Page County, Virginia

Page County
County
Page County Courthouse in February 2014
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°37′N78°29′W / 38.61°N 78.48°W / 38.61; -78.48
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1831
Named for	John Page
Seat	Luray
Largest town	Luray
Area
• Total	314 sq mi (810 km2)
• Land	311 sq mi (810 km2)
• Water	3.2 sq mi (8 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,709
• Density	76/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	22650, 22827, 22835, 22849, 22851
Area code	540, 826
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.pagecounty.virginia.gov

Page County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,709. ^[1] Its county seat is Luray. ^[2] Page County was formed in 1831 from Shenandoah and Rockingham counties and was named for John Page, Governor of Virginia from 1802 to 1805.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 314 square miles (810 km²), of which 311 square miles (810 km²) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) (1.0%) is water. ^[3] The highest point in Page County is Hawksbill Mountain, which is located along the border with Madison County within Shenandoah National Park.

Adjacent counties

• Shenandoah County – northwest
• Warren County – north
• Rappahannock County – east
• Madison County – southeast
• Greene County – southeast
• Rockingham County – south

National protected area

• George Washington National Forest (part)
• Shenandoah National Park (part)

Major highways

US 211 and US 340 run concurrently for several miles in Page County near Luray

• US 211
• US 340
• Skyline Drive

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	6,194		—
1850	7,600		22.7%
1860	8,109		6.7%
1870	8,462		4.4%
1880	9,965		17.8%
1890	13,092		31.4%
1900	13,794		5.4%
1910	14,147		2.6%
1920	14,770		4.4%
1930	14,852		0.6%
1940	14,863		0.1%
1950	15,152		1.9%
1960	15,572		2.8%
1970	16,581		6.5%
1980	19,401		17.0%
1990	21,690		11.8%
2000	23,177		6.9%
2010	24,042		3.7%
2020	23,709		−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [4] 1790–1960 [5] 1900–1990 [6] 1990–2000 [7] 2010 [8] 2020 [9]

2020 census

Page County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010 [8]	Pop 2020 [9]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	22,871	21,870	95.13%	92.24%
Black or African American alone (NH)	456	436	1.90%	1.84%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	37	49	0.15%	0.21%
Asian alone (NH)	71	115	0.30%	0.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	7	8	0.03%	0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	6	40	0.02%	0.17%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	221	694	0.92%	2.93%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	373	497	1.55%	2.10%
Total	24,042	23,709	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2000 Census

As of the census ^[10] of 2000, there were 23,177 people, 9,305 households, and 6,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile (29 people/km²). There were 10,557 housing units at an average density of 34 units per square mile (13 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.65% White, 2.61% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,305 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,359, and the median income for a family was $39,005. Males had a median income of $27,199 versus $19,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,321. About 10.10% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

• Luray
• Shenandoah
• Stanley

Unincorporated communities

Alma Battle Creek Blaineville Cavetown Comertown Compton

Fleeburg Furnace Honeyville Ida Ingham Leaksville

Marksville Mundellsville (former) Newport Overall Rileyville Stony Man Grove Hill

Education

K-12

Page County has a total of 8 public schools: 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 2 high schools. ^[11]

High Schools	Middle Schools	Elementary Schools
Luray	Luray	Luray
		Springfield
Page County	Page County	Shenandoah
		Stanley

In addition to the public schools, Page County has a Technical Center with programs in:

• Automotive Technology
• Cosmetology
• Electricity
• Welding
• Health Sciences ^[12]

Higher Education

Laurel Ridge Community College's Luray-Page County Center is located in Luray, which provides college and workforce development classes. Jenkins Hall features more than 13,000 square feet of educational space, including classrooms, science and health labs, a trades lab, student commons, and administrative offices.

The college in Luray is a satellite site for a physical therapy assistant degree program, plus phlebotomy, medical office assistant, HVAC, and heavy equipment operator classes. ^[13]

Students can earn an Associate Degree in many different subjects, or can take general education classes to transfer into a four-year university.

Politics

Since 1940, Page County has been a stronghold for the Republican Party in presidential elections.

The Page County Board of Supervisors has six members, one from each voting district and one at-large chairman.

County Board of Supervisors

	Name	Party	District
	Keith Weakley, Chairman	Rep	At-Large
	D. Keith Guzy Jr.	Rep	District 1 - West Luray
	Allen Louderback	Rep	District 2 - East Luray
	Ryan Cubbage	Rep	District 3 - Marksville
	Vacant	TBD	District 4 - Newport
	Jeff Vaughan	Rep	District 5 - Shenandoah

