Formed January 1, 1836 (86th county)
Clarke County (14,034), Berryville (4,185)
The classy Modern red brick courthouse was built in 1979. The courthouse is located on Church Street between Barnett and Academy streets. United States Highway 340 is one block to the west. J. Everett Faubert is the building architect. There was an 1838 version before. Clarke County was founded on January 1, 1836 from Frederick County as the 86th county with Berryville as the only county seat. It is named for American Revolutionary General George Rogers Clark. The county seat was named for founder Benjamin Berry.
Clarke County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors. Six Circuit Court Judges and Eleven District Court Judges serve Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties and Harrisonburg and Winchester cities and Forty-two Magistrate Court Judges serve Clarke, Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Greene, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties and Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Winchester cities. The county is on the northern border with West Virginia. Alexandria, Virginia is southeast and Roanoke, Virginia is southwest of the county. The county center is 1.7 miles South of Berryville. The county is surrounded clockwise by West Virginia and Loudoun, Fauquier, Warren, and Frederick counties.
The area of the county is 178 square miles. It is 96 out of 133 in the state. It ranks 101 out of 133 in population in the state. It has a density of 78.84 persons per square mile making it 76 out of 133 in the state. Clarke County has 34.0% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highways 17/50 cross east to west in the county from Fauquier County to Frederick County. United States Highway 340 enters from West Virginia, north, and exits into Warren County, south. United States Highway 522 comes from Frederick County and joins United States Highway 340 into Warren County. The county is an overall diamond. Berryville is located near the center of the county. Berryville is the county seat and the largest city. It is 29.8% of the county population. This county is in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Berryville
Boyce
