King and Queen County is a sparsely populated county in eastern Virginia that preserves much of the state’s rural and colonial character. The county reported 6,945 residents in the 2010 United States census, reflecting a low density and a landscape dominated by farmland, forest, and small villages. The administrative center is the small community of King and Queen Court House, which serves as the county seat.
Location and landscape
The county lies on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and is typical of Tidewater-influenced inland counties: low rolling terrain, coastal plain soils, and networks of creeks and rivers that feed larger Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Its land use is largely agricultural and forested, with working farms, timberland, and scattered residential properties rather than large urban centers. Outdoor opportunities focus on hunting, fishing, boating on small rivers and creeks, and enjoying quiet country roads.
History and name
King and Queen County has colonial origins and was organized in the late 17th century. Its name honors the joint monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II, who ruled England, Scotland and Ireland after the Glorious Revolution. The county’s early economy was based on tobacco cultivation and plantation agriculture, and several small historic sites and churches reflect that colonial and antebellum past.
Government, communities and demography
The county government is centered at King and Queen Court House, an unincorporated village that contains the courthouse complex and civic offices. Other communities in the county are small and dispersed rather than incorporated towns. Demographically the county has a small population by modern standards, with many residents engaged in farming, forestry, local services, or commuting to nearby employment centers.
Economy and land use
- Agriculture: family farms, livestock and crop production.
- Forestry and timber harvesting across working woodlands.
- Local services: schools, county administration, small businesses serving residents and visitors.
Attractions and notable facts
Visitors and residents appreciate King and Queen County for its rural character, historic churches and cemeteries, and access to waterways. The county is often noted for retaining a quieter way of life compared with suburbanized parts of Virginia. For more general information one can consult official county resources and census materials. See county information references for details: county overview, local government, state context, 2010 census data, and county seat details.