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Northumberland County
Northumberland County
County
	Northumberland County Courthouse in Heathsville
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
	Virginia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 37°52′N 76°23′W / 37.86°N 76.38°W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1648
Seat	Heathsville
Largest community	Heathsville
Area
• Total	286 sq mi (740 km2)
• Land	191 sq mi (490 km2)
• Water	94 sq mi (240 km2) 33.0%
Population (2020)
• Total	11,839
• Density	41/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.northumberland.va.us

37°52′N 76°23′W / 37.86°N 76.38°W / 37.86; -76.38

Northumberland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 11,839.^[1] Its county seat is Heathsville.^[2] The county is located on the Northern Neck and is part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA winemaking appellation.

History

The area was occupied at the time of English settlement by the Algonquian-speaking historic tribes of the Wicocomico, Chickacoan, and Patawomeck. The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1648 during a period of rapid population growth and geographic expansion. Settlement began in this area of the Northern Neck around 1635. Originally, known as the Indian district Chickacoan, the area was first referred to as Northumberland (a namesake of Northumberland County, England) in the colonial records in 1644. The following year, John Mottrom served as the first burgess for the territory in the House of Burgesses, which met at the capital of the Virginia Colony at Jamestown. The county was formed from a part of York County. The land between the Potomac River and the York River was formed into Northumberland County officially in 1648, prior to the creation of Westmoreland County and Lancaster County.^[3]

The colonial court ordered the Wicocomico and Chickacoan tribes to merge and by 1655, assigned them a reservation of 4,400 acres (18 km²) near Dividing Creek, south of the Great Wicomico River.^[4] The Patawomeck Tribe was hunted nearly to extinction in 1666, and survived only by intermarriage.^[5] By the early 1700s, the Wicocomico tribe was greatly reduced, and English colonists took control of their lands. They were believed to be extinct as a tribe as, landless, they disappeared from the historical record. Descendants of the last weroance are working to regain recognition as a tribe, the Wicocomico Indian Nation.^[6] Descendants of the Patawomeck achieved tribal recognition from the state of Virginia in February 2010. The size of the county was drastically reduced in 1651 and 1653 when the colonial government organized Lancaster and Westmoreland counties from it.

Of the 172 counties that have ever existed in Virginia's history, Northumberland ended up being an "ancestor" to 116 of these—more than the current 95 counties (several were lost to other states, such as West Virginia).^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km²), of which 191 square miles (490 km²) is land and 94 square miles (240 km²) (33.0%) is water.^[8] The county is located between the Rappahannock River to the south and Potomac River to the north. Chesapeake Bay is immediately east of the county.

Adjacent counties

Lancaster County – south
Richmond County – west
Westmoreland County – northwest
St. Mary's County, Maryland – north (not contiguous)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,163	—
1800	7,803	−14.8%
1810	8,308	6.5%
1820	8,016	−3.5%
1830	7,953	−0.8%
1840	7,924	−0.4%
1850	7,346	−7.3%
1860	7,531	2.5%
1870	6,863	−8.9%
1880	7,929	15.5%
1890	7,885	−0.6%
1900	9,486	20.3%
1910	10,777	13.6%
1920	11,518	6.9%
1930	11,081	−3.8%
1940	10,463	−5.6%
1950	10,012	−4.3%
1960	10,185	1.7%
1970	9,239	−9.3%
1980	9,828	6.4%
1990	10,524	7.1%
2000	12,259	16.5%
2010	12,330	0.6%
2020	11,839	−4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census^[9] 1790-1960^[10] 1900-1990^[11] 1990-2000^[12] 2010^[13] 2020^[14]

2020 census

**Northumberland County, Virginia - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[13]	Pop 2020^[14]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	8,638	8,310	70.06%	70.19%
Black or African American alone (NH)	3,106	2,673	25.19%	22.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	20	14	0.16%	0.12%
Asian alone (NH)	36	67	0.29%	0.57%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	0	0.02%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	7	59	0.06%	0.50%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	139	365	1.13%	3.08%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	382	351	3.10%	2.96%
Total	12,330	11,839	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.

2000 Census

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 12,259 people, 5,470 households, and 3,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 people per square mile (25 people/km²). There were 8,057 housing units at an average density of 42 units per square mile (16 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.18% White, 26.58% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,470 households, out of which 20.11% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.60% under the age of 18, 4.80% from 18 to 24, 20.20% from 25 to 44, 30.10% from 45 to 64, and 26.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,129, and the median income for a family was $49,047. Males had a median income of $30,151 versus $24,116 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,917. 12.30% of the population and 8.10% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 17.00% are under the age of 18 and 10.70% are 65 or older.

