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Sussex County, Virginia
Sussex County Courthouse (Built 1828), Sussex, Virginia
Sussex County Courthouse
Map of Virginia highlighting Sussex County
Location in the state of Virginia
Map of the U.S
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded 1754
Named for Sussex, England
Seat Sussex
Largest town Jarratt
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

493 sq mi (1,277 km²)
490 sq mi (1,269 km²)
2.6 sq mi (7 km²), 0.5
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

10,829
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.sussexcountyva.gov

Sussex County is a rural county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,829.[1] Its county seat is Sussex.[2] It was formed in 1754 from Surry County. The county is named after the county of Sussex, England.[3]

Sussex County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.

History[]

Native Americans may have settled near Cactus Hill along the Nottoway River in what became Sussex county as long as 10,000 years ago.[4] The Nottoway people, speaking an Iroquoian language, were later part of the Powhatan Confederacy.

When colonists arrived from England in 1607, some traveled along the Nottoway River, but when they established the first counties, James City County included both sides of the James River all the way to the North Carolina line. The south side of the James River became Surry County in 1652. Virginia's General Assembly formed Sussex County from the southwestern end of Surry County in 1754.

Sussex County has maintained a predominantly agricultural economy, as well as its historic heritage for over four centuries. It includes the Sussex County Courthouse Historic District and the Waverly Downtown Historic District, the Nottoway Archeological Site and six historic homes on the National Register.

The largest forest fire in Virginia's recorded history occurred on April 5, 1943, destroying more than 12,000 acres in just six hours, while most firefighters were paying their respects at the funeral of Ella Darden Gray, matriarch of one of the county's leading families, and whose son Garland Gray would become a key figure in the Massive Resistance crisis concerning desegregating Virginia's public schools about a decade later.[5]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 493 square miles (1,280 km2), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.5%) is water.[6]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-95 I-95 the major north–south highway on the Eastern Seaboard enters Sussex County from Greensville County. Access to the county is available at Exits 17, 20, 24, 31, and 33 before the road crosses the Sussex-Prince George County Line.
  • US 301 US 301, the principal south–north route Sussex County until it was supplanted by I-95. A spur of US Route 1, it enters Sussex County from Greensville County, serves mainly as a frontage road along I-95, and leaves at Prince George County south of Carson.
  • US 460 US 460, a major west-to-east corridor that has a brief southeastern run in the northeastern section of Sussex County, as a connecting route between the Central Appalachian Mountains and the Hampton Roads area. A spur of US 60, it enters Sussex County from Disputanta in Prince George County, serves the communities of Waverly and Wakefield before leaving the county at Southampton County northwest of Ivor.
  • Virginia 31 SR 31, a south–north state road that runs northeast from US 460 along East Main Street, then turns north onto Birch Island Road into Surry County towards the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry and Williamsburg.
  • Virginia 35 SR 35, a south–north state road that enters the state from North Carolina and the county from the cotton fields of Southampton County. The route runs mainly northwest along Jerusalem Plank Road through the communities of Homeville and Lambs before leaving the county at the Sussex-Prince George County Line.
  • Virginia 40 SR 40, the west–east state road that runs from Dinwiddie County through Stony Creek, West Hope and Sussex, then enters Surry County after passing through Waverly. A business route of SR 40 exists within Stony Creek.
  • Virginia 139 SR 139, a local west–east state route in Jarratt running northeast along South Allen Road then turns southeast along Jarratt Avenue both in Sussex and Greensville Counties, the latter of which is where it ends at US 301.

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 10,549
1800 11,062 4.9%
1810 11,362 2.7%
1820 11,884 4.6%
1830 12,720 7.0%
1840 11,229 −11.7%
1850 9,820 −12.5%
1860 10,175 3.6%
1870 7,885 −22.5%
1880 10,062 27.6%
1890 11,100 10.3%
1900 12,082 8.8%
1910 13,664 13.1%
1920 12,834 −6.1%
1930 12,100 −5.7%
1940 12,485 3.2%
1950 12,785 2.4%
1960 12,411 −2.9%
1970 11,464 −7.6%
1980 10,874 −5.1%
1990 10,248 −5.8%
2000 12,504 22.0%
2010 12,087 −3.3%
Est. 2021 10,763 [7] −13.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]

2020 census[]

Sussex County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 4,663 4,381 38.58% 40.46%
Black or African American alone (NH) 6,996 5,766 57.88% 53.25%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 19 14 0.16% 0.13%
Asian alone (NH) 46 11 0.38% 0.10%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 7 0.00% 0.06%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 9 25 0.07% 0.23%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 86 319 0.71% 2.95%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 268 306 2.22% 2.83%
Total 12,087 10,829 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 Census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,087 people living in the county, of which 58.1% were Black or African American, 39.3% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races. 2.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 12,504 people, 4,126 households, and 2,809 families living in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10/km2). There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.13% Black or African American, 36.39% White, 0.13% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,126 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.00% were married couples living together, 18.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.60% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 135.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 142.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,007, and the median income for a family was $36,739. Males had a median income of $29,307 versus $22,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,670. About 12.80% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.30% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.

