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Stafford County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 92,446. Its county seat is Stafford6. As of 2005, the current population is estimated at 117,874. The 27.5% increase is the third largest increase in population in Virginia since 2000. This county is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
History
Stafford County was established by the British colonial government of Virginia in 1664 from territory previously part of Westmoreland County, and originally encompassed the majority of Northern Virginia (and as such, the county once included the areas which later became Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Prince William County). The county is named for Staffordshire, England and is the sister city of Stafford, England. Pocahontas, the Indian princess, was kidnapped at Marlborough Point in the eastern part of the county and taken to Jamestown. George Washington spent much of his childhood in the lower part of the county on his family's home, Ferry Farm, along the Rappahannock River across from the city of Fredericksburg. It was during this time that George supposedly cut down the legendary cherry tree. Colonial Forge High School was built on a tract of land owned by his father, Augustine Washington. Aquia Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1757 and remains open today. During the Revolutionary War the Stafford iron works furnished arms for the American soldiers. Aquia sandstone quarried from Stafford's Government Island was used to build the White House and the U.S. Capitol. More than 100,000 troops occupied Stafford during the American Civil War for several years. The Battle of Aquia Creek took place in Stafford in the Aquia Harbour area. In Falmouth, a town in the southern part of Stafford County bordering Fredericksburg, is Belmont, home to the late-19th century artist Gari Melchers. Stafford County today is considered part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and many residents commute north on Interstate Highway 95, U.S. Route 1, and Virginia Railway Express. Timeline
Population History
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