Fauquier County, Virginia

Fauquier County /fɔːˈkɪər/ is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972.^[1] The county seat is Warrenton.^[2]

Fauquier County
County
Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°44′N 77°49′W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1759
Named after	Francis Fauquier
Seat	Warrenton
Largest community	New Baltimore
Area
• Total	651 sq mi (1,690 km2)
• Land	647 sq mi (1,680 km2)
• Water	3.8 sq mi (10 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	72,972
• Density	110/sq mi (43/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	10th
Website	www.fauquiercounty.gov

Fauquier County is in Northern Virginia and is a part of the Washington metropolitan area.

History

Portrait of Francis Fauquier, for whom Fauquier County was named

In 1608, the first European to explore in the vicinity, Captain John Smith, reported that the Whonkentia (a subgroup of the Siouan-speaking Manahoac tribe) inhabited the area. The Manahoac were forced out around 1670 by the Iroquois (Seneca), who did not resettle the area.^[3] The Conoy camped briefly near The Plains, from 1697 to 1699.^[4] The Six Nations ceded the entire region including modern Fauquier to Virginia Colony at the Treaty of Albany, in 1722.

Fauquier County was established on May 1, 1759, from Prince William County. It is named for Francis Fauquier,^[5] Lieutenant Governor of Virginia at the time, who won the land in a poker game, according to legend.

American Civil War battles in Fauquier County included (in order) the First Battle of Rappahannock Station, the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, the Battle of Kelly's Ford, the Battle of Aldie, the Battle of Middleburg, the Battle of Upperville, the First and Second Battle of Auburn, the Battle of Buckland Mills, and the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station.

Geography

View west along I-66/SR 55 and north along US 17 in northwestern Fauquier County

Clarke

Fauquier

Warren

Stafford

Loudoun

Rappahannock

Prince William

Culpeper

Fauquier and adjacent counties

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 651 square miles (1,690 km²), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km²) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) (0.6%) is water.^[6] Fauquier county is not densely populated, but exurban development from Washington, DC has sprung up in some parts. Even in rural areas, housing complexes can be seen along highways. The highest point by elevation is Blue Mountain at 2,208 ft (673 meters) on the county's northwestern border with Warren County.^[7]

Adjacent counties

• Clarke County (north)
• Loudoun County (north)
• Prince William County (east)
• Stafford County (southeast)
• Culpeper County (southwest)
• Rappahannock County (west)
• Warren County (northwest)

Major highways

• I-66
• US 15
• US 17
• US 29
• US 50
• US 211
• SR 28
• SR 55
• SR 215
• SR 245
• SR 355

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	17,892		—
1800	21,329		19.2%
1810	22,689		6.4%
1820	23,103		1.8%
1830	26,086		12.9%
1840	21,897		−16.1%
1850	20,868		−4.7%
1860	21,706		4.0%
1870	19,690		−9.3%
1880	22,993		16.8%
1890	22,590		−1.8%
1900	23,374		3.5%
1910	22,526		−3.6%
1920	21,869		−2.9%
1930	21,071		−3.6%
1940	21,039		−0.2%
1950	21,248		1.0%
1960	24,066		13.3%
1970	26,375		9.6%
1980	35,889		36.1%
1990	48,741		35.8%
2000	55,139		13.1%
2010	65,203		18.3%
2020	72,972		11.9%
2023 (est.)	75,165		3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]

2020 census

Fauquier County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010[12]	Pop 2020[13]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	53,410	54,969	81.91%	75.33%
Black or African American alone (NH)	5,232	4,999	8.02%	6.85%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	186	128	0.29%	0.18%
Asian alone (NH)	826	1,204	1.27%	1.65%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	27	49	0.04%	0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	103	339	0.16%	0.46%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	1,241	3,491	1.90%	4.78%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,178	7,793	6.41%	10.68%
Total	65,203	72,972	100.00%	100.00%

2000 Census

In 2000, there were 19,842 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.

In 2013, 24.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.40% was from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $93,762.^[14] The per capita income for the county was $39,600. About 3.70% of families and 5.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.70% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

The county is exurban. There has been increased growth in Warrenton and New Baltimore in recent years. The subdivisions of Brookside and Vint Hill have facilitated the growth in the eastern part of the county. There is some industry in Fauquier County, however the largest employer in the county is the county government and the hospital. As of the 2000 census, 47% of county residents that work have jobs that are outside the county.^[15] The average travel time to work is 39.2 minutes.

