Chesterfield County, Virginia
Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHE : Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 259,903. Its county seat is Chesterfield6. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Much of the northern portion of Chesterfield County accounts for what is referred to as Richmond's "South Side".
History
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the Jamestown Settlement in 1607, English settlers and explorers began settling other areas. Around 1619, one of the more progressive of these was Henricus, founded under the guidance of Sir Thomas Dale. Regrettfully, it was wiped out by the Indian Massacre of 1622 and not rebuilt.In 1634, the King of England directed the formation of eight shires (or counties) in the colony of Virginia. One of these became Henrico County, which extended to a large area on both sides of the James River.
On May 25th, 1749, the Virginia General Assembly passed the act that separated Chesterfield from Henrico County and created the new county. The county is named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. Lord Chesterfield was famous for his "good manners and writings."
In 1831, the Chesterfield Railroad was the first railroad in Virginia, transporting coal from mines near Falling Creek in what is now the Midlothian area to the docks at the fall line at the head of navigation of the James River near Manchester (directly across from Richmond. Manchester was the county seat until 1874.
Chesterfield Cigarettes were named after this county due to the region's historical association with the tobacco industry.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,132 km² (437 mi²). 1,103 km² (426 mi²) of it is land and 29 km² (11 mi²) of it (2.57%) is water.Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 259,903 people, 93,772 households, and 72,110 families residing in the county. The population density was 236/km² (610/mi²). There were 97,707 housing units at an average density of 89/km² (230/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.74% White, 17.77% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.37% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 2.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 93,772 households out of which 40.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.10% were non-families. 18.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 8.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $58,537, and the median income for a family was $65,058. Males had a median income of $43,030 versus $30,518 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,286. About 3.30% of families and 4.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 3.40% of those age 65 or over.
Town twinning
On 11 October 2005 the agreement will be signed to join the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England with Chesterfield County in a link up between the two communities. The town of Gravesend, on the River Thames is part of the borough, and it was here that Princess Pocahontas was buried after she had died on board a ship in the river. The village of Matoaca is believed to be her home village. The link is part of the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2006 to mark the founding of Jamestown, Virginia.Unincorporated towns and communities
- Bellwood
- Bensley
- Bermuda Hundred
- Bon Air
- Centralia
- Chester
- Chesterfield Court House
- Enon
- Ettrick
- Matoaca
- Meadowbrook
- Midlothian
- Mosley
- Winterpock
Schools
Chesterfield Public SchoolsExternal links
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The Greater Richmond Region
Richmond, Virginia | Richmond Neighborhoods | [edit] | |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Divisions
| The West End | The Fan | Downtown | Southside | North Side | Mechanicsville | The East End | Tri-Cities / Petersburg | Varina-Enon | |
| Surrounding Counties:
| Chesterfield | Hanover | Henrico | Goochland | |
| Other Counties:
| Amelia | Caroline | Charles City | Cumberland | Dinwiddie | King and Queen | King William | Louisa | New Kent | Powhatan | Prince George | Sussex |
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