Spotsylvania County, Virginia

Infobox U.S. County
county = Spotsylvania County
state = Virginia

---

map size = 225
founded = 1721
seat = Spotsylvania | area_total_sq_mi =412
area_water_sq_mi =11
area percentage = 2.77%
census yr = 2000
pop = 90395
density_km2 =87
web = www.spotsylvania.va.us|

Spotsylvania County is a county in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 90,395. The Census Bureau predicts it to be at 119,529 in 2006, a 32.2% increase, making it the fourth fastest growing in the nation. Its county seat is Spotsylvania CourthouseGR|6. The independent city of Fredericksburg is located in the northeast corner of the county but is politically separate.

This county is a part of the Washington Metropolitan Area because of its vast numbers of commuters that travel north on Interstate 95 or Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for work.

History

Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood.

Many battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania Court House. Stonewall Jackson was shot and mortally wounded in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina were in the woods when they heard the footsteps of General Jackson's party returning from a reconnaissance of Union lines. They mistook him for a Federal patrol and shot him in the arm. His arm was amputated, but he was unable to recover and died a few days later from pneumonia at nearby Guinea Station, where Confederate wounded were being gathered for evacuation to hospitals further south.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,068 km²), of which, 401 square miles (1,038 km²) of it is land and 11 square miles (30 km²) of it (2.77%) is water.

It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers and the independent city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.

Adjacent counties

* Culpeper County, Virginia - north
* Stafford County, Virginia - northeast
* Fredericksburg, Virginia - northeast
* Caroline County, Virginia - southeast
* Hanover County, Virginia - south
* Louisa County, Virginia - southwest
* Orange County, Virginia - west and northwest

National protected area

* Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (part)

Demographics

Points of interest

*Lake Anna State Park
*Spotsylvania Towne Centre
*Spotsylvania County Public Schools
*Spotsylvania Courthouse

Notable residents

*Thomas Dickens Arnold, United States Congressman from Virginiacite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location=Chicago | date = 1963]

References

Kerry Lane, Col. USMC ret., Author of "Marine Pioneer" ,"Guadicanal Marine"

External links

* [http://www.spotsylvania.org/index2.html Spotsylvania County Department of Economic Development]
* [http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/ Official Site of Spotsylvania County]
* [http://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/ Spotsylvania County Public Schools]
* [http://www.fredericksburg.com Local Area and Surrounding Area News]
* [http://grub-here.com/search.aspx?local=Spotsylvania&type=name Spotsylvania Restaurants]
* [http://www.rappahannockunitedway.org/ Rappahannock United Way]