Government

Sheriff's Office headquarters in Warrenton

Board of Supervisors

• Cedar Run District: Richard Gerhardt (R) – Chairman
• Center District: Kevin T. Carter (R) - Vice Chairman
• Lee District: Daron Culbertson (R)
• Marshall District: Regan Washer (R)
• Scott District: Edwin W. "Ike" Broaddus (I) ^[16]

Constitutional officers

• Clerk of the Circuit Court: Gail H. Barb (R)
• Commissioner of the Revenue: Eric Maybach (R)
• Commonwealth's Attorney: Scott C. Hook (R)
• Sheriff: Jeremy A. Falls (R)
• Treasurer: Tanya Remson Wilcox (R)^[17]

Legislators

The Virginia Senate:

• Bryce Reeves (R)

The Virginia House of Delegates:

• Michael J. Webert (R)
• Geary Higgins (R)

The U.S. House of Representatives:

• Suhas Subramanyam (D)

^[18]

Law enforcement

The Fauquier County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in Fauquier County, Virginia. Its headquarters are in Warrenton.^[19] It supports the Warrenton Training Center, a CIA site in Warrenton.^{[citation needed]}

Warrenton and Remington have their own police departments.^[20][21]

Politics

Since 1952, Fauquier County has voted for the Republican Party in all but one presidential election.

United States presidential election results for Fauquier County, Virginia^[22]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	26,825	59.92%	17,180	38.38%	763	1.70%
2020	25,106	57.50%	17,565	40.23%	990	2.27%
2016	22,127	59.07%	12,971	34.63%	2,362	6.31%
2012	21,034	59.16%	13,965	39.28%	556	1.56%
2008	19,227	56.19%	14,616	42.71%	376	1.10%
2004	19,011	63.55%	10,712	35.81%	192	0.64%
2000	14,456	61.56%	8,296	35.33%	729	3.10%
1996	11,063	57.45%	6,759	35.10%	1,436	7.46%
1992	10,497	50.57%	6,600	31.79%	3,662	17.64%
1988	11,733	69.86%	4,837	28.80%	226	1.35%
1984	10,319	71.41%	4,056	28.07%	76	0.53%
1980	6,782	58.11%	4,119	35.30%	769	6.59%
1976	4,715	51.75%	4,002	43.92%	394	4.32%
1972	4,654	67.71%	2,039	29.67%	180	2.62%
1968	2,845	43.76%	2,099	32.29%	1,557	23.95%
1964	2,101	37.43%	3,506	62.46%	6	0.11%
1960	2,123	51.86%	1,958	47.83%	13	0.32%
1956	2,112	55.55%	1,567	41.22%	123	3.24%
1952	2,068	56.27%	1,597	43.46%	10	0.27%
1948	1,102	41.32%	1,291	48.41%	274	10.27%
1944	1,089	33.99%	2,110	65.86%	5	0.16%
1940	756	28.67%	1,874	71.07%	7	0.27%
1936	629	23.54%	2,037	76.24%	6	0.22%
1932	379	15.82%	1,999	83.43%	18	0.75%
1928	972	38.83%	1,531	61.17%	0	0.00%
1924	345	20.14%	1,277	74.55%	91	5.31%
1920	568	29.26%	1,365	70.32%	8	0.41%
1916	367	23.32%	1,204	76.49%	3	0.19%
1912	182	12.46%	1,187	81.25%	92	6.30%

Education

K-12 schools

Main article: Fauquier County Public Schools

Most of the county is in the Fauquier County Public Schools school division. The portion on Marine Corps Base Quantico is within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school district.^[23]

Fauquier County Public Schools facilities include:

Elementary schools

• C. M. Bradley Elementary School
• James G. Brumfield Elementary School
• W. G. Coleman Elementary School
• Grace Miller Elementary School
• H. M. Pearson Elementary School
• C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary School
• P. B. Smith Elementary School
• Claude Thompson Elementary School
• Mary Walter Elementary School
• Greenville Elementary School
• M. M. Pierce Elementary School

Middle schools

• Auburn Middle School
• Cedar Lee Middle School
• W. C. Taylor Middle School
• Marshall Middle School

