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Northampton County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,282. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
is Eastville. Northampton and Accomack Counties are a part of the larger
Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties ( Accomack and Northampton) on the Atlantic coast detached from the mainland of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is s ...
. The county is the center of the late
Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...
meteor strike that resulted in the Chesapeake Bay impact crater. The Northampton County Courthouse Historic District is part of the Eastville Historic District at the county seat.


History

When
English colonists The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...
first arrived in the area in the early 1600s, the Virginia Eastern Shore region was governed by Debedeavon (aka "The Laughing King"), who was the
paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in anthropological and arc ...
of the Accomac people, which numbered around 2,000 at the time. The former name of the county was Accomac Shire, one of the original eight shires of Virginia after the founding of the first settlement at Jamestown in 1607. In 2010, the name was changed to Northampton County by the colonists. In 1663, Northampton County was split into two counties that still exist today. The northern two-thirds took the original " Accomac" name (Accomack County), while the southern third to the Point Cape Charles remained as Northampton.


Slavery

Northampton County is notable for a colonial court case involving an
indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of Work (human activity), labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensa ...
. The first free negro (a term used prior to the abolition of slavery) in North America was Anthony Johnson of Northampton County. Johnson was one of the first African-Americans to own land in America. In 1653, Johnson brought suit in Northampton County Court to argue that one of his servants, John Casor, was indentured to him for life. Casor had left him and was working for a neighbor. The court ruled in Johnson's favor, making Northampton County the first jurisdiction to legally acknowledge that
Black people Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...
could own slaves. This court ruling decision also gives insight to how owners of indentured servants could easily choose to ignore the expiration of indentured contracts and force their servants into lifetime slavery. Although Casor, an African, had well-known white planters taking his part, he was reduced to lifetime slavery. Some planters sought more profitable methods of labor by taking advantage of Negro indentured servants, who had little recourse in the legal and social system to protect their rights.


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (73.4%) is water.


Adjacent county and independent city

* Accomack County – north *
Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
– south


National protected areas

* Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge * Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge


Demographics


2020 census

''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.''


2020 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,389 people, 5,321 households, and 3,543 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile (24/km2). There were 6,547 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 57.9%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 36.5%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 3.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 7.1% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race. The largest ancestry groups in Northampton County include:
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
(36%),
English American English Americans (historically known as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2020 American Community Survey, 25.21 million self-identified as being of English origin. The term is distin ...
(15%),
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
(7%), Irish (6%) and Italian (3%) There were 5,321 households, out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.30% were married couples living together, 17.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 23.30% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,276, and the median income for a family was $385,034. Males had a median income of $26,842 versus $21,839 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,591. About 15.80% of families and 20.50% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 29.20% of those under age 18 and 16.50% of those age 65 or over. Northampton County is home to the United States' oldest continuous court records.


Transportation

* Campbell Field Airport *
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery ( Uber Eats and Postmates), pa ...
* lyft * Deep south transportation


Major highways

* * * * *


Education

Northampton County Public Schools operates public schools in the county.


Communities


Towns

* Belle Haven (Partly in Accomack County) * Cape Charles * Cheriton * Eastville * Exmore * Nassawadox


Census-designated places A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

* Franktown * Willis Wharf


Other unincorporated communities

* Arlington * Bacon Hill * Bay Ridge * Bayford * Bayview * Beverly * Birdsnest *
Bridgetown Bridgetown ( UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The ...
* Broadwater * Capeville * Cedar Grove *
Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, whe ...
* Cherrystone *
Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...
* Clearview * Culls * Dalbys * Eastville Station * Fairview * Hadlock * Hare Valley * Highland Heights * Hungars Point * James Crossroads * Jamesville * Johnson Cove * Johnsontown * Kendall Grove * Kiptopeke * Little Johnsontown * Little Salisbury * Machipongo * Magotha * Marionville * Middletown *
Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...
* Oakland Park *
Oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...
* Pat Town * Red Bank * Reedtown * Seaview * Shadyside * Sheps End * Silver Beach * Simpkins * Smith Beach * Stumptown * The Meadows * Townsend * Treherneville * Wardtown * Weirwood *
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...


Politics

Northampton County leans towards the Democratic Party. In presidential elections, it has voted for the Democratic nominee every time since 1992.


Notable people

* John Casor, the first person of African descent in England's
Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centu ...
to be declared as a
slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
for life as the result of a civil suitWilliam J. Wood, "The Illegal Beginning of American Slavery"
''ABA Journal'', 1970, American Bar Association, accessed 2 May 2011
* Adrian "Ace" Custis (1974-), former NCAA All-America basketball player at Virginia Tech, which retired his jersey. He is a 1992 graduate of Northampton High School. * Alvy Powell (1955-), opera singer, performed National Anthem at inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. He is a 1974 graduate of Northampton High School. * Ralph Northam (1959-), 40th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2014-2018) and 73rd Governor of Virginia (2018-2022). * Abel Upshur (1791–1844), born in Northampton County,
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
and
United States Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
*
Tyler Webb Jon Tyler Webb (born July 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The New York Yankees selected Webb in the tenth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball ...
(1990-), MLB relief pitcher, currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Northampton County, Virginia __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Northampton County, Virginia. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Northampton Coun ...


References


External links

* {{coord, 37.30078, -75.92854, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:wikidata 1634 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1634 Virginia counties Virginia counties on the Chesapeake Bay