Grayson County, Virginia | ||
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Present day courthouse of Grayson County
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Location in the U.S. state of Virginia |
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Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | 1793 | |
Named for | William Grayson | |
Seat | Independence | |
Largest town | Independence | |
Area | ||
• Total | 446 sq mi (1,155 km2) | |
• Land | 442 sq mi (1,145 km2) | |
• Water | 3.8 sq mi (10 km2), 0.8% | |
Population (est.) | ||
• (2015) | 16,012 | |
• Density | 36/sq mi (14/km²) | |
Congressional district | 9th | |
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
Website | www |
Grayson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,533. Its county seat is Independence.Mount Rogers, the state's highest peak at 5,729 feet (1,746 m), is in Grayson County.
Grayson County was founded in 1793 from part of Wythe County. It was named for William Grayson, delegate to the Continental Congress from 1784 to 1787 and one of the first two U.S. Senators from Virginia.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 446 square miles (1,160 km2), of which 442 square miles (1,140 km2) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) (0.8%) is water. The southernmost point in Virginia lies in Grayson County.
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,917 people, 7,259 households, and 5,088 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 9,123 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.70% White, 6.79% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.