Two prisons were built in Sussex County in the 1990s. Including the prisons, Sussex County was the fastest growing county in the United States. Excluding the prisons, the county population declined.[15]

Education[]

Sussex County Public Schools operates public schools.

Blackwater Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Sussex.

High school[]

  • Sussex Central High School

Middle school[]

  • Sussex Central Middle School

Elementary schools[]

  • Sussex Central Elementary School

Charter/tech[]

  • Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology
  • Rowanty Technical Center

Private schools[]

  • Tidewater Academy
  • Yale Seventh-day Adventist School

Government and infrastructure[]

The Virginia Department of Corrections operates the Sussex I State Prison and the Sussex II State Prison in unincorporated Sussex County, near Waverly.[16][17][18] The Sussex I center housed the male death row. On August 3, 1998, the male death row moved to Sussex I from the Mecklenburg Correctional Center.[19]

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Sussex County, Virginia[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,219 43.61% 2,827 55.56% 42 0.83%
2016 2,055 40.74% 2,879 57.08% 110 2.18%
2012 2,021 37.15% 3,358 61.73% 61 1.12%
2008 2,026 37.78% 3,301 61.55% 36 0.67%
2004 1,890 43.50% 2,420 55.70% 35 0.81%
2000 1,745 44.67% 2,006 51.36% 155 3.97%
1996 1,378 36.34% 2,089 55.09% 325 8.57%
1992 1,527 35.90% 2,193 51.56% 533 12.53%
1988 1,822 46.77% 1,958 50.26% 116 2.98%
1984 2,183 46.14% 2,408 50.90% 140 2.96%
1980 1,664 38.94% 2,447 57.27% 162 3.79%
1976 1,360 33.22% 2,497 60.99% 237 5.79%
1972 2,120 54.99% 1,645 42.67% 90 2.33%
1968 1,105 29.12% 1,541 40.62% 1,148 30.26%
1964 1,537 55.39% 1,234 44.47% 4 0.14%
1960 713 35.78% 1,253 62.87% 27 1.35%
1956 785 39.31% 851 42.61% 361 18.08%
1952 888 47.97% 956 51.65% 7 0.38%
1948 244 20.00% 614 50.33% 362 29.67%
1944 201 20.51% 773 78.88% 6 0.61%
1940 164 18.16% 737 81.62% 2 0.22%
1936 126 12.52% 880 87.48% 0 0.00%
1932 122 14.79% 688 83.39% 15 1.82%
1928 385 41.31% 547 58.69% 0 0.00%
1924 132 17.67% 607 81.26% 8 1.07%
1920 166 23.15% 548 76.43% 3 0.42%
1916 96 16.35% 486 82.79% 5 0.85%
1912 59 10.52% 435 77.54% 67 11.94%
1908 115 21.82% 412 78.18% 0 0.00%
1904 93 26.72% 253 72.70% 2 0.57%
1900 430 36.78% 733 62.70% 6 0.51%
1896 418 35.04% 769 64.46% 6 0.50%
1892 638 62.43% 291 28.47% 93 9.10%
1888 1,582 63.69% 896 36.07% 6 0.24%
1884 1,442 65.78% 750 34.22% 0 0.00%
1880 1,203 63.96% 678 36.04% 0 0.00%



Communities[]

Towns[]

Census-designated place[]

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Yale

See also[]

Commons-logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Sussex County, Virginia

References[]

  1. ^ "Sussex County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US51183. Retrieved January 30, 2022. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "Sussex County FAQ." Retrieved on December 10, 2013.
  4. ^ Gary M. Williams, Sussex County, Virginia: A Heritage Recalled by the Land (Petersburg, Virginia: The Dietz Press 2014) p. 2
  5. ^ Gary M. Williams, Sussex County, Virginia: A Heritage Recalled by the Land (Petersburg, Virginia: The Dietz Press 2014) pp. 235-236
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html. 
  8. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html. 
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt. 
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  12. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sussex County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51183&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2. 
  13. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sussex County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51183&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  15. ^ Sommerstein, David. "Urban, Rural Areas Battle For Census Prison Populace." NPR. February 15, 2010. Retrieved on January 3, 2012. "In the early 2000s, southern Virginia's Sussex County was the fastest-growing county in the nation, according to the census. But the county had opened two prisons in the late 1990s — and if their residents weren't included, the county's population had actually declined, the Washington Post reported."
  16. ^ "Sussex I State Prison." Virginia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.
  17. ^ "Sussex II State Prison." Virginia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 3, 2013.
  18. ^ "DOC Appoints New Warden at Sussex I State Prison." Virginia Department of Corrections. March 9, 2006. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.
  19. ^ "Virginia Death Row/Execution Facts." My FOX DC. Tuesday November 10, 2009. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

Coordinates: 36°56′N 77°16′W / 36.93, -77.26


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Sussex County, Virginia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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