Prince William

Formed January 1, 1731 (27^th county)

Prince William County (482,198), Manassas (42,773), Dumfries (5,675)

The Modern dark red and concrete structure was constructed in 1984.  The courthouse is on Lee Avenue at Peabody Street.  Virginia State Highway 28 is one block to the south.  Dumfries was the first county seat followed by Brentsville with an 1822 courthouse and Manassas with an 1893 facility.  LCB Architects provided the building designs.  The structure was enlarged in 2008.  The county was created on January 1, 1731 from Stafford and King George counties as the 27^th county.  Prince William County is named for the son of King George II.  The county seat is named for the battlefield.  It is also the source for the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park.  Prince William County is the birthplace to 1 Virginia Governor, Henry Lee III. 

Prince William County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Supervisors.  Eight Circuit Court Judges and Eight District Court Judges serve Prince William County and Manassas and Manassas Park cities and Fifty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park cities.  The county is in the northeast.  Alexandria, Virginia is east and Richmond, Virginia is south of the county.  The county center is 2.5 miles Southeast of Manassas.  The county is surrounded by Fairfax County and Maryland and Stafford, Fauquier, and Loudoun counties and Manassas and Manassas Park cities. 

The area of the county is 338 square miles.  It is 58 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 2 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1426.6 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 133 in the state.  Prince William County has 1.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 66 crosses the county east to west from Fairfax County to Fauquier County.  Interstate Highway 95 goes north to south from Fairfax County to Stafford County.  United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Fairfax to Stafford counties.  United States Highway 15 enters from the north, Loudoun County, and exits to the southwest, Fauquier County.  United States Highway 29 comes from Fairfax County, east, and joins United States Highway 15 into Fauquier County.  The county resembles the head of a woodpecker facing southwest.  Manassas is located near the western border although technically not in the county.  Dumfries is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Manassas is the county seat and Dumfries is the largest city.  Dumfries is 1.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area.