Government

Supervisors of Northumberland county are:^[16]

James W. Brann (District 1, vice chairman)
Richard F. Haynie (District 2, chairman)
James M. Long (District 3)
A.C. Fisher, Jr. (District 4)
Charles H. "Chip" Williams, IV (District 5)

The County Administrator is E. Luttrell Tadlock.^[17]

Emergency Services

There is no police department in the county. Instead, law enforcement is the responsibility of the county Sheriff, a commonwealth constitutional officer elected every four years, with support from the Virginia State Police. The Northumberland County Sheriff's Office is located in Heathsville. The current Sheriff is John A. “Johnny” Beauchamp.

Northumberland County has two courthouses: an antebellum building and a new building constructed in the late 1990s behind the older structure. The county courts (Circuit Court, General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court), along with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Commonwealth's Attorney, both commonwealth constitutional officers, are located in the new building. The Commissioner of Revenue and the County Treasurer, both commonwealth constitutional officers, have offices in the older building.

The county is served by two fire departments, Callao Volunteer Fire Department in Callao and Fairfields Volunteer Fire Department with buildings in Reedville and Burgess (on Glebe Point). There are four rescue squads that serve the county: Northumberland Emergency Services, Callao Volunteer Rescue Squad in Callao, Mid-County Volunteer Rescue Squad in Heathsville, and Northumberland County Rescue Squad in Reedville and Burgess. Smith Point Sea Rescue performs water, largely boat, rescues in the mid-Chesapeake Bay area, including Northumberland County.

Education

Northumberland County Public Schools instructs about 1200 students in the county.^[18] Northumberland Elementary, Middle, and High School all share the same campus. The Middle and High school students share the High School building while the Elementary students have their own dedicated building on campus.^[19] The Superintendent is Dr. Holly Wargo.^[20]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Northumberland County, Virginia^[21]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,938	59.99%	3,202	38.90%	92	1.12%
2020	4,485	57.39%	3,252	41.61%	78	1.00%
2016	4,302	58.16%	2,852	38.56%	243	3.29%
2012	4,310	57.03%	3,191	42.22%	57	0.75%
2008	4,041	54.56%	3,312	44.72%	53	0.72%
2004	3,832	59.79%	2,548	39.76%	29	0.45%
2000	3,362	59.98%	2,118	37.79%	125	2.23%
1996	2,605	51.81%	1,957	38.92%	466	9.27%
1992	2,667	50.00%	1,862	34.91%	805	15.09%
1988	2,984	65.14%	1,506	32.87%	91	1.99%
1984	3,166	68.41%	1,407	30.40%	55	1.19%
1980	2,598	60.00%	1,551	35.82%	181	4.18%
1976	2,167	52.52%	1,814	43.97%	145	3.51%
1972	2,332	71.58%	884	27.13%	42	1.29%
1968	1,438	41.18%	1,077	30.84%	977	27.98%
1964	1,423	58.85%	988	40.86%	7	0.29%
1960	1,340	60.61%	858	38.81%	13	0.59%
1956	1,191	62.68%	428	22.53%	281	14.79%
1952	1,230	68.11%	573	31.73%	3	0.17%
1948	535	46.68%	429	37.43%	182	15.88%
1944	525	43.00%	695	56.92%	1	0.08%
1940	386	35.03%	712	64.61%	4	0.36%
1936	260	29.61%	618	70.39%	0	0.00%
1932	245	27.71%	630	71.27%	9	1.02%
1928	744	72.23%	286	27.77%	0	0.00%
1924	130	17.83%	589	80.80%	10	1.37%
1920	221	28.96%	536	70.25%	6	0.79%
1916	111	17.99%	503	81.52%	3	0.49%
1912	102	16.35%	470	75.32%	52	8.33%

Reedville, menhaden fishing industry

Reedville is a small village in eastern Northumberland County on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Reedville is home to the Atlantic menhaden fishing industry. It is named for Captain Elijah W. Reed (1827-1888), who is credited with bringing the menhaden fishing industry, and the tremendous wealth that resulted from it, to Reedville—and to Northumberland County in general.

Dozens of fish-processing factories, most recently Omega Protein Corporation (successor to Zapata Haynie, Reedville Oil and Guano Company and Haynie Products Company) and Standard Products Company, have dotted the Northumberland coastline near Reedville and adjacent fishing communities.

Today, Omega Protein remains the largest industrial organization in the area. Omega, with a fleet of large oceangoing fish-harvesting vessels, supported by a number of spotter aircraft, is a major industry in the area and on the Eastern seaboard. Menhaden, once caught, are cooked in large mass and processed for further use in various applications, including as a protein additive for poultry feed.

Located at the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 360, Reedville is a popular place to begin fishing charters and trips to Tangier Island in the Bay. Reedville is also a tourist destination itself, steeped in the history of the menhaden fishing industry. The Millionaire's Row of Victorian Era mansions and several watercraft of the Reedville Fishermen's Museum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.