Culpeper County is a United States county located in the north-central part of the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is included in the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area, and its population was 52,552 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is the town of Culpeper.

Culpeper County was created in 1749, and its first county surveyor was a young George Washington. The county and its residents played notable roles in America's early wars, including raising the Culpeper Minutemen, a militia that fought in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

History

Native American presence

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of future Culpeper County were a Siouan-speaking sub-group of the Manahoac tribe called the Tegninateo, allies to the Monacans and other central Virginian tribes further west. Captain John Smith mapped the area between the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers in 1608, locating 4 Sioux villages therein.

The Manahoac were known to clear large tracts of forest to attract big game to their territory, and built impressive burial mounds. Though the tribe was initially sheltered from European encroachment by their position west of the fall line, they were steadily wiped out by disease and gradually increased conflict with settlers. The remnants of the tribe were first driven south towards the upper Mattaponi, then westwards into the Blue Ridge; they had largely disappeared from the Piedmont region by the time that Culpeper was intensively settled by the colonists. One of his first duties was to lay out the county's courthouse complex, which included the courthouse, jail, stocks, gallows and accessory buildings. By 1752 the complex stood at the present northeast corner of Davis and Main Streets. The courthouse village was named Town of Fairfax for Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781).

Revolution and post-colonial era

During the Virginia convention held in May 1775, the colony was divided into sixteen districts. Each district had instructions to raise a battalion of men "to march at a minute's notice." Culpeper, Orange and Fauquier, forming one district, raised 350 men in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate; they were called the Culpeper Minute Men. In December, the Minute Men, marching under their flag depicting a rattlesnake and inscribed with the words "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me", took part in the Battle of Great Bridge, the first Revolutionary battle on Virginia soil. The Culpeper Minute Men reorganized in 1860 in response to the impending Civil War and became part of 13th Infantry's Company B, fighting against the US Government forces. The Culpeper Minutemen were again organized for World War I, and joined the 116th Infantry.left|thumb|[[A. P. Hill is buried in Culpeper, his boyhood home]]

Antebellum and the Civil War

In 1833, based on the county's growing population and the need of those in the northwestern area for easier access to a county seat, the upper of Culpeper County was partitioned off to create Rappahannock County, Virginia, which was founded by an act of the Virginia General Assembly.

The Battle of Cedar Mountain took place during the Civil War on August 9, 1862, and the Battle of Brandy Station occurred on June 9, 1863, in Culpeper County. Culpeper was the boyhood home of General A. P. Hill, who fought against Union forces.

20th century

The negative impact of the Massive Resistance campaign against school integration led to the statewide election of a pro-desegregation governor. By the middle of the 1970s, Culpeper was the last county in Virginia to desegregate its public schools. In 2018 Culpeper County Public Schools has six elementary, two middle schools and two high schools. In 1935 the Rotary Club of Culpeper began a college loan fund, which in 1966 became a four-year scholarship based on academic achievement. The group also provides a Technical School scholarship based on academic achievement.

Culpeper County is home to Commonwealth Park, site for many world-class equestrian events. It was here that actor Christopher Reeve suffered his 1995 accident during a competition.

The town of Culpeper was rated #10 by Norman Crampton, author of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," in February 1993.

21st century

In April 2016, the county Board of Supervisors denied a routine request from the Islamic Center of Culpeper for a pump and haul permit to serve their envisioned mosque. This resulted in a lawsuit by the US Department of Justice in December.

Economy

Culpeper County has a civilian workforce of 24,313. 30% of residents live and work within the county while 70% of workers commute out of the locality. The most residents are commuting to Fairfax or Fauquier counties. In comparison, the equivalent of 45% are in-commuters. The most in-commuters are coming from Orange County.

200px|thumb|Cornfields east of CulpeperThe Top 10 non-governmental Culpeper employers as of March 2023: The rolling hills generally slope to the south and east, with its highest point near its west corner at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.thumb|right|US 15/US 29 near Culpeper in Culpeper County

Major highways

thumb|right|250px|[[U.S. Route 211 as it passes through Culpeper County]]

Adjacent counties

  • Fauquier County - north
  • Stafford County – east
  • Spotsylvania County - southeast
  • Orange County – south
  • Madison County – southwest
  • Rappahannock County – northwest

Protected areas

  • Brandy Station Battlefield Park
  • Mountain Run Lake Park

Lakes

  • Balds Run Reservoir
  • Brandy Rock Farm Lake
  • Caynor Lake
  • Lake Culpeper
  • Merrimac/Mountain Run Lake
  • Cedar Mountain District: David E. Durr (I)
  • East Fairfax District: David C. Lee (I)
  • Jefferson District: Brad C. Rosenberger (R)
  • Salem District: Tom Underwood (R)
  • Stevensburg District: Susan L. Gugino (R)
  • West Fairfax District: Gary M. Deal, Chairman (I)

Constitutional Offices

  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Carson Beard (I)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Terry L. Yowell (I)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Russ Rabb (R)
  • Sheriff: Timothy W. Chilton (I)
  • Treasurer: Missy N. White (R)

State representatives

Culpeper County is represented by Republicans Bryce E. Reeves, Emmett W. Hanger Jr., and Jill Holtzman Vogel in the Virginia Senate, Republicans Michael J. Webert and Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Democrat Eugene Vindman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Culpeper County has been a Republican stronghold for several decades. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was 1964.

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Procurement

Recent media investigations regarding law enforcement procurement of military equipment through the 1033 Program offered by the Defense Logistics Agency identified Culpeper County as having received, as donations, a "Mine Resistant Vehicle" in 2013 worth $412,000 and 20 night-vision optics worth an additional $136,000.

Demographics