Sussex County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the Coastal Plain south of the James River, about 45 miles south of Richmond. It had a population of 10,829 at the 2020 census and covers 493 square miles (1,280 km2), of which 490 square miles (1,270 km2) are land, centred near 36°56′N 77°16′W.
Sussex is the county seat, and its postal code is 23884. The county has four incorporated towns — Jarratt, Stony Creek, Wakefield and Waverly — plus several unincorporated communities, and no civil townships. The whole county sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Sussex County
Sussex County has four incorporated towns and about twenty unincorporated communities and crossroads. Waverly is the largest town and the county’s commercial center; Jarratt straddles the Sussex–Greensville county line. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community or crossroads with no town government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly | Town | 2,182 | 23890 |
| Wakefield | Town | 929 | 23888 |
| Stony Creek | Town | 219 | 23882 |
| Jarratt | Town | 537 | 23867 |
| Sussex | Unincorp. · seat | — | 23884 |
| Yale | Unincorp. | — | 23897 |
| Homeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Littleton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lumberton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Henry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hilda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mason | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gray | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lambs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grizzard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cashs Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harrells Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howells Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Huske | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Nottoway | Unincorp. | — | — |
Jarratt is a split town: most of its area and population lie in neighboring Greensville County, with only a small slice inside Sussex. Its figures here cover the whole town, consistent with Census Bureau reporting.
ZIP Codes
- 23884 — Sussex (PO Box only; the county seat)
- 23890 — Waverly (also serves Fort Nottoway and Homeville)
- 23891 — Waverly (single-entity ZIP for a specific institution)
- 23888 — Wakefield (also serves Littleton and Owens)
- 23882 — Stony Creek (also serves Newville and Lumberton)
- 23897 — Yale
- 23867 — Jarratt (shared with Greensville County)
Smaller communities such as Grizzard, Hilda, Mason and Piney Grove use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Sussex County lies on Virginia’s inner Coastal Plain, a flat to gently rolling landscape of farmland and pine timberland drained by the Nottoway River, which forms part of the county’s southern edge, and Blackwater Swamp along its eastern side. Elevations run only a few hundred feet above sea level, and much of the county remains in row-crop agriculture and managed woodland.
Sussex County borders Dinwiddie County to the northwest, Prince George County to the north, Surry County to the northeast, Southampton County to the southeast, and Greensville County to the southwest.
Demographics
Sussex County had 10,829 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 22 people per square mile. Waverly and Wakefield are the two largest communities. Sussex County’s median household income runs below the Virginia median of $89,931; two of the county’s six ZIP codes report household incomes under $40,000, while Yale (23897) reports the county’s highest at roughly $83,942, reflecting a wide income spread across a mostly rural county with two large state correctional facilities as employers.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry remain central to Sussex County’s economy, with peanuts, cotton, soybeans, corn and timber among the leading products. The county is also home to two Virginia Department of Corrections facilities, Sussex I and Sussex II State Prisons, among its largest employers. Interstate 95 and US 460 bring warehousing and logistics traffic through the Waverly–Wakefield area, and the county seat hosts the county courthouse and administrative offices.
History
Virginia’s General Assembly formed Sussex County in 1754 from the southwestern portion of Surry County. The name honors Sussex, England. The county’s rural economy grew up around tobacco and later diversified into peanuts and cotton, and its Coastal Plain soils and river-bottom land shaped a settlement pattern of small crossroads communities and mill sites rather than large towns.
Getting There
Interstate 95 crosses the eastern part of Sussex County, with US Route 460 running east–west through Waverly and Wakefield and US Route 301 crossing near Stony Creek. State Routes 31, 35 and 40 connect the county’s smaller communities.
- Petersburg — 25 miles northwest
- Emporia — 20 miles southwest
- Smithfield — 30 miles east
- Richmond — 45 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Richmond International Airport, about 50 miles to the north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sussex County, Virginia?
It is in southeastern Virginia’s Coastal Plain, about 45 miles south of Richmond, between Petersburg and the Isle of Wight area.
What is the population of Sussex County?
Sussex County had a population of 10,829 at the 2020 census.
How big is Sussex County?
The county covers 493 square miles (1,280 km2), of which 490 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Sussex County?
Sussex is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sussex County?
Sussex County has four incorporated towns — Jarratt, Stony Creek, Wakefield and Waverly — plus about twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Sussex County?
Sussex County’s ZIP codes include 23884 (Sussex), 23890/23891 (Waverly), 23888 (Wakefield), 23882 (Stony Creek), 23897 (Yale) and 23867 (Jarratt).
What are Sussex County’s largest employers?
The Sussex I and Sussex II state correctional facilities are among the county’s largest employers, alongside agriculture and forestry.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.