115-545: Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia . As of the 2020 United States Census , the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culpeper . Culpeper County is included in the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area . At the time of European encounter,
230-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be
345-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has
460-537: A Republican stronghold for several decades. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was 1964. Recent media investigations regarding law enforcement procurement of military equipment through the "1033" program offered by the Defense Logistics Agency identified Culpeper County as having received, as donations, a "Mine Resistant Vehicle" in 2013 worth $ 412,000 and 20 night-vision optics worth an additional $ 136,000.00. As of
575-896: A center in Reston that is a satellite branch of the Loudoun campus. The NVCC Alexandria campus borders Fairfax County. The Central Intelligence Agency University and its Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis are both located in Fairfax County, specifically in Chantilly and Reston respectively. George Mason University faculty have twice won the Nobel Prize in Economics . George Mason University economics professors James M. Buchanan and Vernon L. Smith won it in 1986 and 2002, respectively. The University of Fairfax ,
690-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of
805-465: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it
920-666: A flat, gentle valley that stretches west to the Bull Run Mountains in Loudoun County. Elevations in the county range from near sea level along the tidal sections of the Potomac River in the southeast portion of the county to more than 500 feet (150 m) in the Tysons area. In 2023, the plant hardiness zone shifted from 7a to 7b. The Fairfax County News Letter predicts that Fairfax will shift to zone 8 in
1035-591: A for-profit proprietary college and alleged diploma mill was once headquartered in Vienna, Virginia . Virginia Commonwealth University 's School of Medicine recently constructed a medical campus wing at Inova Fairfax Hospital in order to allow third- and fourth-year medical students to study at other state-of-the-art facilities in Northern Virginia . Fairfax County's economy revolves around professional services and technology. Many residents work for
1150-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,
1265-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,
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#17327761307601380-888: A matter of U.S. state law , so the specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses
1495-464: A plan to "urbanize" the Tysons area. The plan calls for a private-public partnership and a grid-like street system to make Tysons a more urban environment, tripling available housing to allow more workers to live near their workplaces. The goal is to have 95% of Tysons Corner within 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (800 m) of a metro station. According to the county's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
1610-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,
1725-594: A pro-desegregation governor . By the middle of the 1970s, Culpeper was the last county in Virginia to desegregate its public schools. In 2018 Culpeper County Public Schools has six elementary, two middle schools and two high schools. In 1935 the Rotary Club of Culpeper began a college loan fund, which in 1966 became a four-year scholarship based on academic achievement. The group also provides a Technical School scholarship based on academic achievement. Culpeper County
1840-689: A pump and haul permit to serve their envisioned mosque. This resulted in a lawsuit by the US Department of Justice in December. Culpeper County has a civilian workforce of 24,313. 30% of residents live and work within the county while 70% of workers commute out of the locality. The most residents are commuting to Fairfax or Fauquier counties. In comparison, the equivalent of 45% are in-commuters. The most in-commuters are coming from Orange County . The Top 10 non-governmental Culpeper employers as of March 2023: The northeast border of Culpeper County
1955-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during
2070-572: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with
2185-526: Is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia . With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census , it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington metropolitan area , and the most populous location in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area . The county seat is Fairfax ; however, because it is an independent city under Virginia law,
2300-537: Is also home to the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a trade association for local technology companies. Fairfax County has a higher concentration of high-tech workers than Silicon Valley . Tysons , located in the county, is Virginia's largest office market and the nation's largest suburban business district, with 26,600,000 square feet (2,470,000 m ) of office space. It is the country's 12th-largest business district and
2415-455: Is an unusual case because it encompasses multiple entire counties in one city. Each of those counties is coextensive with one of the five boroughs of the city: Manhattan (New York County), The Bronx (Bronx County), Queens (Queens County), Brooklyn (Kings County), and Staten Island (Richmond County). Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County , officially the County of Fairfax ,
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#17327761307602530-722: Is defined by the Rappahannock River which flows east-southeastward along its border, while the south border of the county is similarly defined by the meanders of the Rapidan River . The Hazel River flows eastward through the county, discharging into the Rappahannock on the county's east border, while the Thornton River also flows eastward through the county, discharging into the Hazel in the north part of
