Shenandoah County, Virginia

Shenandoah County
U.S. county
Shenandoah County Courthouse in Woodstock
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°52′N 78°34′W / 38.86°N 78.57°W / 38.86; -78.57
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1772
Named for	Shenandoah River
Seat	Woodstock
Largest town	Strasburg
Area
• Total	512 sq mi (1,330 km2)
• Land	509 sq mi (1,320 km2)
• Water	3.4 sq mi (9 km2)  0.7%
Population  (2010)
• Total	41,993
• Estimate  (2018)[1]	43,497
• Density	82/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.shenandoahcountyva.us

Shenandoah County (formerly Dunmore County) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,993.^[2] Its county seat is Woodstock.^[3] It is part of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.

History[]

The Senedos, possibly an Iroquoian group, are thought to have occupied the area at one time, until they were said to have been slaughtered by the Catawba in the later 17th century. The name of both the Valley and of the County is most likely connected with this Native American group. It has also been attributed to General George Washington naming it in honor of John Skenandoa, an Oneida chief from New York who helped gain support of Oneida and Tuscarora warriors to aid the rebel colonists during the American Revolutionary War.

Colonial Governor Gooch formally purchased the entire Shenandoah Valley from the Six Nations of the Iroquois by the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. The Iroquois controlled the valley as a hunting ground. European settlement had already begun by that time. During Pontiac's War (1763–1766), Shawnee attacks reached as far east as the current county.

Shenandoah County was established in 1772. It was originally named Dunmore County for Virginia Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. Woodstock was the county seat. Dunmore was Virginia's last royal governor, and was forced from office during the American Revolution. During the war, in 1778 rebels renamed the county as Shenandoah.

During the Civil War, the Battle of New Market took place May 15, 1864.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,330 km²), of which 509 square miles (1,320 km²) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) (0.7%) is water.^[4] The Fort Valley and western slopes of the Massanutten Mountain are located within the county.

Adjacent counties[]

• Hardy County, West Virginia – northwest
• Frederick County, Virginia – northeast
• Warren County, Virginia – east
• Page County, Virginia – southeast
• Rockingham County, Virginia – southwest

National protected areas[]

• Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (part)
• George Washington National Forest (part)

Transportation[]

• Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus Service offers weekday commuter bus service from the Northern Shenandoah Valley including Shenandoah County and Warren County to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. including Arlington County and Fairfax County. Origination points in Shenandoah County include Woodstock. Origination points in Warren County include Front Royal and Linden.

Major highways[]

• I-81
• US 11
• US 48
• US 211
• SR 42
• SR 55
• SR 211
• SR 263

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	10,510		—
1800	13,823		31.5%
1810	13,646		−1.3%
1820	18,926		38.7%
1830	19,750		4.4%
1840	11,618		−41.2%
1850	13,768		18.5%
1860	13,896		0.9%
1870	14,936		7.5%
1880	18,204		21.9%
1890	19,671		8.1%
1900	20,253		3.0%
1910	20,942		3.4%
1920	20,808		−0.6%
1930	20,655		−0.7%
1940	20,898		1.2%
1950	21,169		1.3%
1960	21,825		3.1%
1970	22,852		4.7%
1980	27,559		20.6%
1990	31,636		14.8%
2000	35,075		10.9%
2010	41,993		19.7%
2019 (est.)	43,616	[5]	3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2012[2]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 41,993 people living in the county. 93.0% were White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% of some other race and 1.6% of two or more races. 6.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 26.4% were of American, 22.0% German, 10.3% English and 7.6% Irish ancestry.^[10]

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families living in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.60% White, 1.17% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 3.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,296 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,173, and the median income for a family was $45,080. Males had a median income of $29,952 versus $22,312 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,755. About 5.80% of families and 8.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.10% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

Private[]

Secondary institutions[]

• Shenandoah Valley Academy
• Massanutten Military Academy

Primary institutions[]

• Shenandoah Valley Adventist Elementary School
• Valley Baptist Christian School

Public[]

High schools[]

• Stonewall Jackson High School
• Strasburg High School
• Central High School

Elementary and middle schools[]

• W.W. Robinson Elementary School
• Peter Muhlenberg Middle School
• Ashby Lee Elementary School
• North Fork Middle School
• Sandy Hook Elementary School
• Signal Knob Middle School

Other[]

• Triplett Tech
• Massanutten Regional Governor's School

Communities[]

Towns[]

Census-designated places[]

• Basye (pop. 1,253)
• Maurertown (pop. 770)

Other unincorporated communities[]

Politics[]

Politically, Shenandoah County is a massive outlier in Virginia. It is one of the most Republican counties in Virginia, a trend that predates the rest of western Virginia moving away from the Democratic Party. It was first won by a Republican Presidential nominee in 1896, and has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1936, and in all but one election since 1920. Nearly solidly Democratic before 1900, the county began voting Republican in statewide elections around the beginning of the 20th century but was a swing county. In the 1920s it became solidly Republican at a statewide level, with the exception of Democratic local hero Harry F. Byrd and his son. This early swing to the GOP came from the county’s rural voters being overwhelmingly German American Republicans, which overpowered the conservative Southern Democrat vote in the county population centers of New Market, Woodstock, and Strasburg.

Additionally, in 1856, Shenandoah County was the only county in Virginia to record votes in favor of the Republican Candidate, John C. Frémont.

See also[]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Shenandoah County, Virginia
• New Market Airport
• Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office
• Shenandoah Local History Collection at James Madison University's Special Collections.
• Shenandoah Valley Miscellaneous Ledgers, Minute Books and Registers collection at James Madison University's Special Collections.
• The Stone and Holt Weeks Foundation

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shenandoah County, Virginia.

Coordinates: 38°52′N 78°34′W / 38.86°N 78.57°W / 38.86; -78.57