Prince William County, Virginia

PRINCE_WILLIAM_COUNTY_COURTHOUSE

Prince_William_County_Judicial_Center

nmmc

HenryHillVC

2019-06-24_14_49_12_View_north_along_Interstate_95_from_the_overpass_for_Virginia_State_Route_123_(Gordon_Boulevard)_in_Woodbridge,_Prince_William_County,_Virginia

2018-10-22_12_31_05_View_west_along_Interstate_66_from_the_overpass_for_Catharpin_Road_(Virginia_State_Route_676)_in_Gainesville,_Prince_William_County,_Virginia

Virginia_55

Prince William County, Virginia

Prince William County, Virginia is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 482,204, making it the second-most populous county in Virginia. The county seat is the independent city of Manassas.

History[edit | edit source]

Prince William County was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1731 from portions of Stafford County and King George County. It was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the third son of King George II.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Prince William County is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles (900 km²), of which 336 square miles (870 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (3.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties and independent cities[edit | edit source]

Fairfax County (northeast)
Loudoun County (north)
Fauquier County (west)
Stafford County (south)
Manassas (independent city, surrounded by Prince William County)
Manassas Park (independent city, surrounded by Prince William County)

Demographics[edit | edit source]

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was:

42.7% White
21.5% African American
9.2% Asian
0.6% Native American
0.1% Pacific Islander
19.6% from other races
6.3% from two or more races

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.5% of the population.

Government and politics[edit | edit source]

Prince William County is governed by an eight-member Board of County Supervisors, which includes a chairperson elected at-large and seven supervisors elected from single-member districts. The county operates under the County Executive form of government.

Education[edit | edit source]

The county is served by Prince William County Public Schools, which is the second-largest school division in Virginia. The county is also home to several private schools and higher education institutions, including the Northern Virginia Community College and the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus.

Economy[edit | edit source]

Prince William County has a diverse economy with major sectors including government, education, healthcare, and retail. The county is also home to several data centers and technology companies.

Transportation[edit | edit source]

Major highways in Prince William County include Interstate 66, Interstate 95, and U.S. Route 1. The county is also served by the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail service.