2645-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In
2760-528: Is expected to grow substantially in the coming decades. It contains a quarter of the county's total office space inventory, which was 105,200,000 square feet (9,770,000 m ) as of 2006, representing roughly the same size as the Lower Manhattan region of New York City. In October 2011, Forbes described the area as "the place where the Internet was invented, but today it looks increasingly like
2875-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population
2990-579: Is home to Commonwealth Park, site for many world-class equestrian events. It was here that actor Christopher Reeve suffered his 1995 accident during a competition. The town of Culpeper was rated #10 by Norman Crampton, author of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," in February 1993. In April 2016, the county Board of Supervisors denied a routine request from the Islamic Center of Culpeper for
3105-603: Is home to seven Fortune 500 company headquarters, 11 Hispanic 500 companies, and five companies on the Black Enterprise 500 list. The county's economy is supported by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority , which provides services and information to promote Fairfax County as a leading business and technology center. The FCEDA is the nation's largest non-state economic development authority. Fairfax County
3220-1048: Is home to the offices of the director of national intelligence in McLean and the headquarters of four U.S. intelligence agencies : the Central Intelligence Agency at the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley , the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Springfield , the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly , and the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean. In academia,
3335-535: Is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km) (0.9%) is water. Culpeper County is represented by Republicans Bryce E. Reeves , Emmett W. Hanger Jr. , and Jill Holtzman Vogel in the Virginia Senate, Republicans Michael J. Webert and Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the U.S. House of Representatives. Culpeper County has been
3450-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in
3565-782: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by
Culpeper County, Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-457: Is partially bounded on the north and east by Arlington County and the independent cities of Alexandria and Falls Church . It is bounded on the west by Loudoun County , and on the south by Prince William County . Most of the county lies in the Piedmont region, with rolling hills and deep stream valleys, such as Difficult Run and its tributaries. West of Route 28 , the hills give way to
3795-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of
3910-562: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same
4025-661: Is the fifth-highest in the nation . Prior to European settlement , present-day Fairfax County was initially inhabited by the Algonquian -speaking Doeg tribe . In 1608, Caption John Smith documented the Doeg tribe's villages, which included Namassingakent and Nemaroughquand on the south bank of the Potomac River in present-day Fairfax County. By 1670, Virginian colonists from the Northern Neck region drove
4140-416: Is the 10.1% who had English ancestry , 37.8% spoke a language other than English at home, and 30.7% were born outside the United States, 63.4% of whom were naturalized citizens . The median income for a household in the county was $ 145,164, and the median income for a family was $ 174,085. 7.5% of the population were military veterans , and 65.5% had a bachelors degree or higher . In the county 5.6% of
4255-506: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among
4370-424: Is water. There are about 44,400,000 trees that create a canopy covering 55.4% of the total land area. Fairfax County is bounded on the north and southeast by the Potomac River . Across the river to the northeast is Washington, D.C. , across the river to the north is Montgomery County, Maryland , and across the river to the southeast are Prince George's County, Maryland and Charles County, Maryland . The county
4485-522: The 2000 United States Census , there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families in the county. The population density was 90.4 people per square mile (34.9 people/km). There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34.0 units per square mile (13.1 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 68.27% White , 28.15% Black or African American , 0.33% Native American , 0.66% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 1.15% from other races , and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.50% of
4600-419: The 2016 general election , Fairfax continued its trend towards Democratic candidates. Representatives Beyer and Connolly were reelected, the latter unopposed. Fairfax County supported Hillary Clinton for president with 64.4% of the vote to Donald Trump 's 28.6%, exemplifying a heavy swing toward Democrats across Northern Virginia. In the 2020 general election , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won
4715-652: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in
Culpeper County, Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-458: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to
4945-585: The District of Columbia . Alexandria County was returned to Virginia in 1846, reduced in size by the secession of the independent city of Alexandria in 1870, and renamed Arlington County in 1920. During the American Civil War the Battle of Chantilly , also known as Ox Hill, part of the Second Battle of Bull Run , was fought within Fairfax County. Other areas of Civil War conflict in
5060-603: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains
5175-566: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have
