Hanover County is a
county located in the
Commonwealth of
Virginia. As of the
2000 census, the population was 86,320. A 2007 estimate shows the county's population has grown to 100,721. Its
county seat is
Hanover Courthouse. It is located in the
Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
History
Hanover County was created on
November 26,
1720, from the area of
New Kent County called St. Paul's Parish. It was named for the
Electorate of Hanover in
Germany, because King
George I of
Great Britain was
Elector of Hanover at the time.
Hanover County was the birthplace and home of noted American statesman
Patrick Henry and is the home of the Hanover Courthouse, which was the site of the
Parson's Cause case in the
Virginia Colony, in which attorney Henry argued against taxes levied on preachers by the King. The historic Hanover Courthouse is pictured in the county seal. Hanover County was also the birthplace of politician
Henry Clay, author of the
Missouri Compromise.
Hanover County at its closest point is only from the current city limits of Richmond. However, the
Chickahominy River is located at this closest point, which is in the
Mechanicsville area. Although the
Union Army came within earshot of the bells from Richmond's churches along this river during the 1862
Peninsula Campaign of the
American Civil War, no one learned more what an obstacle that river can be than Union General
George B. McClellan. He failed in the attempt to get all of his troops across it and overwhelm the smaller-sized
Confederate forces defending Richmond, effectively prolonging the War almost 3 more years. Hanover County was the site of a number of Civil War battles, including the
Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Campaign and
Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.
King's Dominion amusement park opened in 1975 in Doswell and impacted the county's economy.
In January 2007,
America's Promise named Hanover County as one of the top 100 communities for youth.
The incorporated town of
Ashland is located within Hanover County. Ashland is the site of Randolph-Macon College.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,228 km²), of which, 473 square miles (1,224 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
Hanover County is about south of Washington, D.C., and about north of Richmond.
Adjacent Counties
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families residing in the county. The
population density was 183 people per square mile (71/km²). There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile (26/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.32%
White, 9.34%
Black or
African American, 0.33%
Native American, 0.79%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.37% from
other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 31,121 households out of which 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were
married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.40% were non-families. 17.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out with 27.10% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $59,223, and the median income for a family was $65,809. The median income was $42,523 for males and $30,689 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $25,120. About 2.50% of families and 3.60% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.90% of those under age 18 and 5.80% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Hanover County has fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools, one alternative school, and one technology school. The four high schools are
Atlee High School,
Hanover High School,
Lee-Davis High School, and
Patrick Henry High School.
Forbes magazine named Hanover County as one of the top fifty counties in the United States for student achievement vc. cost per student.
Towns
Unincorporated communities
