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Augusta County, Virginia

Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its county seat is Staunton, but most of the administrative services have offices in neighboring Verona.

History
built in 1749 Augusta County was formed in 1738 from Orange County, although, because few people lived there, the county government was not organized until 1745. It was named for Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales and mother of the future King George III of the United Kingdom. Originally, Augusta County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Most of what is now West Virginia as well as the whole of Kentucky were within its early bounds. Additionally, the territory north and west of those areas, theoretically all the way to the Pacific Ocean, were as well. The Virginia Central Railroad ran through the county, linking the Shenandoah Valley to the Confederate capital at Richmond. One of the bloodiest engagements fought in the Shenandoah Valley took place on June 5, 1864, at the Battle of Piedmont, a Union victory that allowed the Union Army to occupy Staunton and destroy many of the facilities that supported the Confederate war effort. Augusta County suffered again during General Philip H. Sheridan's "Burning," which destroyed many farms and killed virtually all of the farm animals. Staunton, the county seat for many years, was incorporated as a city in 1871 and separated from Augusta County in 1902. However, it remained the county seat. ==Geography==
Geography
toward the Blue Ridge Mountains According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Virginia by land area and second-largest by total area. Adjacent counties and independent citiesStaunton (Enclaved) • Waynesboro (Enclaved) • Pendleton County, West Virginia (North) • Rockingham County (Northeast) • Albemarle County (East) • Nelson County (Southeast) • Rockbridge County (Southwest) • Bath County (West) • Highland County (Northwest) Districts The county is divided into seven magisterial districts: Beverley Manor, Middle River, North River, Pastures, Riverheads, South River, and Wayne. School systems The county is serviced by Augusta County Public Schools. National protected areasBlue Ridge Parkway (part) • George Washington National Forest (part) • Shenandoah National Park (part) Regional parkNatural Chimneys Major highways • • • • • • • • • • • • • ==Demographics==
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 77,487. The median age was 44.9 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.8 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% White, 4.0% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.5% of the population. There were 30,233 households in the county, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 65,615 people, 24,818 households, and 18,911 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 26,738 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.02% White, 3.60% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 24,818 households, of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.70% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.80% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.94. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,045, and the median income for a family was $48,579. Males had a median income of $31,577 versus $24,233 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,744. About 4.20% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over. Area populations According to the 2010 US Census data, below are the populations of the two towns and select unincorporated communities within Augusta County: The majority of Grottoes is located in Rockingham County. Only seven of the town's 2,668 residents reside in Augusta County. ==Government==
Government
Board of Supervisors • Beverley Manor district: Butch Wells (R) • Middle River district: Gerald W. Garber (R) • North River district: Jeffrey “Jeff” Slaven (R) • Pastures district: Pam L. Carter (R) • Riverheads district: Michael L. Shull (R) • South River district: Carolyn Bragg (R) • Wayne district: Scott Seaton (R) Constitutional Officers • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Steve Landes (R) • Commissioner of the Revenue: George Price (R) • Commonwealth's Attorney: Tim Martin (R) • Sheriff: Donald L. Smith (I) (Elected as Independent but Republican) • Treasurer: David Bourne (R) State and Federal Augusta County is represented by Republican Mark Obenshain and Chris Head in the Virginia Senate, Republican Ellen Campbell and Republican Chris Runion in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Ben Cline in the U.S. House of Representatives. Law enforcement The Augusta County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in Augusta County. The ACSO was created in 1745 when James Patton was elected as the first sheriff. The ACSO was accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Accreditation Coalition. The agency is currently headed by Sheriff Donald Smith. The ACSO currently has 72 sworn deputies and 6 dispatchers. In 2021, the sheriff's department arrested eight individuals for protesting outside the Sheriff's Office. In response to the shooting of two men by deputies earlier that year, the protestors wanted deputies to use body cameras. Most of the charges were thrown out by a judge in 2022. Body cameras were not included in the 2022 budget: initially the county board of supervisors instead created a fund for body cameras that the community could donate to, but they shortly rescinded that decision over a desire to avoid contributions to the fund by the protesting group. ==Economy==
Economy
According to the county's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county are: ==Communities==
Communities
The independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro (incorporated as such in 1902 and 1948 respectively) are located within the boundaries of Augusta County, but are not a part of the county, despite Staunton's status as the county seat. Most county administrative offices, however, are located in Verona, rather than in Staunton. TownsCraigsvilleGrottoes (partial) Census-designated placesAugusta SpringsChurchvilleCrimoraDeerfieldDoomsFishersvilleGreenvilleHarristonJolivueLyndhurstMiddlebrookMount SidneyNew HopeSherandoStuarts DraftVeronaWeyers CaveWintergreen (mostly in Nelson County) Other unincorporated communitiesFort DefianceLoveMint SpringMount SolonSpring HillSteeles TavernSwoopeWest Augusta ==Notable people==
Notable people
Thomas Adams, born in Augusta County, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and signer of the Articles of ConfederationRobert Allen, born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from TennesseeThomas Lewis, Jr., born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Virginia. • James Patton (1692-1755), Irish immigrant who served as Justice of the Peace, Colonel of Militia and Chief Commander of the Augusta County Militia, County Lieutenant, President of the Augusta Court, county coroner, county escheator, and County Sheriff. • Joel F. Salatin (b. 1957), founder, owner and manager of Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. • Kate Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) born in Augusta County, Greenville, VA. An American contralto.[1][2][3][4] Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain". • Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) 28th President of the United States of America, 34th Governor of New Jersey, and 13th President of Princeton University located in Princeton, New Jersey. ==See also==
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