5290-576: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left
5405-529: The Senate . Fairfax County encompasses parts of three congressional districts , the 8th District , the 10th District , and the 11th District . Democrats represent all three districts, with Jennifer Wexton representing the 10th, Don Beyer representing the 8th, and Gerry Connolly representing the 11th. In the 2012 general election , Fairfax County solidly backed Obama for reelection as president, who came just short of matching his 2008 performance, winning
5520-556: The Shenandoah Valley . The Belvoir mansion and several of its outbuildings were destroyed by fire immediately after the Revolutionary War in 1783, and George Washington noted the plantation complex deteriorated into ruins. In 1757, the northwestern two-thirds of Fairfax County became Loudoun County . In 1789, part of Fairfax County was ceded to the federal government to form Alexandria County , then part of
5635-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with
5750-582: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite
5865-552: The United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county " is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as
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#17327761307605980-689: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government
6095-471: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does
6210-478: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia
6325-568: The $ 5.2 billion expansion of the Washington Metro Silver Line in Virginia from Washington, D.C., to Dulles International Airport was funded by the Federal Transit Administration in December 2008. The Silver Line added four stations in Tysons, including a station between Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. Along with the expansion of Washington Metro, Fairfax County government has
6440-487: The 2023 budget for the school system to $ 3.5 billion. The school system has estimated that, based on the 2023 fiscal year budget, the county will be spending $ 18,772 on each student. The Fairfax County Public School system contains the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology , a Virginia Governor's School. TJHSST consistently ranks at or near the top of all U.S. high schools due to
6555-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant
6670-461: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in
6785-524: The Appalachian. An area of 11 square miles (30 km ) of the county is known to be underlain with natural asbestos . Much of the asbestos is known to emanate from fibrous tremolite or actinolite . The threat was discovered in 1987, prompting the county to establish laws to monitor air quality at construction sites, control soil taken from affected areas, and require freshly developed sites to lay 6 inches (150 mm) of clean, stable material over
6900-997: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,
7015-725: The City of Fairfax's central business district, where many county facilities (including the courthouses and jail) are. Fairfax County was once considered a Republican bastion but Democrats now control of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board (officially nonpartisan) as well as the offices of sheriff and Commonwealth's Attorney. Democrats also hold all the Fairfax seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and every seat in
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#17327761307607130-544: The Culpeper Minute Men. In December, the Minute Men, marching under their flag depicting a rattlesnake and inscribed with the words "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me", took part in the Battle of Great Bridge , the first Revolutionary battle on Virginia soil. The Culpeper Minute Men reorganized in 1860 in response to the impending Civil War and became part of 13th Infantry's Company B, fighting against
7245-423: The Department of Cable and Consumer Services on consumer affairs, investigates illegal, fraudulent, deceptive, or dangerous consumer practices, and refers apparent violations of Virginia law to the Commonwealth Attorney or County Attorney for investigation. The Fairfax County Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax in an unincorporated area . Fairfax County contains an exclave unincorporated area in
7360-403: The Doeg Tribe out of present-day Fairfax County and into Maryland . Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County , and was named after Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , proprietor of the Northern Neck . The Fairfax family name is derived from the Old English phrase for " blond hair", Fæger-feax . The county's initial settlements were along
7475-412: The Potomac River. George Washington settled in Fairfax County and built his home, Mount Vernon , facing the Potomac. Gunston Hall , the home of George Mason , is nearby. Fort Belvoir is partly on the estate of Belvoir Manor, built along the Potomac by William Fairfax in 1741. Thomas Fairfax , the only member of the British nobility ever to reside in the colonies, lived at Belvoir before moving to
7590-574: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by
7705-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number
7820-428: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while
7935-627: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in
8050-406: The US Government forces. The Culpeper Minutemen were again organized for World War I, and joined the 116th Infantry. In 1833, based on the county's growing population and the need of those in the northwestern area for easier access to a county seat, the upper 267 square miles (690 km) of Culpeper County was partitioned off to create Rappahannock County, Virginia , which was founded by an act of
8165-434: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county
