Essex County, Virginia
Essex County, Virginia | |
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Essex County Courthouse in Tappahannock | |
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Flag Seal | |
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia | |
| Coordinates: 37°56′N 76°57′W / 37.94°N 76.95°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| Founded | 1692 |
| Seat | Tappahannock |
| Largest town | Tappahannock |
| Area | |
• Total | 286 sq mi (740 km2) |
| • Land | 257 sq mi (670 km2) |
| • Water | 29 sq mi (75 km2) 10.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,599 |
| • Density | 41.2/sq mi (15.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Essex County is a United States county located in the Middle Peninsula of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County on the south. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 10,599. The county seat is the historic town of Tappahannock.
The county was created in 1692, when the old Rappahannock County was dissolved to form the new Essex and Richmond counties, and was named to honor Essex in England. Due to the region's location on the Rappahannock River, it was one of the early areas visited by English explorer John Smith. Smith's three trips led to him being captured, attacked and finally making peace with the resident indigenous Powhatan people.