Lexington, Virginia

Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the state of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,867. Lexington is located in western Virginia, northwest of Lynchburg; it was first settled in 1777.

It is home to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Washington and Lee University. It is the county seat of Rockbridge CountyTemplate:GR.

Lexington was partially razed during the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are buried here.

Contents

1 Economy 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Points of interest 5 External links

Economy

Today, Lexington's primary economic activity stems from higher education and tourism. Host to Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University, Lexington is first and foremost a small college town. As a Civil War attraction, Lexington attracts visitors from around the country. Items of interest in Lexington include the Stonewall Jackson House, Lee Chapel, Lime Kiln Theater, and the downtown historic district.

Lexington also contains a host of small businesses, catering to a unique mixture of tourist and collegiate clientel. Among the more noteworthy are the Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company, the Wilson-Walker House, and Virginia Born and Bred. Lexington's downtown district is also noteworthy as a set for several feature films. One of the main motion pictures was Sommersby, starring Richard Gere, Bill Pullman, James Earl Jones, and Jodie Foster. Most recently, in Fall of 2004, director Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise came, and ended up filming scenes for War of the Worlds here, with Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins.

Geography

Lexington is located at 37°46'58" North, 79°26'42" West (37.782938, -79.445198)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²). None of the area is covered with water. The Maury River, a tributary of the James River, forms the city's northeastern boundary.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 6,867 people, 2,232 households, and 1,080 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,064.8/km² (2,753.8/mi²). There are 2,376 housing units at an average density of 368.4/km² (952.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 86.01% White, 10.38% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.59% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,232 households out of which 18.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% are married couples living together, 8.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% are non-families. 41.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.06 and the average family size is 2.76.

The age distribution, which is heavily influenced by the city's two colleges, is: 11.0% under the age of 18, 41.4% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 123.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 127.2 males. The unusual sex distribution can be partially explained by the presence of VMI, which did not admit women until 1997 and remains overwhelmingly male today.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,982, and the median income for a family is $58,529. Males have a median income of $35,288 versus $26,094 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,497. 21.6% of the population and 8.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.9% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. However, traditional poverty statistics can be misleading when applied to communities with a large proportion of students, such as Lexington.

Points of interest

• Boxerwood Gardens
• Robert E. Lee grave site
• Stonewall Jackson grave site
• Virginia Military Institute
• Washington and Lee University

External links

• City of Lexington (http://www.ci.lexington.va.us/)

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