8280-684: The Virginia General Assembly. During the Civil War the Battle of Cedar Mountain took place on August 9, 1862, and the Battle of Brandy Station occurred on June 9, 1863, in Culpeper County. Culpeper was the boyhood home of Civil War General A. P. Hill , who fought against Union forces. The negative impact of the Massive Resistance campaign against school integration led to the statewide election of
8395-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called
8510-562: The center of the global military-industrial complex ", because it is home to the nation's first ISPs , many of which are now defunct, and attracts numerous defense contractors that have relocated from other states to or near Tysons Corner. Tysons draws over 100,000 workers from around the Washington metropolitan area , and draws 55,000 shoppers daily to its two super-regional malls , Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria compared to 62,500 shoppers daily in Washington, D.C. . After years of delays attributed to stalling and controversy,
8625-463: The chairman is elected at-large. In addition to the Board of Supervisors, three constitutional officers, the Commonwealth's Attorney , clerk of the Circuit Court, and sheriff . The Fairfax County School Board has 12 members that are directly elected by the voters of Fairfax County. Fairfax County also has a Consumer Protection Commission. The Commission advises the Board of Supervisors and
8740-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,
8855-557: The city of Fairfax is not part of the county. The county is part of the Northern Virginia region and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. , the nation's capital. The county is predominantly suburban with some urban and rural pockets. It borders Montgomery County, Maryland to its north, Falls Church , Alexandria , Arlington County , and Prince George's County, Maryland to its east, Charles County, Maryland to its southeast, Prince William County to its southwest, and Loudoun County to its northwest. The county
8970-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration
9085-548: The county 59.6% to 39.1%. Former Governor Tim Kaine, running for the U.S. Senate in 2012, carried Fairfax County with 61% of the vote as part of his statewide victory. Representatives Connolly, Moran, and Wolf were also reelected. Although Republican governor Bob McDonnell won Fairfax County with 51% of the vote in 2009, the Republican resurgence in Fairfax was short-lived. In the 2013 election , Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe won Fairfax County with 58% of
9200-623: The county fall under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington and include Paul VI Catholic High School , Fairfax County's diocese-run Catholic high school, and Oakcrest School , an all-girls Catholic school in Fairfax County, which is not run by the diocese. George Mason University is just outside the city of Fairfax , near the geographic center of Fairfax County. Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) serves Fairfax County with campuses in Annandale and Springfield and
9315-440: The county from 1948 to 1960. The facility's 2,650-foot unpaved runway was used extensively by private pilots and civil defense officials. Residential development, multiple accidents, and the demand for retail space led to its closure in 1960. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has an area of 406 square miles (1,050 km ), of which 391 square miles (1,010 km ) is land and 15 square miles (39 km ) (3.8%)
9430-418: The county included Minor's Hill , Munson's Hill , and Upton's Hill . The Fairfax County town of Falls Church became an independent city in 1948. The Fairfax County town of Fairfax was named an independent city in 1961. The federal government 's growth during and after World War II spurred rapid growth in the county and transformed it from a rural to suburban region. Large businesses began settling in
9545-516: The county is home to the flagship campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, CIA University in Chantilly, Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis in Reston , and several Northern Virginia Community College campuses. In the private sector, ten of the Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the county as of 2023. As of 2020, Fairfax County's median household income of $ 127,866
9660-463: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in
9775-522: The county was $ 45,290, and the median income for a family was $ 51,475. Males had a median income of $ 36,621 versus $ 25,985 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,162. About 27.00% of families and 29.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 38.30% of those under age 18 and 28.60% of those age 65 or over. Culpeper County Public Schools 38°29′N 77°58′W / 38.49°N 77.96°W / 38.49; -77.96 County (United States) In
9890-445: The county with 69.89% of the vote, the best percentage for a Democrat in the county since 1916 . Of the households, 55.5% were married couple families, 15.9% were a male family householder with no spouse, and 23.0% were a female family householder with no spouse. The average family household had 3.25 people. The median age was 39.4, 22.6% of people were under the age of 18, and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The largest ancestry
10005-418: The county, and the opening of Tysons Corner Center spurred the rise of Tysons, Virginia . The technology boom and a steady government-driven economy created rapid growth and an increasingly large and diverse population. The economy has also made Fairfax County one of the nation's wealthiest counties. A general aviation airport along U.S. Route 50 west of Seven Corners , Falls Church Airpark , operated in
10120-544: The county. The county is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains , which are quickly accessed beginning with Old Rag Mountain and the Skyline Drive just up Route 522. The rolling hills generally slope to the south and east, with its highest point near its west corner at 705 ft (215 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 383 square miles (990 km), of which 379 square miles (980 km)