United States presidential election results for Page County, Virginia ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	10,123	76.39%	2,976	22.46%	152	1.15%
2020	9,345	74.68%	3,007	24.03%	162	1.29%
2016	7,831	72.91%	2,514	23.41%	395	3.68%
2012	6,344	62.03%	3,724	36.41%	160	1.56%
2008	6,041	58.15%	4,235	40.76%	113	1.09%
2004	6,221	64.78%	3,324	34.61%	58	0.60%
2000	5,089	63.64%	2,726	34.09%	181	2.26%
1996	3,876	51.83%	2,868	38.35%	735	9.83%
1992	4,203	49.68%	3,010	35.58%	1,247	14.74%
1988	5,013	66.18%	2,499	32.99%	63	0.83%
1984	5,021	66.78%	2,437	32.41%	61	0.81%
1980	4,297	60.20%	2,607	36.52%	234	3.28%
1976	3,780	51.52%	3,401	46.35%	156	2.13%
1972	4,326	72.34%	1,585	26.51%	69	1.15%
1968	3,667	53.93%	2,125	31.25%	1,008	14.82%
1964	2,804	51.74%	2,606	48.09%	9	0.17%
1960	2,708	62.53%	1,608	37.13%	15	0.35%
1956	2,372	62.73%	1,358	35.92%	51	1.35%
1952	2,649	64.59%	1,441	35.14%	11	0.27%
1948	2,236	55.14%	1,611	39.73%	208	5.13%
1944	2,574	60.79%	1,653	39.04%	7	0.17%
1940	1,630	50.36%	1,596	49.30%	11	0.34%
1936	1,551	45.00%	1,888	54.77%	8	0.23%
1932	1,261	39.93%	1,851	58.61%	46	1.46%
1928	1,580	60.65%	1,025	39.35%	0	0.00%
1924	885	43.02%	1,015	49.34%	157	7.63%
1920	1,126	56.81%	846	42.68%	10	0.50%
1916	613	41.50%	842	57.01%	22	1.49%
1912	340	27.94%	703	57.76%	174	14.30%

Notable people

• Arthur William Aleshire (February 15, 1900 – March 11, 1940) was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
• Edward Mallory "Ned" Almond (December 12, 1892 – June 11, 1979) was a controversial United States Army general best known as the commander of the Army's X Corps during the Korean War.
• Floyd Wilson Baker (October 10, 1916 – November 17, 2004) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns (1943–1944), Chicago White Sox (1945–1951), Washington Senators, (1952–1953), Boston Red Sox (1953–1954) and Philadelphia Phillies (1954–1955).
• William Randolph Barbee (January 17, 1818 – June 16, 1868) was an American sculptor recognized for creating idealized, sentimental classical figures.
• Herbert Barbee (October 8, 1848 – March 22, 1936) was an American sculptor.
• Peter Bouck Borst (June 23, 1826 – April 24, 1882) was an active participant in the mid-19th century development of Page County, Virginia, serving as a lawyer, county delegate to Virginia's Secession Convention of 1861, and president of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
• Patrick Henry Brittan (September 21, 1815 – March 18, 1868) was quartermaster general of Alabama (1857–59) and 10th Secretary of State for Alabama (1860–65).
• Wayne Comer (born February 3, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball player.
• Charles Frederick Crisp (January 29, 1845 – October 23, 1896) was a United States political figure. A Democrat, he was elected as a Congressman from Georgia in 1882, and served until his death in 1896. From 1890 until his death, he was leader of the Democratic Party in the House, as either the House Minority Leader or the Speaker of the House. He was also the father of Charles R. Crisp who also served in Congress.
• William Alexander Harris Sr. (August 24, 1805 – March 28, 1864) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia, father of William A. Harris.
• William Alexander Harris (October 29, 1841 – December 20, 1909) was a United States Representative and Senator from Kansas.
• Benjamin Franklin Huffman (July 18, 1914 – February 22, 2005) was a catcher in Major League Baseball.
• Thomas Jordan (September 30, 1819 – November 27, 1895) was a Confederate general and major operative in the network of Confederate spies during the American Civil War. A West Point graduate and career soldier in the armies of three nations, he fought in numerous wars and rebellions in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Jordan was also a newspaper editor and author.
• Donald Edward Keyhoe (June 20, 1897 – November 29, 1988) was an American Marine Corps naval aviator, writer of many aviation articles and stories in a variety of leading publications, and manager of the promotional tours of aviation pioneers, especially of Charles Lindbergh.
• Robert Franklin Leedy (July 28, 1863 – January 12, 1924) was a lawyer, soldier, and Virginia state legislator.
• William Milnes Jr. (December 8, 1827 – August 14, 1889) was a nineteenth-century congressman and industrialist from Virginia and Pennsylvania.
• Kenneth R. Plum (November 3, 1941 – ) is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
• George Quaintance (June 3, 1902 – November 8, 1957) was an artist from Page County, Virginia.
• Henry Ruffner (January 16, 1790 – December 17, 1861) was an educator and Presbyterian minister, who served as president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University).
• Bethany Veney (c. 1813 – November 16, 1916), also known as Aunt Betty, was a Black American slave. Her autobiography was published 1889.
• William Overall Yager (April 3, 1833 – 1904) was, during the American Civil War, the commanding officer of the 1st Texas Cavalry, and, in postwar years, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia, Superintendent of Schools, and Treasurer for Page County, Virginia.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Page County, Virginia
• USS Page County (LST-1076)

References

1. "Page County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
4. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
5. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
6. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
7. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
8. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Page County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
9. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Page County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
11. "Page County Public Schools". www.pagecounty.k12.va.us. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
12. "Page County Technical Center". www.pagecounty.k12.va.us. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
13. "Laurel Ridge celebrates grand opening of Jenkins Hall in Luray ‣ Laurel Ridge Community College". laurelridge.edu. September 15, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 8, 2020.

External links

• Page County, Virginia Genealogy
• Page County Government's official website
• Page County Blog Page County's Official Blog Website
• Page County Heritage Association ^[usurped] Page County's non-profit historical society

38°37′N78°29′W / 38.61°N 78.48°W / 38.61; -78.48