British statesman sympathetic with the American Revolution.

Russell Description
Russell County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1786 from Washington County. It was named for Colonel William Russell who fought with Daniel Boone in 1774 when he was only 16 to protect early settlements. Lebanon is the County seat.

Scott Description
Scott County is located along the Tennessee border in the corner of Southwest Virginia and was formed from Washington, Lee, and Russell Counties. It was established by an Act of the Virginia General Assemby on November 24, 1814 and named after General Winfield Scott. Gate City is the County seat.

Shenandoah Description
Shenandoah County is located in the Northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with West Virginia. Shenandoah County was formed in 1772 from Spotsylvania and Orange Counties and was initially named Dunmore County. Woodstock is the County seat.

Smyth Description
Smyth County is in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Alexander Smyth, a general during the War of 1812.

Southampton Description
Southampton County is in the Southeastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Southampton County may have been named for Southampton, a major city in England, or for Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, one of the founders of the Virginia Company and a supporter of colonization in North America.

Spotsylvania Description
Spotsylvania County was formed in 1721 and was named for Alexander Spotswood, lieutenant governor of the Virginia colony from 1710 to 1720. Spotsylvania is located midway between the Nation’s capital of Washington, DC and the Commonwealth’s capital of Richmond. Spotsylvania is the County seat.

Stafford Description
Stafford County was formed from parts of Alexandria (City), Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County and Westmoreland County on September 27, 1664. It was named after Staffordshire England. Stafford County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Stafford is the County seat.

Surry Description
Surry County was formed in 1652 from a portion of James City County and was named for the English County of Surrey. Surry County is located across the James River from the historic sites of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown and is centrally located between the Commonwealth's capital of Richmond and the Hampton Roads. Surry is the County seat.

Sussex Description
Sussex County was formed from Surry County by an Act of the Virginia Legislature in 1754 and is located in the Eastern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was named after Sussex County, England and Sussex is the County seat.

Tazewell Description
Tazewell County was formed from Russell and Wythe Counties in 1799 and named in honor of Senator Henry Tazewell who made the motion to create the county. Tazewell lies in the Southwest Appalachian area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Tazewell is the County seat.

Warren Description
Warren County was formed from parts of Frederick and Shenandoah Counties on March 9, 1836 by the Virginia General Assembly and was named after Dr. Joseph Warren, one of the earliest Founding Fathers of America. It is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Front Royal is the County seat.

Washington Description
Washington County was formed when the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in December, 1776 which abolished Fincastle County and created three new counties - one of which was Washington. The county was named in honor of General George Washington who was commander in chief of the American Revolutionary forces at the time and lies in the Southwest Appalachian area of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Abingdon is the County seat.

Westmoreland Description
Westmoreland County is located on the Northern Neck Peninsula of the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was taken from the older colony of Northumberland by an Act of the "Grand Assembly", July 1653. From Westmoreland County came leaders such as George Washington, James Monroe, Richard Henry Lee and Robert E. Lee. Montross is the County seat.

Wise Description
Wise County is located in the Southwest Appalachian area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was created on February 16, 1856 by an Act of the Virginia Legislature. The County was named after Henry A. Wise, Virginia Governor at the time, and Wise is the County seat.

Wythe Description
Wythe County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed from Montgomery County in 1790. Wythe County was named for George Wythe, a noted lawyer of Eastern Virginia, who was among the first Virginians to sign the Declaration of Independence and he designed the Virginia Seal. Wytheville is the County seat.

York Description
York County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was formed in 1634 as one of the eight original counties of the Virginia Colony. Named after the York River on which it lies, Yorktown is the County seat.