10235-404: The extraordinary number of National Merit semifinalists and finalists, its students' high average SAT scores, and the number of students who annually perform nationally recognized research in the sciences and engineering. A Governor's School, TJHSST draws students from five counties Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia counties, cities, and towns. Catholic elementary and middle schools in
10350-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both
10465-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which
10580-575: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;
10695-689: The government or contractors of the federal government. The government is the largest employer, with Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax the county's single largest source of federal employment. Fairfax County has a gross county product of approximately $ 95 billion. Major employers in the county include Volkswagen Group of America , Hilton Worldwide , DXC Technology (formerly Computer Sciences Corporation ), Northrop Grumman , Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) , Leidos , Booz Allen Hamilton , Gannett , Capital One , General Dynamics , ICF International , Freddie Mac , Sallie Mae , ManTech International , Mars , NII , and NVR . The county
10810-645: The ground. During the construction of Centreville High School , for instance, a large amount of asbestos-laden soil was removed and then trucked to Vienna for the construction of the I-66 /Nutley Street interchange. Fill dirt then had to be trucked in to make the site level. Marine clays can be found in widespread areas of the county east of Interstate 95 , mostly in the Lee and Mount Vernon districts. These clays contribute to soil instability, leading to significant construction challenges for builders. Fairfax County uses
10925-528: The inhabitants of future Culpeper County were a Siouan -speaking sub-group of the Manahoac tribe called the Tegninateo. Culpeper County was established in 1749, with territory partitioned from Orange County . The county is named for Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper , colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683. In May 1749, the first Culpeper Court convened in the home of Robert Tureman, near
11040-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as
11155-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City
11270-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by
11385-686: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to
11500-595: The next few decades as temperatures rise. The Piedmont hills in the central county are made up of ancient metamorphic rocks such as schist , the roots of several ancestral ranges of the Appalachian Mountains . The western valley is floored with more recent shale and sandstone . This geology is similar to adjacent bands of rocks in Maryland and further south in Virginia along the eastern front of
11615-521: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name
11730-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control
11845-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of
11960-502: The population was below the poverty line , including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over, with 7.2% of the population without health insurance . The county is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools system, to which the county government allocates 52.2% of its budget. Including state and federal government contributions, along with citizen and corporate contributions, this brings
12075-442: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 12,141 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
12190-506: The present location of the Town of Culpeper. In July 1749, Tureman commissioned 17-year-old George Washington as the first County surveyor. One of his first duties was to lay out the county's courthouse complex, which included the courthouse, jail, stocks, gallows and accessory buildings. By 1752 the complex stood at the present northeast corner of Davis and Main Streets. The courthouse village
12305-582: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there
12420-556: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by
12535-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than
12650-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,
12765-492: The urban county executive form of government, which county voters approved in a 1966 referendum. Under the urban county executive plan, the county is governed by the 10-member Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with the day-to-day running of the county tasked to the appointed Fairfax County executive. Nine of the board members are elected from the single-member districts of Braddock, Dranesville, Franconia, Hunter Mill, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully, while
12880-485: The vote, defeating incumbent state attorney general and former Republican state senator from Fairfax Ken Cuccinelli . McAuliffe's running mates, Ralph Northam and Mark Herring , also carried Fairfax County in their respective bids for lieutenant governor and attorney general . These Democratic victories mirrored the Democratic ticket's sweep of the state's three executive offices for the first time since 1989. In
12995-399: Was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.08. The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.20 males. The median income for a household in
13110-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,
13225-515: Was named Town of Fairfax for Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781). During the Virginia convention held in May 1775, the colony was divided into sixteen districts. Each district had instructions to raise a battalion of men "to march at a minute's notice." Culpeper, Orange and Fauquier, forming one district, raised 350 men in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate; they were called
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