Charlotte

Formed January 1, 1764 (50^th county)

Charlotte County (12,586), Charlotte Court House (543), Keysville (832)

The traditional Greek Roman Revival courthouse was constructed in 1823.  It is located at the intersection of Le Grand and David Bruce avenues.  Virginia State Highway 40 is David Bruce Avenue in this part of the town.  Thomas Jefferson provided the red brick courthouse designs.  The structure features columns with veteran memorials and a canon on the complex grounds.  There was a 1784 courthouse before.  A Clerk’s Office and Registar’s Office supplement the courthouse.  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 established on January 1, 1764 from Lunenburg County as the 50^th county with Charlotte Court House as the only county seat.  Charlotte County and its county seat are named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.  She is also the namesake of the county seat of Albemarle County, the independent city of Charlottesville, and Mecklenburg County. 

Charlotte County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Supervisors.  Two Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Charlotte, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Prince Edward counties and Forty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Charlotte, Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex counties and Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, and Petersburg cities.  The county is located in the southern part of the state.  Richmond, Virginia is northeast and Roanoke, Virginia is northwest of the county.  The county center is 2.3 miles Southeast of Charlotte Court House.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Prince Edward, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Halifax, Campbell, and Appomattox counties. 

The area of the county is 477 square miles.  It is 32 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 106 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.39 persons per square mile making it 124 out of 133 in the state.  Charlotte County has 16.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 15 enters the county from the northeast, Prince Edward County, and exits to the southeast, Mecklenburg County.  United States Highway 360 comes from Lunenburg County, northeast, and goes into Halifax County, southwest.  The county is a comma shape.  Charlotte Court House is located slightly north of the center in the county.  Keysville is on the eastern border of the county.  Charlotte Court House is the county seat and Keysville is the largest city.  Charlotte Court House is 4.3% of the county population while Keysville is 6.6% of the county population.

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