York County, Virginia
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Map_of_Virginia_highlighting_York_County.png
Image:Map of Virginia highlighting York County.png
York County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the state of Virginia. As of 2000, the population is 56,298. Its county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown6. It is located in the Hampton Roads region.
The county was formed in 1634 as Charles River Shire for King Charles I, one of the eight original shires in the Colony of Virginia. It was renamed in 1642-43 as York County. The river, county, and town are believed to have been was named for York, a city in Northern England. The first courthouse and jail were located near what is now Yorktown although the community, founded as a port for shipping tobacco to Europe, as variously called Port of York, Borough of York, York, Town of York, until and Yorktown was established in 1691. Never incorporated as a town, Yorktown is the county seat of York County. The only town ever incorporated within the county's boundaries was Poquoson, which was incorporated in 1952 and became an independent city in 1975.
It is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in 1781, ending the American Revolutionary War. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War (1861-1865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time.
Today, Yorktown is part of an important national resource known as the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg, and is the northern terminus of the Colonial Parkway.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 558 km² (216 mi²). 274 km² (106 mi²) of it is land and 285 km² (110 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 50.98% water. It is near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Adjacent counties and cities
- Gloucester County, Virginia (northeast)
- Poquoson, Virginia (southeast)
- Hampton, Virginia (south)
- Newport News, Virginia (southwest)
- James City County, Virginia (west)
- Williamsburg, Virginia (west)
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 56,297 people, 20,000 households, and 15,880 families residing in the county. The population density is 206/km² (533/mi²). There are 20,701 housing units at an average density of 76/km² (196/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 80.00% White, 13.38% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 20,000 households out of which 42.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.30% are married couples living together, 9.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 20.60% are non-families. 16.70% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.40% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.78 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the county, the population is spread out with 29.10% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $57,956, and the median income for a family is $64,892. Males have a median income of $42,948 versus $28,713 for females. The per capita income for the county is $24,560. 3.50% of the population and 2.70% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.90% of those under the age of 18 and 3.80% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.