| Henrico County, Virginia | |||
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Location in the state of Virginia |
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Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1634 | ||
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| Seat | Richmond | ||
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
245 sq mi (635 km²) 238 sq mi (616 km²) 7 sq mi (18 km²), 2.67% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
306,935 1,291/sq mi (498.3/km²) |
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| Website | www.co.henrico.va.us | ||
Henrico ( /hɛnˈraɪkoʊ/) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people.[1] It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Founded in 1634 as one of the eight original shires of Virginia, Henrico is one of the oldest counties in the United States.
The shape of Henrico County curves around the northern side of the city of Richmond.[2]
The independent city of Richmond was located within Henrico County until a state constitutional change in 1871 created independent cities. Due to the geography in which the James River approaches Richmond from almost due west, and turns almost due south below the fall line for about 8 miles before turning east again, the land within Henrico County currently surrounds the independent city of Richmond to the West, North, and East.
Richmond International Raceway is located in the central portion of Henrico County near Mechanicsville, just north of the City of Richmond corporate limits.
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Henrico County is one of the eight original Shires of Virginia established by the English in 1636 in the Virginia Colony, and one of seven considered still extant in their original form (county).
Formed originally as Henrico Shire, and shortly thereafter termed a "county," Henrico County was named for Henricus, a community founded in 1611 by Sir Thomas Dale. During the Indian Massacre of 1622, the chief Opechancanough led the Powhatan Confederacy against the English settlements to try to expel them from the territory; warriors destroyed Henricus.
Cape Henry at the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Henricus, Henrico Cittie, and later Henrico County, were all named for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of James I of England. Prince Henry showed great promise, and his death from typhoid fever at the age of eighteen was regarded as a tragedy for England.
On November 18, 1618, the Virginia Company of London, proprietor of the colony, gave instructions on the formation of a laudable government for the Colony to Sir George Yeardley when he departed from London to become full governor of Virginia. As directed, in 1619, Governor Yeardly established four large corporations, termed citties, which were designated to encompass the developed portion of the colony. These were Kecoughtan (later renamed Elizabeth Cittie), James Cittie, Charles Cittie, and Henrico Cittie.
In 1634, the King of England ordered the colony, which numbered about 5,000 settlers, to be divided into eight shires, or counties. One of these original shires (of which six are still considered extant) was Henrico County.
Henrico County originally extended to both the north and south sides of the James River (named in 1607 for King James I). Henrico's first boundaries incorporated an area from which 10 Virginia counties were later formed in whole or in part, as well as the independent cities of Richmond, Charlottesville, and Colonial Heights.
Archeologists located the original site of Henricus late in the 20th century. On the south side of the James River (across from the original site of Varina, it is now located in Chesterfield County. The county developed Henricus Historical Park around the archeological site.
The original county seat was at Varina, at the Varina Farms plantation across the James River from Henricus. John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas were thought to have lived there, where their son Thomas Rolfe may have been born. (In modern times, Varina Farm is still actively cultivated and can be seen from Interstate 295 to the east just north of the Varina-Enon Bridge.)
The Henrico-Glebe house at Varina was the location where Reverend Dr. James Blair, rector of Henrico Parish, is believed to have drawn up the plans for a new school, long a goal of the colonists of Virginia. Working in the last quarter of the 17th century, he was believed to have based his plans on earlier ones from Henricus, where a college had been started. After Blair's two-year mission to England at the request of the House of Burgesses, the government granted a charter for the college. It was built and named the College of William and Mary at Middle Plantation in 1693, the second oldest school of higher education in the United States.
The county seat remained at Varina until 1752, when it was relocated to the new Henrico County Court House, located at 22nd and Main streets (2125 East Main Street). There it remained for more than 200 years, although after Richmond was separated as an independent city, the county seat was within the city limits.
During the Civil War, in 1862 Henrico County was the site of the following numerous battles during the Peninsula Campaign:
Additional significant battles took place in 1864 during the Overland Campaign prior to and during the Siege of Petersburg, which led to the fall of Richmond. Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart was mortally wounded in Henrico County at the Battle of Yellow Tavern on May 12, 1864.
Prior to 1870, the Town and later City of Richmond was located within Henrico County. Under a new Virginia state constitution in 1870, and as further clarified by another one in 1902, Richmond became an independent city. But, for many years, the county seat remained within the Richmond city limits, a circumstance not uncommon in Virginia.
At the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, several small incorporated towns were chartered by Acts of Assembly, primarily in areas of the county near to, but outside of, the city limits. As listed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, these included:
Henrico County is one of only two counties in Virginia that maintain their own roads, the other being Arlington County. This special status was due to the existence of county highway departments prior to the creation of the state agency that is now VDOT in 1927, and the assumption of local roads in most counties by that agency in 1932. (Henrico and Arlington were grandfathered and allowed to continue pre-existing arrangements.) The control of the roads system is considered a powerful advantage for community urban planners, who can require developers to contribute to funding needed for road needs serving the planners' projects.
