Scott County, Virginia

Scott County
County
Scott County Courthouse in 2013
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°43′N82°36′W / 36.72°N 82.6°W / 36.72; -82.6
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	November 24, 1814
Named for	Winfield Scott
Seat	Gate City
Largest town	Gate City
Area
• Total	539 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Land	536 sq mi (1,390 km2)
• Water	3.1 sq mi (8 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,576
• Estimate  (2023)	21,433
• Density	40/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th
Website	www.scottcountyva.com

Scott County is a county located in the far southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia, on the border with Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. ^[1] Its county seat is Gate City. ^[2] Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, 1814, from parts of Washington, Lee, and Russell counties and was named for Virginia-born General Winfield Scott. ^[3] Scott County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region. The current County Administrator is Freda Russell Starnes.

History

The area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous Native Americans. Early Anglo-European settlers found evidence of a former native village at the mouth of Stony Creek on the Clinch River. Bands of Cherokee lived in the area.

In 1769 Thomas McCulloch was the first white settler in what was later organized as the county. Daniel Boone commanded several forts located here in 1774 during Dunmore's War, and several more were built in successive years. ^[4]

Increased settlement of colonial Americans encroached on Cherokee territory. A group known by the settlers as the Chickamauga Cherokee (but they were not a separate tribe), was led by Bob Benge. They had armed confrontations with settlers during the Cherokee–American wars. Benge was killed in 1794, years after the United States gained independence in the American Revolution.

By the time houses were built in the 1790s, the largely Scots-Irish population had increased. They were mostly yeomen farmers who had moved into the backcountry where land was more available. They were served by the Wilderness Road which brought traders to the area. After Scott County was formed in 1814, the first court took place in 1815.

The first public schools were not established here until 1870, years after the American Civil War and during the Reconstruction era in Virginia and other former Confederate states. ^[5] The wealthy planters of Virginia paid for their own children's education but nothing for the rest of the white people.

Geography

Fall foliage at Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 539 square miles (1,400 km²), of which 536 square miles (1,390 km²) is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²) (0.6%) is water. ^[6] Scott County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, ^[7] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America . ^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Wise County - north
• Russell County - northeast
• Washington County - east
• Sullivan County, Tennessee - south
• Hawkins County, Tennessee - south
• Hancock County, Tennessee - southwest
• Lee County - west

National protected area

• Jefferson National Forest (part)

Major highways

• US 23
• US 58
• US 421
• SR 65
• SR 71
• SR 72

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	4,263		—
1830	5,724		34.3%
1840	7,303		27.6%
1850	9,829		34.6%
1860	12,072		22.8%
1870	13,036		8.0%
1880	17,233		32.2%
1890	21,694		25.9%
1900	22,694		4.6%
1910	23,814		4.9%
1920	24,776		4.0%
1930	24,181		−2.4%
1940	26,989		11.6%
1950	27,640		2.4%
1960	25,813		−6.6%
1970	24,376		−5.6%
1980	25,068		2.8%
1990	23,204		−7.4%
2000	23,403		0.9%
2010	23,177		−1.0%
2020	21,576		−6.9%
2023 (est.)	21,433	[9]	−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010 [14] 2020 [15]

2020 census

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

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010 [14]	Pop 2020 [15]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	22,585	20,528	97.45%	95.14%
Black or African American alone (NH)	135	134	0.58%	0.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	48	26	0.21%	0.12%
Asian alone (NH)	35	20	0.15%	0.09%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	2	0.00%	0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	3	28	0.01%	0.13%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	137	583	0.59%	2.70%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	234	255	1.01%	1.18%
Total	23,177	21,576	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.

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,177 people living in the county. 97.9% were White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% of some other race and 0.7 of two or more races. 1.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census ^[16] of 2000, there were 23,403 people, 9,795 households, and 7,023 families living in the county. The population density was 44 inhabitants per square mile (17/km²). There were 11,355 housing units at an average density of 21 units per square mile (8.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.51% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,795 households, out of which 27.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, 20.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.50% was from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,339, and the median income for a family was $33,163. Males had a median income of $28,328 versus $20,553 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,073. About 13.00% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.10% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public secondary schools

• Gate City High School, Gate City
• Rye Cove High School, Rye Cove
• Twin Springs High School, Nickelsville

Public intermediate schools

• Gate City Middle School, Gate City
• Rye Cove Intermediate School, Rye Cove

Public primary schools

• Dungannon Elementary School, Dungannon
• Duffield Primary School, Duffield
• Fort Blackmore Center, Fort Blackmore
• Hilton Elementary School, Hiltons
• Nickelsville Elementary School, Nickelsville
• Shoemaker Elementary School, Gate City
• Weber City Elementary School, Weber City
• Yuma Elementary School, Yuma

