Rockbridge County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rockbridge County
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Church Hill (Lexington, Virginia)
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Virginia |
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| Founded | October 1777 (established) 1778 (organized) |
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| Named for | Natural Bridge | |
| Seat | Lexington | |
| Largest town | Lexington | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 601 sq mi (1,560 km2) | |
| • Land | 598 sq mi (1,550 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 0.6% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,650 | |
| • Density | 37.69/sq mi (14.551/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 6th | |
Rockbridge County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,650. Its county seat is the city of Lexington. Rockbridge County completely surrounds the independent cities of Buena Vista and Lexington. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the independent cities of Buena Vista and Lexington with Rockbridge County for statistical purposes.
Contents
History
Rockbridge County was established in October, 1777 from parts of now neighboring Augusta and Botetourt counties, and the first county elections were held in May 1778. Rockbridge County was named for Natural Bridge, a notable landmark in the southern portion of the county. Rockbridge County was formed during an act of assembly intended to reduce the amount of travel to the nearest courthouse, and to ensure trials were held fairly, and among friends rather than strangers. The first court session in Rockbridge County was held at the home of Samuel Wallace on April 7, 1778. Slaves were far fewer in Rockbridge County than in many parts of Virginia, and, thus, the anti-slavery movement was stronger in Rockbridge than in many other counties of Virginia. For instance, several faculty at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) vigorously opposed slavery. However, many of the wealthiest residents of Rockbridge County owned slaves and passed down those slaves to their widows and children.
Cyrus McCormick invented the reaper near Steele's Tavern at the northern end of the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 601 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 598 square miles (1,550 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.6%) is water.
Adjacent counties
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Cities
- Lexington, Virginia
- Buena Vista, Virginia
- Fairfield, Virginia
National protected areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- George Washington National Forest (part)
- Jefferson National Forest (part)
- United States National Radio Quiet Zone (part)
Major highways
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Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 6,548 | — | |
| 1800 | 8,945 | 36.6% | |
| 1810 | 10,318 | 15.3% | |
| 1820 | 11,945 | 15.8% | |
| 1830 | 14,244 | 19.2% | |
| 1840 | 14,284 | 0.3% | |
| 1850 | 16,045 | 12.3% | |
| 1860 | 17,248 | 7.5% | |
| 1870 | 16,058 | −6.9% | |
| 1880 | 20,003 | 24.6% | |
| 1890 | 23,062 | 15.3% | |
| 1900 | 21,799 | −5.5% | |
| 1910 | 21,171 | −2.9% | |
| 1920 | 20,626 | −2.6% | |
| 1930 | 20,902 | 1.3% | |
| 1940 | 22,384 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 23,359 | 4.4% | |
| 1960 | 24,039 | 2.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,637 | −30.8% | |
| 1980 | 17,911 | 7.7% | |
| 1990 | 18,350 | 2.5% | |
| 2000 | 20,808 | 13.4% | |
| 2010 | 22,307 | 7.2% | |
| 2020 | 22,650 | 1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 20,915 | 20,357 | 93.76% | 89.88% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 585 | 565 | 2.62% | 2.49% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 99 | 85 | 0.44% | 0.38% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 103 | 181 | 0.46% | 0.80% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 6 | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 15 | 82 | 0.07% | 0.36% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 291 | 861 | 1.30% | 3.80% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 296 | 513 | 1.33% | 2.26% |
| Total | 22,307 | 22,650 | 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.
Notable people
- Robert H. Adams (1792–1832), born in Rockbridge County, United States Senator from Mississippi
- John Allen (soldier) (1771–1813), born in Rockbridge County, a Kentucky political figure and colonel of militia, killed in the War of 1812
- Adam Rankin Alexander (1781–1848), born in Rockbridge County, United States Congressman from Tennessee
- Archibald Alexander (1772–1851), born in Rockbridge County, noted Presbyterian clergyman, president of Hampden–Sydney College and one of the founders of and the first professor of Princeton Theological Seminary
- Samuel Dale (1772–1841), born in Rockbridge County, American frontiersman, known as the ""Daniel Boone of Alabama" and a veteran of the Creek War of 1813–1814
- Pierre Daura, Spanish/Catalan painter, naturalized American
- Jessie Benton Frémont (1824-1902), American writer and political activist, born in Rockbridge County
- William C. Friday (1920–2012), American educator, public servant and President of University of North Carolina (1956–1986), born in Raphine, Rockbridge County.
- Sam Houston (1793–1863), born in Rockbridge County, the only man to be Governor of two U.S. states (Texas, Tennessee). Also, victor at the Battle of San Jacinto, President of the Republic of Texas, and U.S. Senator..
- Stonewall Jackson, General in the C.S.A. Army, lived in Lexington, the county seat.
- Robert E. Lee, former commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the U.S. Civil War, who, after the war, accepted the presidency of Washington and Lee University (then Washington College)
- Sally Mann (born 1951), celebrated American photographer
- Charlie Manuel, American and Japanese baseball player and World Series champion manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Rick Mast, Fan favorite Winston Cup and Busch Series driver
- Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaper
- Miles Poindexter (1868-1946), Graduate of Fancy Hill Academy and Washington & Lee University, United States Senator from Washington, 1920 Republican Primary Presidential Candidate, United States Ambassador to Peru, Author, retired to and died in his home in Arnolds Valley
- Samuel B. Pryor, (1816–1866), First mayor of Dallas, TX. He was in the first class of the Virginia Military Institute.
- Archibald Roane, who later became governor of Tennessee, lived in Rockbridge County in the 1780s
- Absalom Willis Robertson, U.S. Senator, father of Pat Robertson
- Pat Robertson (b. 1930), American minister, university president and media figure
- Archibald Stuart, Founder of Phi Beta Kappa
- Cy Twombly, American ex-patriate painter, born in Lexington
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Rockbridge para niños
