Shenandoah

Formed January 1, 1772 (54^th county)

Shenandoah County (44,192), Woodstock (5,805), Strasburg (7,093)

The stately Modern Greek Revival courthouse was built in 1977.  The courthouse is at the intersection of Court and Main streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 11 in the town.  Hinnant, Addison, and Hinnant provided the design to the red brick building.  It features a tower and columns.  There was a 1795 version previously.  A 1975 District Courthouse and a 1934 Administration Building (former high school) support the county courthouse.  Shenandoah County was formed on January 1, 1772 from Frederick County as the 54^th county with Woodstock as the only county seat.  It is named for the Native American tribe.  The county seat is presumably a geographical term. 

Shenandoah County government consists of a sheriff and 6 Supervisors.  Six Circuit Court Judges and Eleven District Court Judges serve Shenandoah, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, and Warren counties and Harrisonburg and Winchester cities and Forty-two Magistrate Court Judges serve Shenandoah, Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Greene, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Warren counties and Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Winchester cities.  The county is located on the northwest border with West Virginia.  Roanoke, Virginia is southwest and Richmond, Virginia is southeast of the county.  The county center is 3.5 miles Southeast of Woodstock nearer Calvary.  The county is surrounded clockwise by West Virginia and Frederick, Warren, Page, and Rockingham counties. 

The area of the county is 512 square miles.  It is 21 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 39 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 86.3 persons per square mile making it 75 out of 133 in the state.  Shenandoah County has 41.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 81 passes northeast to southwest in the county from Frederick County to Rockingham County.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 81 from Frederick to Rockingham counties.  United States Highway 211 comes from Page County, east, and terminates.  The county is an overall rectangle tilted up on the northeast corner.  Woodstock is located near the center of the county.  Strasburg is on the northeast border of the county.  Woodstock is the county seat and Strasburg is the largest city.  Woodstock is 13.1% of the county population while Strasburg is 16.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SHEN-AN-DOE-A.  The largest city is pronounced STRAS-BURG.