Technical schools

• Scott County Career and Technical Center, Gate City

Private schools

• Gate City Christian School (United Pentecostal affiliation), Gate City

Former schools

• Clinchport Elementary School, Clinchport (Destroyed by flood, 1977)
• Cleveland High School, Yuma (Closed, 1956) (Demolished)
• Dungannon High School, Dungannon (Closed, 1968)
• Fairview School, Fairview (Closed, 1990)
• Hilton High School, Hiltons (Closed, 1956) (Demolished)
• Midway School, Midway (Closed, 1968) (Demolished)
• Manville School, Manville (Closed, 1972)
• Nickelsville High School, Nickelsville (Closed, 1968) (Demolished)
• Old Rye Cove School, Rye Cove (Destroyed by tornado, 1929)
• Old Shoemaker Elementary School, Gate City (Destroyed by fire, 1957)
• Prospect Elementary School, Gate City (Closed, 1965) (Demolished)

Communities

Towns

• Clinchport
• Duffield
• Dungannon
• Gate City
• Nickelsville
• Weber City

Unincorporated communities

• Antioch
• Copper Creek
• Daniel Boone
• Fairview
• Fort Blackmore
• Fulkerson
• Glenita
• Hill Station
• Hiltons
• Kermit
• Ketrontown
• Mabe
• Maces Spring
• Manville
• Midway
• Nottingham
• Pattonsville
• Rye Cove
• Slabtown
• Slant
• Snowflake
• Speers Ferry
• Stanleytown
• Sunbright
• Wadlow Gap
• Wood
• Yuma

Notable people

• June Carter Cash
• The Carter Family
• Claude M. Hilton
• Jerry Kilgore
• Riley Franklin McConnell (USS McConnell)
• Mac McClung
• Terry Kilgore

Politics

United States presidential election results for Scott County, Virginia ^[17]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	9,392	84.79%	1,607	14.51%	78	0.70%
2020	9,063	83.38%	1,692	15.57%	114	1.05%
2016	8,247	81.65%	1,581	15.65%	272	2.69%
2012	7,439	74.45%	2,395	23.97%	158	1.58%
2008	6,980	70.68%	2,725	27.59%	170	1.72%
2004	6,479	65.00%	3,324	33.35%	164	1.65%
2000	5,535	59.29%	3,552	38.05%	248	2.66%
1996	4,086	47.66%	3,449	40.23%	1,038	12.11%
1992	4,515	46.59%	3,979	41.06%	1,196	12.34%
1988	4,986	56.76%	3,616	41.16%	183	2.08%
1984	5,804	59.10%	3,904	39.75%	113	1.15%
1980	4,744	50.54%	4,314	45.96%	329	3.50%
1976	4,313	45.43%	4,496	47.36%	685	7.22%
1972	5,125	66.18%	2,474	31.95%	145	1.87%
1968	5,345	53.54%	3,144	31.49%	1,495	14.97%
1964	4,533	48.90%	4,720	50.92%	16	0.17%
1960	4,936	56.45%	3,789	43.33%	19	0.22%
1956	5,116	58.44%	3,595	41.07%	43	0.49%
1952	4,703	61.13%	2,990	38.87%	0	0.00%
1948	3,520	56.12%	2,676	42.67%	76	1.21%
1944	3,089	51.63%	2,888	48.27%	6	0.10%
1940	2,982	54.58%	2,474	45.28%	8	0.15%
1936	2,046	49.09%	2,122	50.91%	0	0.00%
1932	1,673	43.56%	2,137	55.64%	31	0.81%
1928	2,916	55.32%	2,355	44.68%	0	0.00%
1924	2,666	54.28%	2,177	44.32%	69	1.40%
1920	2,449	59.34%	1,671	40.49%	7	0.17%
1916	1,743	56.65%	1,319	42.87%	15	0.49%
1912	557	18.80%	1,311	44.26%	1,094	36.93%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Scott County, Virginia

References

1. "Scott County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Scott County, Virginia - Home". www.scottcountyva.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
4. "Lord Dunmore's War | United States history | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
5. An Early History: Scott County, Virginia Economic Development Authority Archived July 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
8. Woodard, Colin (July 30, 2018). "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
9. "QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
10. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
14. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Scott County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
15. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Scott County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

External links

• Scott County, Virginia's Official Website
• Scott County, Virginia's Public Safety/GIS page
• Scott County Place Names

36°43′N82°36′W / 36.72°N 82.60°W / 36.72; -82.60