Isle of Wight

Formed January 1, 1634 (4^th county)

Isle of Wight County (35,270), Isle of Wight* (256), Smithfield (8,089)

The Modern red brick courthouse was built in 2010 to replace an 1801 structure.  It is located on Josiah Park Crescent and Courthouse Highway (United States Highway 258).  Moseley Architects provided the designs.  It is located in a complex of government buildings.  There was also a 1752 courthouse in Smithfield.  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.  Isle of Wight County was created on January 1, 1634 as an original county (4^th county.)  The county and its county seat are named for the Isle of Wight, England. 

Isle of Wight County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Two Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and Franklin and Suffolk cities and Thirty-four Magistrate Court Judges serve Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, and Suffolk cities.  The county is located in the southeast part of Virginia.  Richmond, Virginia is northwest and Virginia Beach, Virginia is east of the county.  The James River forms its northern border.  The county center is .9 miles Northeast of Isle of Wight.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Newport News and Suffolk cities and Southampton County and the City of Franklin and Surry and James City counties. 

The area of the county is 363 square miles.  It is 54 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 48 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 97.16 persons per square mile making it 67 out of 133 in the state.  Isle of Wight County has 30.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 17 enters the county from the northeast, the City of Newport News, and exits to the east, the City of Suffolk.  United States Highway 58 goes east to west from Suffolk City to Franklin City.  United States Highway 258 is joined with United States Highway 17 from Newport News City, splits and continues southwest into Franklin City.  United States Highway 460 crosses east to west from Suffolk City to Sussex County.  The county is shaped like the State of Virginia.  The City of Isle of Wight is located slightly west of center in the county.  Smithfield is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Isle of Wight is the county seat and Smithfield is the largest city.  Isle of Wight is 0.7% of the county population although it is unincorporated.  Smithfield is 22.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Statistical Area.