Formed January 1, 1727 (25th county)
Caroline County (30,886), Bowling Green (1,166)
The red brick Greek Roman Revival building was built in 1830. The facility is on Courthouse Lane between Main and Ennis streets. Main Street is United States Highway 301 Business in the town. William B. Phillips provided the building designs. The building was enlarged in 1907 and 1970. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. The 1830 structure is reported to be the sixth courthouse to serve the county although their sites are unknown. A Courthouse Annex was built in 2003 and a District Courthouse also augments the county courthouse. The county was carved from Essex, King William, and King and Queen counties on January 1, 1727 as the 25th county. Bowling Green became the county seat in 1803. The county was named for Queen Caroline, wife of King George II. The county seat was named for the estate of the town founder. Caroline County is the birthplace to 1 Virginia Governor, James H. Tyler.
Caroline County government consists of a sheriff and 6 Supervisors. Eight Circuit Court Judges and Fifteen District Court Judges serve Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland counties and Fredericksburg City and Sixty-two Magistrate Court Judges serve Caroline, Charles City, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland, and York counties and Fredericksburg, Poquoson, Richmond, and Williamsburg cities. The county is located in eastern Virginia. Alexandria, Virginia is north and Richmond, Virginia is south of the county. The county center is 1.3 miles Southeast of Bowling Green. The county is surrounded clockwise by Stafford, King George, Essex, King and Queen, King William, Hanover, and Spotsylvania counties.
The area of the county is 533 square miles. It is 17 out of 133 in the state. It ranks 56 out of 133 in population in the state. It has a density of 57.9 persons per square mile making it 96 out of 133 in the state. Caroline County has 4.4% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 95 crosses the western part of the county from north to south from Spotsylvania County to Hanover County. United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Spotsylvania to Hanover counties. United States Highway 17 enters from the northwest, Spotsylvania County, and exits to the southeast, Essex County. United States Highway 301 comes from King George County, north, and goes into Hanover County, south. The county is an overall diamond shape. Bowling Green is located near the center of the county. Bowling Green is the county seat and the largest city. It is 3.8% of the county population. This county is in the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bowling Green
Port Royal
