Highland County, Virginia
Encyclopedia
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 2,536 people, 1,131 households, and 764 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 6 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,822 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.25% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.08% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.12% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.12% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

There were 1,131 households out of which 24.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the county, the population was spread out with 19.90% under the age of 18, 4.10% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 31.20% from 45 to 64, and 20.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,732, and the median income for a family was $37,530. Males had a median income of $25,904 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $15,976. About 9.30% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

It is called "Virginia's Little Switzerland," in reference to the steep mountains and valleys.

The Highland County Museum & Heritage Center is located at McDowell, Virginia. It is operated by the Highland Historic Society. Exhibits feature the history of Highland County and the history of the Battle of McDowell
Battle of McDowell
The Battle of McDowell, also known as Sitlington's Hill, was fought May 8, 1862, in Highland County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War...

 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The battle opened the way for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

 Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...

's famous Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign
Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War...

 and helped determine the boundary line for the new state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 in 1862.

The Highland County Maple Festival has been held annually in March since 1958 to promote the county's maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...

 industry. Additionally, other outdoor sports such as fishing, hiking, caving, and cycling are enjoyed in the county. Every August the Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge brings cyclists from all over the country to challenge themselves on the steep roads of Highland County. The last weekend of August/first weekend of September, the Highland County Fair is held on the fairgrounds located behind Highland High School. The Highland County fair is the longest continuously running fair in Virginia.

Unincorporated communities

  • Blue Grass
    Blue Grass, Virginia
    Blue Grass is an unincorporated community on VA 642 at its junction with VA 640 in Highland County, Virginia, United States. Blue Grass lies along the South Branch Potomac River. It was previously known as Crabbottom and Hulls Store before the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Blue...

  • Clover Creek
  • Doe Hill
  • Forks of Waters
  • Hardscrabble
  • Head Waters
    Head Waters, Virginia
    Headwaters is an unincorporated community in Highland County, Virginia, United States. The South Fork South Branch Potomac River rises north of Headwaters, hence the community's name....

  • Hightown
    Hightown, Virginia
    Hightown is an unincorporated community at the crossroads of U.S. Route 250 and State Route 640 in Highland County, Virginia, United States. The main source of the South Branch Potomac River lies to the north of Hightown along State Route 640. It was originally known as Heveners Store. It is...

  • Liberty
  • McDowell
  • Meadowdale
  • Mill Gap
  • Naples
  • Mustoe
    Mustoe, Virginia
    Mustoe is an unincorporated community in King George County, Virginia, United States....

  • New Hampden
    New Hampden, Virginia
    New Hampden is an unincorporated community in Highland County, Virginia, United States. New Hampden is located on the South Branch Potomac River in Bluegrass Valley....

  • Palo Alto
    Palo Alto, Virginia
    Palo Alto is an unincorporated community on the South Fork South Branch Potomac River in Highland County, Virginia, United States....

  • Patna
  • Possum Trot
  • Sirons Mill
  • Trimble
  • Vanderpool

  • Highways

    There are no Interstate highways near Highland County. East-west Interstate 64
    Interstate 64
    Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...

     and north-south Interstate 81
    Interstate 81
    Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...

     run though adjacent Augusta County.

    There are three Primary State Highways in the county. (A primary road provides service which is relatively continuous and of relatively high traffic volume, long average trip length, high operating speed and high mobility importance). They are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation
    Virginia Department of Transportation
    The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...

     (VDOT).

    These primary state highways are:
    • U.S. Route 250
      U.S. Route 250
      U.S. Route 250 is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. It goes through the cities of Richmond, Virginia,...

      , which is the main east-west artery. U.S. 250 provides a direct connection to I-81 to the east at Staunton and to I-79 in West Virginia.
    • U.S. Route 220
      U.S. Route 220
      U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...

      , which runs north-south through the county and provides a direct connection to I-64 south of Bath County.
    • State Route 84, which serves the southwestern portion of the county, running from West Virginia to its intersection with U.S. 220 three miles (5 km) south of Monterey.


    Highland County has more than 213 miles (342.8 km) of secondary roads. As provided by the Byrd Road Act
    Byrd Road Act
    Byrd Road Act was an Act of Assembly passed in February, 1932 by the Virginia General Assembly. Named for former Governor Harry F. Byrd, the legislation was originally presented as measure to relieve the financial pressures of the Great Depression upon the counties, as the state offered to take...

     of 1932, these are also maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

    See also

    • National Register of Historic Places listings in Highland County, Virginia

    External links

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