Isle of Wight County

History

In the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to the large Hampton Roads waterway. Captain John Smith crossed the James River in 1608 and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from the Native American inhabitants, the Warrosquyoack or Warraskoyak. They were a tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy, who had three villages in the area of modern Smithfield.

Before 1619, Ensign Thomas Washer, Captain Nathaniel Basse and Giles Jones received patents for land along the Pagan River. Captain Christopher Lawne settled near the mouth of Lawne's Creek in the same vicinity. Although the area was known as Captain Lawne's Plantation and its representatives were listed as representatives from the plantation, the colonists also had named the area "Warresqueak County" after the Native American tribe who lived there. This name went through transliteration and Anglicization, eventually becoming known as "Warwicke Squeake". Washer and Lawne represented Lawne's Plantation in the first assembly of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1619. Edward Bennett also settled on the south shore of the presently-day Isle of Wight in 1621. Several members of the Puritan Bennett family also settled nearby, including Edward's nephew, Richard Bennett. He led the Puritans to neighboring Nansemond in 1635, and later was appointed as Governor of Virginia.

English colonists drove the Warraskoyak from their villages in 1622 and 1627, as part of their reprisals for the Great Massacre of 1622, in which the Native Americans had decimated English settlements, hoping to drive them out of their territory.

By 1634, the entire Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of about 5,000 inhabitants. In 1620, a movement began to change the name of "Warresqueak County" to "Isle of Wight County", after the island off the south coast of England; this was done in 1637.

On October 20, 1673, the "Grand Assembly" at Jamestown authorized both Isle of Wight County and Lower Norfolk County to construct a fort.

St. Luke's Church, built in the 17th century, is Virginia's oldest church building. In the late 20th century, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its significance. Many landmark and contributing structures on the National Register are in Smithfield including the Wentworth-Grinnan House.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km2), of which 316 square miles (820 km2) is land and 47 square miles (120 km2) (13.0%) is water.

The county is bounded by the James River on the north and the Blackwater River to the south. The land is generally low-lying, with many swamps and pocosins.

Adjacent counties and independent cities

Newport News, Virginia — northeast

Suffolk, Virginia — southeast

Southampton County — west

Franklin, Virginia — southwest

Surry County — northwest

Major highways

US 17

US 258

US 460

SR 10

SR 32

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,606. The median age was 44.9 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% White, 22.4% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.

41.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 58.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,268 households in the county, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 16,441 housing units, of which 7.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.9% were owner-occupied and 21.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2024, there were 40,942 people, 15,426 households, residing in the county. The population density was 122.3 inhabitants per square mile (47.2/km2). There were 17,566 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.2% White, 23% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American,1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.0% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 4.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,426 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,387, and the median income for a family was $52,597. Males had a median income of $37,853 versus $22,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,235. About 6.60% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of Supervisors

D5: Don Rosie (I)

D3: Rudolph Jefferson (I)

D2: Thomas J. Distefano (I)

D1: Renee K. Rountree (I)

D4: Joel Acree (I)

Constitutional officers

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Laura E. Smith (I)

Commissioner of the Revenue: Gerald H. Gwaltney (I)

Commonwealth's Attorney: Georgette Phillips (I)

Sheriff: James R. Clarke, Jr. (I)

Treasurer: Julie Slye (I)

State and federal elected officials

House of Delegates:

Nadarius Clark (D-84)

Otto Wachsmann (R-83)

Senate:

Emily Jordan (R-17)

U.S. House of Representatives:

Jen Kiggans (R-VA 02)

Politics

Isle of Wight County has supported Republican presidential candidates in every election since Reagan's 1984 landslide. Prior to this, it leaned heavily Democratic, only voting Republican twice after 1910 (in 1928 and 1972, both of which were national landslides), although Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower only lost it by 26 votes in 1956.

Public services

Library

Blackwater Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Isle of Wight.

Schools

Isle of Wight County Schools includes Smithfield High School and Windsor High School.

Communities

Towns

Smithfield

Windsor

Census-designated places

Benns Church

Camptown

Carrollton

Carrsville

Rushmere