Fauquier County is a United States county located on the Piedmont plateau of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Part of the Northern Virginia region, Fauquier is included in the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 72,972. The county seat is the large historic town of Warrenton.
The county was created in 1759 from part of Prince William County and was named in honor of Francis Fauquier, the administrative head of Virginia Colony at the time. Fauquier hosts the Virginia Gold Cup, which, having started in 1922, is one of the longest running steeplechase horse race events in the United States.
History
thumb|left|200px|Portrait of Francis Fauquier, for whom Fauquier County was named
In 1608, the first European to explore in the vicinity, Captain John Smith, reported that the Whonkentia (a subgroup of the Siouan-speaking Manahoac tribe) inhabited the area. The Manahoac were forced out around 1670 by the Iroquois (Seneca), who did not resettle the area. The Conoy camped briefly near The Plains, from 1697 to 1699. The Six Nations ceded the entire region including modern Fauquier to Virginia Colony at the Treaty of Albany, in 1722.
Fauquier County was established on May 1, 1759, from Prince William County. It is named for Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia at the time, who won the land in a poker game, according to legend.
American Civil War battles in Fauquier County included (in order) the First Battle of Rappahannock Station, the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, the Battle of Kelly's Ford, the Battle of Aldie, the Battle of Middleburg, the Battle of Upperville, the First and Second Battle of Auburn, the Battle of Buckland Mills, and the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station.
Geography
thumb|right|View west along I-66/SR 55 and north along US 17 in northwestern Fauquier County
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
Fauquier County is not densely populated, but exurban development from Washington, DC has sprung up in some parts. Even in rural areas, housing complexes can be seen along highways. The highest point by elevation is Blue Mountain at on the county's northwestern border with Warren County.
Adjacent counties
- Clarke County (north)
- Loudoun County (north)
- Prince William County (east)
- Stafford County (southeast)
- Culpeper County (southwest)
- Rappahannock County (west)
- Warren County (northwest)