Westmoreland County is a
county located in the
Northern Neck of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, a
state in the
United States. As of the
2000 census, the population was 16,718. Its
county seat is
Montross.
History
As originally established by the
House of Burgesses from
Northumberland County, Virginia in 1653, the territory of Westmoreland County encompassed much of what later become the various counties and cities of
Northern Virginia, including the
city of Alexandria,
Arlington County,
Fairfax County, and
Prince William County. These remained Westmoreland until 1664, when
Stafford County, Virginia was formed.
Westmoreland County was the birthplace of
George Washington, the first
President of the United States (at the former settlement of
Bridges Creek, Virginia);
James Monroe, the fifth
President of the United States; and
General Robert E. Lee, commander of the
Confederate armies. It was the residence of Col.
Nicholas Spencer, who patented the land at
Mount Vernon in 1674 with his friend Lt. Col. John Washington, ancestor of
George Washington. Spencer, who served as President of the Council and acting Governor of Virginia, was the cousin of and agent for the
Barons Colepeper, proprietors of the
Northern Neck.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (9.29%) is water. The county is located on the
Northern Neck peninsula and is part of the
Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA winemaking
appellation.
Rural Westmoreland County
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The
population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 65.41%
White, 30.89%
Black or
African American, 0.28%
Native American, 0.36%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 1.75% from
other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 3.46% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 6,846 households out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.70% were
married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,797, and the median income for a family was $41,357. Males had a median income of $31,333 versus $22,221 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $19,473. About 11.20% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 21.10% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.
Business and economy
The county's economy is largely based on agriculture, primarily dairy . Tourism is another significant economic driver, related to historical sites such as
George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Robert E. Lee's birthplace,
Stratford Hall Plantation, as well as gambling activities available in
Colonial Beach. The county is also an extended
exurb of
Washington, D.C.Montross is home to Northern Neck Coca-Cola Bottling Inc. (makers of Northern Neck Ginger Ale) and the
Westmoreland News, a weekly newspaper.
Distinguished residents
- James Monroe (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States
Towns
See also