Henrico County is the site of Richmond International Airport. It also hosts an Amtrak rail passenger station and purchases public bus route services from Greater Richmond Transit Company, an FTA-funded public service company that is owned equally by the City of Richmond and neighboring Chesterfield County.
Interstate highways include Interstate 64, Interstate 95, and Interstate 295. Other major highways include U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 33, U.S. Route 60, U.S. Route 250, U.S. Route 301, and U.S. Route 360, as well as State Route 5, State Route 6, State Route 33, State Route 73, State Route 150, State Route 161, State Route 288, and State Route 895.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 245 square miles (634.5 km2).Of that, 238 square miles (616.4 km2) is land and 7 square miles (18.1 km2) (2.67%) is water.
There are no existing incorporated towns, and no new municipalities can be created within the county. Henrico was the third Virginia county (after Arlington and Fairfax counties) to be affected by a state law that prohibits the creation of any new towns or cities within the boundaries of a county with a population density of 1,000 or more per square mile.
Many of these CDPs have Richmond mailing addresses.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 12,000 |
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| 1800 | 14,886 | 24.1% | |
| 1810 | 19,680 | 32.2% | |
| 1820 | 23,667 | 20.3% | |
| 1830 | 28,797 | 21.7% | |
| 1840 | 33,076 | 14.9% | |
| 1850 | 43,572 | 31.7% | |
| 1860 | 61,616 | 41.4% | |
| 1870 | 66,179 | 7.4% | |
| 1880 | 82,703 | 25.0% | |
| 1890 | 103,394 | 25.0% | |
| 1900 | 30,062 | −70.9% | |
| 1910 | 23,437 | −22.0% | |
| 1920 | 18,972 | −19.1% | |
| 1930 | 30,310 | 59.8% | |
| 1940 | 41,960 | 38.4% | |
| 1950 | 57,340 | 36.7% | |
| 1960 | 117,339 | 104.6% | |
| 1970 | 154,364 | 31.6% | |
| 1980 | 180,735 | 17.1% | |
| 1990 | 217,881 | 20.6% | |
| 2000 | 262,300 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 306,935 | 17.0% | |
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 262,300 people, 108,121 households, and 69,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,102 people per square mile (425/km²). There were 112,570 housing units at an average density of 473 per square mile (183/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.91% White, 24.71% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. About 2.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Henrico County are: Black or African American (25%), English American (14%), German (11%), Irish (10%) and Italian(4%)[6]
There were 108,121 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.30% were married couples living together, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.40% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $49,185, and the median income for a family was $59,298. Males had a median income of $40,203 versus $29,795 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,410. About 4.50% of families and 6.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.10% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.
Henrico County is managed by an appointed County Manager who answers directly to the Board of Supervisors. The current County Manager is Virgil R. Hazelett.
The Board of Supervisors are:
In 1992 and again in 1993, City and State magazine ranked Henrico County as the second best fiscally managed county in the United States.
The first known mention of an "officer" in Henrico was the appointment of a Special Police Officer on December 14, 1871. There is no further mention until 1908 when the Board of Supervisors recommended that a mounted patrol be used. The first major step toward today's department was in 1915 when T. Wilson Seay was appointed the first Chief of Police. When the County converted to the County Manager form of government in 1934 there were 8 police officers. In 1938 the Board of Supervisors placed the Division of Police under direct control of the County Manager, thus removing any political ties with the Sheriff's office. The Division of Police has seen steady growth and improvement over the past 70 years.
With an authorized complement of 584 sworn police officers, the Chief of Police is the chief law enforcement officer in the County. The Chief is appointed by the County Manager. The elected Sheriff's primary duties are managing the jail, court security, and the service of civil process.
The Henrico County Police is fully accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission.
Colonel Henry W. Stanley, Jr., served as Chief of Police for the Henrico County Division of Police from August 1995 to April 2011 when he retired after being a member of the Division since 1962. Lt. Colonel Douglas A. Middleton was appointed as the new Chief of Police effective April 9, 2011.
Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris) had its corporate headquarters in an unincorporated area in Henrico County.[7] In 2003 Philip Morris announced that it would move its headquarters from New York City to Virginia. The company said that it planned to keep around 750 employees in its former headquarters. Brendan McCormick, a spokesperson for Philip Morris, said that the company estimated that the move would save the company over $60 million each year.[8]
| Hanover County | New Kent County | |||
| Goochland County | ||||
| Henrico County, Virginia | ||||
| Chesterfield County and City of Richmond | Charles City County |
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