Craig County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig County
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Craig County Courthouse in New Castle
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Virginia |
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| Founded | 1851 | ||
| Named for | Robert Craig | ||
| Seat | New Castle | ||
| Largest town | New Castle | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 331 sq mi (860 km2) | ||
| • Land | 330 sq mi (900 km2) | ||
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2) 0.3% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,892 | ||
| • Density | 14.779/sq mi (5.706/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 9th | ||
Craig County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,892. Its county seat is New Castle.
Craig County is part of the Roanoke, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Craig County was named for Robert Craig, a 19th-century Virginia congressman. The initial outpost in the area was called "Craig's Camp," and it is claimed that George Washington visited it in 1756 during his travels to the frontier. Formed from parts of Botetourt, Roanoke, Giles, and Monroe (in present-day West Virginia) counties in 1851, Craig was later enlarged with several subsequent additions from neighboring counties.
The secluded, mountainous New Castle community, the county seat, has one of the commonwealth's antebellum court complexes, including a porticoed courthouse built in 1852. Craig Healing Springs, a collection of well-preserved early-20th-century resort buildings representative of the architecture of Virginia's more modest mountain spas, is located here.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 330.6 square miles (856.3 km2), of which 329.5 square miles (853.4 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.3%) is water. Most of the county is national forest. Craig County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.
Adjacent counties
- Alleghany County – north
- Botetourt County – east
- Roanoke County – southeast
- Montgomery County – south
- Giles County – southwest
- Monroe County, West Virginia – west
National protected area
- Jefferson National Forest (part)
Major highways
SR 18
SR 42
SR 311
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 3,553 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,942 | −17.2% | |
| 1880 | 3,794 | 29.0% | |
| 1890 | 3,835 | 1.1% | |
| 1900 | 4,293 | 11.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,711 | 9.7% | |
| 1920 | 4,100 | −13.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,562 | −13.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,769 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,452 | −8.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,356 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,524 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,948 | 12.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,372 | 10.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,091 | 16.4% | |
| 2010 | 5,190 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 4,892 | −5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,103 | 4,631 | 98.32% | 94.66% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5 | 11 | 0.10% | 0.22% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 6 | 5 | 0.12% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 8 | 11 | 0.15% | 0.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 1 | 12 | 0.02% | 0.25% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 31 | 166 | 0.60% | 3.39% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 36 | 53 | 0.69% | 1.08% |
| Total | 5,190 | 4,892 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Communities
Town
Unincorporated communities
- Abbott
- Maggie
- Paint Bank
- Simmonsville
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Craig (Virginia) para niños
