| County: | Spotsylvania County |
| State: | Virginia |
| Seal: | Seal of Spotsylvania County, VA.jpg |
| Flag: | Flag of Spotsylvania County, VA.jpg |
| Founded: | 1721 |
| Motto: | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Seat Wl: | Spotsylvania Courthouse |
| Largest City Wl: | Spotsylvania |
| City Type: | community |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 414 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 401 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 13 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.1 |
| Population Est: | 152,021 |
| Pop Est As Of: | July 2024 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [5] |
| Population Total: | 140032 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [6] |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Web: | http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/ |
| Ex Image: | St. Julien (Spotsylvania County, Virginia).png |
| Ex Image Cap: | Historic home listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Spotsylvania County |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 7th |
| Zip Codes: | 22407, 22408, 22551, 22553, 22534, 22508, 22580, 23024 |
Spotsylvania County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a part of the Northern Virginia region. As of 2024, Spotsylvania County is the 14th most populated county in Virginia with 149,588 residents.[7] Its county seat is Spotsylvania Courthouse.[8]
Located along the Rappahannock River bordering the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County, Spotsylvania County is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Since 2010, the population has increased by 19.3%; for comparison, Virginia's population has only increased 7.7% in that time period. Spotsylvania County is currently the 74th highest-income county in America.[9]
At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Spotsylvania County were a Siouan-speaking tribe called the Manahoac.[10]
As the colonial population increased, Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from parts of Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood, later the great-great-grandfather of Robert E. Lee.[11]
Many major battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fredericksburg, and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The war resulted in widespread disruption and opportunity: some 10,000 African-American slaves left area plantations and city households to cross the Rappahannock River, reaching the Union lines and gaining freedom. This exodus is commemorated by historical markers on both sides of the river.[12]
General Stonewall Jackson was shot and seriously wounded by friendly fire in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina were in the woods and heard General Jackson's party returning from reconnoitering the Union lines. They mistook them for a Federal patrol and fired on them, wounding Jackson in both arms. His left arm was amputated. General Jackson died a few days later from pneumonia at nearby Guinea Station. He and other Confederate wounded were being gathered there for evacuation to hospitals to the south and further away from enemy lines.
It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, the independent city of Fredericksburg (all of which were part of the area's early history), and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.
There are no incorporated towns or cities in Spotsylvania County. Unincorporated communities in the county include:
Many areas of the county have Fredericksburg addresses.
Spotsylvania County's highest level of management is that of County Administrator. This post oversees all county departments and agencies and serves as the Spotsylvania County's Board of Supervisors' liaison to state and regional agencies.
Spotsylvania is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The board consists of seven members (one from each district within the county). The Board of Supervisors sets county policies, adopts ordinances, appropriates funds, approves land rezoning and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and carries out other responsibilities set forth by the county code.[13]
The following is the current list of supervisors and districts which they represent:[14]
| Position | Name | valign=bottom | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Lori Hayes | Independent | Lee Hill | ||
| Vice-Chair | Drew Mullins | Republican | Courtland | ||
| Member | Chris Yakabouski | Republican | Battlefield | ||
| Member | David Goosman | Republican | Berkeley | ||
| Member | Gerald Childress | Republican | Chancellor | ||
| Member | Jacob Lane | Republican | Livingston | ||
| Member | Deborah H. Frazier | Independent | Salem | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth's Attorney | Ryan Mehaffey | Republican | ||
| Commissioner of the Revenue | Deborah F Williams | Independent | ||
| Sheriff | Roger Harris | Independent | ||
| Treasurer | Larry Keith Pritchett | Independent | ||
| Clerk of Circuit Court | Christalyn Mitchell Jett | Republican | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delegate | Phillip Scott | Republican | 63 | ||
| Delegate | Josh Cole | Democratic | 65 | ||
| Delegate | Nicole Cole | Democratic | 66 | ||
| Office | Name | valign=bottom | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Richard Stuart | Republican | 25 | ||
| Senator | Tara Durant | Republican | 27 | ||
| Senator | Bryce Reeves | Republican | 28 | ||
Spotsylvania residents are represented by Eugene Vindman (D-7th District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D). Since 1980, Spotsylvania County has been a reliably Republican county in elections, although the margin has tightened somewhat in recent elections, with Donald Trump winning Spotsylvania County by less than 10 points in 2020 and 2024. In 2025, Abigail Spanberger became the first Democrat to win Spotsylvania County in a gubernatorial election since 1985.[15]