High schools

• Fauquier High School
• Liberty High School
• Southeastern Alternative School
• Kettle Run High School
• Mountain Vista Governor's School

The zoned schools for areas on-post at MCB Quantico are Crossroads Elementary School and Quantico Middle/High School.^[24]

Private schools

• Fresta Valley Christian School
• Highland School
• St. John The Evangelist Catholic School^[25]
• Wakefield School

Higher education

• Laurel Ridge Community College
• Thorpe House Adult Learning Center

Economy

Top Employers

According to the county's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[26] the county's largest employers are:

Rank	Employer	Number of Employees
1	Fauquier County School Board	1,000 and over
2	County of Fauquier	500 to 999
3	Fauquier Health System	500 to 999
4	United States Department of Transportation	500 to 999
5	Walmart	250 to 499
6	Town of Warrenton	100 to 249
7	Food Lion	100 to 249
8	White Horse OPCO LLC	100 to 249
9	The Home Depot	100 to 249
10	Blue Ridge Orthopedic Associates	100 to 249

Communities

Towns

• Remington
• The Plains
• Warrenton (county seat)

Census-designated places

• Bealeton
• Calverton
• Catlett
• Marshall
• Midland
• New Baltimore
• Opal

Other unincorporated communities

• Airlie
• Atoka
• Belle Meade
• Belvoir
• Bleak
• Bristersburg
• Broad Run
• Casanova
• Delaplane
• Elk Run
• Germantown
• Goldvein
• Halfway
• Hume
• Liberty
• Linden
• Markham
• Morrisville
• Old Tavern
• Orlean
• Paris
• Rectortown
• Somerville
• Sumerduck
• Upperville

Notable people

• James Markham Ambler, American naval surgeon
• Turner Ashby, born in Fauquier County, Confederate Army colonel in the American Civil War.^[27]
• Martin Berkofsky, classical pianist and philanthropist.
• Matt Carson, Entrepreneur and author
• Irv Cross, American footballer and sportscaster.
• Susan Cummings, an heiress infamous for killing Argentine polo player Roberto Villegas.
• Robert Duvall, American-born actor who maintains a farm in The Plains.
• Bertram and Diana Firestone, owners of Newstead Farm.
• George B. Fitch, American businessman, Mayor of Warrenton, founder of Jamaican Bobsled Team.
• Rear Admiral Cary Travers Grayson, owner of historic Blue Ridge Farm.
• Eppa Hunton, U.S. Representative and Senator from Virginia, born and lived in Warrenton.
• Sandy Lerner, Cisco founder who maintains a farm in Upperville.
• Charles Marshall, born in Warrenton, assistant adjutant general, aide de camp and military secretary to Gen. Robert E. Lee. Grandnephew of Chief Justice John Marshall.
• James K. Marshall, Colonel in the Confederate States Army, killed in action during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg while leading the brigade of J. Johnston Pettigrew, grandson of Chief Justice John Marshall.
• John Marshall, born in Fauquier County, Chief Justice of the United States.
• Paul Mellon, philanthropist, an Exemplar of Racing and owner of Rokeby Farm.
• John S. Mosby, lived in Warrenton, was a Confederate partisan ranger and cavalryman during the American Civil War. Buried in Warrenton cemetery.
• Presley O'Bannon, of the First Barbary War, born in Fauquier County
• Karen O'Connor and David O'Connor, Olympic eventing riders
• Dorothy B. Porter, Bibliographer and curator, built the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
• Albert Rust, 19th-century American politician who served as a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
• Michaele Salahi and Tareq Salahi, the White House Gate Crashers.
• Willard Scott, an American media personality best known for his work on NBC's The Today Show who lived in Paris, Virginia.
• Scott Shipp, born in Warrenton, Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute from 1890 to 1907.
• Isabel Dodge Sloane, owner of Brookmeade Stud.
• William "Extra Billy" Smith, died in Warrenton, was a lawyer, congressman, two-time Governor of Virginia and one of the oldest Confederate generals in the American Civil War.
• Shedrick Thompson, disputed lynching victim
• Liz Whitney Tippett, owner of the Llangollen estate.
• William B. Waddell (Pony Express founder), Pony Express founder

See also

• Fauquier County Sheriff's Office
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fauquier County, Virginia
• Timeline of Fauquier County, Virginia in the Civil War
• Fauquier, British Columbia