Dickenson County is a mountainous United States county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia on the Appalachian Plateau. Bordering Kentucky, Dickenson is situated near the far western point of Virginia. Its county seat is Clintwood, and, as of the 2020 census, the county population was 14,124.
Formed in 1880 from parts of several western Virginia counties, Dickenson is the most recently created county in the state. The county was named in honor of William J. Dickenson, a long serving local member of the Virginia General Assembly, who sponsored the creation of the new county.
History
Dickenson County, formed in 1880 from parts of Buchanan County, Russell County, and Wise County, is Virginia's youngest county. It was named for William J. Dickenson (1827-1907), delegate to the Virginia General Assembly from Russell County, 1859–1861, 1865–1867, and 1877–1882. This formation came as a result of demands from the inhabitants that they be represented by a county government closer to the people. In 1880, Delegate Dickenson sponsored the bill in the House of Delegates to establish Dickenson County as the one-hundredth county in Virginia. Dickenson County has since become known as "Virginia's Baby." On June 13, 1932, 10 people were killed when the Splashdam Mine exploded.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.
Districts
The county is divided into five magisterial districts with a supervisor elected from each district every four years. The districts are: Clintwood, Ervinton, Sandlick, Kenady, and Willis.
Adjacent counties
- Buchanan County – northeast
- Russell County – southeast
- Wise County – southwest
- Pike County, Kentucky – northwest
National protected area
- Jefferson National Forest (part)