Formed January 1, 1664 (14th county)
Stafford County (156,937), Stafford* (5,370), Aquia Harbour* (6,727)
The Greek Revival style red brick courthouse was constructed in 1922. It is on Courthouse Road at Jefferson Davis Highway. United States Highway 1 is Jefferson Davis Highway in the community. Philip N. Stern was the designer. The building was enlarged in 1969, 1977, and 1993. An Administration Center was added in 1991. It is in a complex with supporting structures. Many of the Virginia counties have their county seat at a location named after the county followed by the words Court House. Some counties maintain this in their official name. The county was created on January 1, 1664 from parts of Fairfax, Westmoreland, Prince William and Arlington counties and Alexandria City as the 14th county. Stafford has always been the county seat. Stafford County and its county seat are named for Staffordshire, England.
Stafford County government consists of a sheriff and 6 Supervisors. Eight Circuit Court Judges and Fifteen District Court Judges serve Stafford, Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, and Westmoreland counties and Fredericksburg City and Sixty-two Magistrate Court Judges serve Stafford, Caroline, Charles City, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Westmoreland, and York counties and Fredericksburg, Poquoson, Richmond, and Williamsburg cities. The county is in the northeast. Alexandria, Virginia is north and Richmond, Virginia is south of the county. The county center is 1.1 miles West-Northwest of Stafford. The county is surrounded clockwise by Prince William County and Maryland and King George, Caroline, and Spotsylvania counties and the City of Fredericksburg and Culpeper and Fauquier counties.
The area of the county is 270 square miles. It is 74 out of 133 in the state. It ranks 13 out of 133 in population in the state. It has a density of 581.2 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 133 in the state. Stafford County has 0.0% of its population in its incorporated areas since there are no incorporated cities. Interstate Highway 95 travels north to south in the county from Prince William County to Fredericksburg City. United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Prince William County to Fredericksburg City. United States Highway 17 enters from the northwest, Fauquier County, and joins Interstate Highway 95 to exit to the south, Fredericksburg City. The county looks like a fat ice pick pointing southeast. The City of Stafford is located in the southeast quarter of the county. Aquia Harbour is in the northeast quarter of the county. Stafford is the county seat and Aquia Harbour is the largest populated area. Stafford is 3.4% of the county population while Aquia Harbour is 4.3% of the county population. The largest city is pronounced A-KEE-A HAR-BOER. This county is in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Stafford (unincorporated)
