Amelia County is a county in Virginia, United States, southwest of Richmond in the Piedmont region. It had a population of 13,265 at the 2020 census and covers 359 square miles (930 km2) centred near 37°20′N 77°59′W.
Amelia Court House is the county seat, and its postal code is 23002. The county has no incorporated towns — every community listed here is an unincorporated place or census-designated crossroads. Amelia County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Amelia County
Amelia County has no incorporated cities or towns; all 26 places below are unincorporated communities, hamlets, or crossroads settlements. Virginia counties outside cities use no separate civil-township layer, so no Township column applies here.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia Court House | Unincorp. · seat | — | 23002 |
| Jetersville | Unincorp. | — | 23083 |
| Chula | Unincorp. | — | 23012 |
| Mattoax | Unincorp. | — | 23113 |
| Mannboro | Unincorp. | — | 23856 |
| Ammon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clementown Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coverly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deatonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Denaro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Earls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fieldstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Giles Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haw Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lodore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maplewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Masons Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Namozine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Otterburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paineville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rodophil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scotts Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Truxillo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilsons Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winterham | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 23002 — Amelia Court House (the county seat and main post office town)
- 23083 — Jetersville
- 23012 — Chula
- 23113 — Mattoax (shared with neighboring Powhatan County)
- 23856 — Mannboro (shared with neighboring Nottoway County)
Most of the smaller crossroads communities have no ZIP code of their own and share a code with the nearest post office town listed above.
Geography
Amelia County lies in the Piedmont of Central Virginia, a gently rolling landscape of pine and hardwood forest, farmland, and small streams draining toward the Appomattox River, which forms part of the county’s northern edge. Amelia Wildlife Management Area, a large state-owned tract in the county’s interior, is popular for hunting and fishing on Amelia Lake. The county covers 359 square miles, of which 355 square miles is land and 3.3 square miles is water.
Amelia County borders Powhatan County to the north, Chesterfield County to the east, Dinwiddie County to the southeast, Nottoway County to the south, Prince Edward County to the southwest, and Cumberland County to the west.
Demographics
Amelia County had a population of 13,265 at the 2020 census. Amelia Court House and Jetersville are the county’s two largest communities, though neither is incorporated and both remain small crossroads centers rather than towns of any real size. Amelia County’s median household income runs below the Virginia median of $89,931, typical of a rural Piedmont county with a farming and forestry-based economy. Population density is roughly 37 people per square mile, among the more sparsely settled counties in the Richmond region.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry remain central to Amelia County’s economy, with cattle farming, hay, and timber production on much of the county’s private land. Amelia County Public Schools is one of the largest local employers, alongside county government and small businesses along the US 360 corridor. The Amelia County Fair, held each fall, is the county’s best-known annual event, drawing residents for livestock shows, a fair midway, and local vendors.
History
Amelia County was formed in 1735 from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties and was named for Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. The county’s land area was later reduced as Prince Edward County (1754) and Nottoway County (1788) were carved from its original territory. Amelia Court House holds a notable place in Civil War history: Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s retreating army paused at Amelia Court House on April 4–5, 1865, searching for rations before continuing west toward its surrender at Appomattox Court House days later.
Getting There
US Route 360 (the Patrick Henry Highway) is the county’s main road, running northeast toward Richmond and southwest toward Farmville. Secondary state routes connect the smaller communities to US 360.
- Richmond, Virginia — 40 miles northeast
- Petersburg, Virginia — 30 miles southeast
- Farmville, Virginia — 25 miles southwest
- Powhatan Court House, Virginia — 15 miles north
Richmond International Airport, about 51 miles northeast, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Amelia County located?
Amelia County is in Central Virginia, in the Piedmont region southwest of Richmond, bordering Powhatan and Chesterfield counties to the north and east.
What is the population of Amelia County?
Amelia County had a population of 13,265 at the 2020 census.
How big is Amelia County?
Amelia County covers 359 square miles (930 km2), of which 355 square miles is land and 3.3 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Amelia County?
Amelia Court House is the county seat.
How many towns are in Amelia County?
Amelia County has no incorporated towns or cities; all of its communities, including Amelia Court House, Jetersville, and Chula, are unincorporated.
What ZIP codes are in Amelia County?
The main ZIP codes are 23002 (Amelia Court House), 23083 (Jetersville), 23012 (Chula), 23113 (Mattoax), and 23856 (Mannboro).
What happened at Amelia Court House in 1865?
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army stopped at Amelia Court House on April 4–5, 1865, hoping to find rations, in the final days before the surrender at Appomattox Court House.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.