Brunswick County, Virginia

Brunswick County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the North Carolina line in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 15,849 at the 2020 census and covers 569 square miles (1,474 km2), of which 566 square miles (1,466 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) is water, centred near 36°47′N 77°51′W.

Lawrenceville is the county seat, and its postal code is 23868. The county has three incorporated towns, three census-designated places, and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and crossroads. Virginia counties have no civil townships. Brunswick County is in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Brunswick County

Brunswick County’s settlement pattern is rural: three incorporated towns, three Census Bureau-recognised places, and a long list of crossroads, mill sites, and rural subdivisions that carry names but no municipal government. In the table below, “Town” is an incorporated municipality, “CDP” is a census-designated place with its own population count, and “Unincorp.” is an unincorporated community, crossroads, or named locality.

Brodnax’s town limits straddle the Brunswick–Mecklenburg county line, so a share of its residents and address range fall in the neighboring county; the population figure above is for the whole town. Fitzhugh and Old Fitzhugh are two separate named localities a short distance apart along the same rural road, both carried over from historical county gazetteers.

ZIP Codes

• 23868 — Lawrenceville
• 23920 — Brodnax
• 23821 — Alberta
• 23887 — Valentines
• 23889 — Warfield
• 23856 — Freeman
• 23893 — White Plains
• 23843 — Dolphin
• 23857 — Gasburg
• 23845 — Ebony
• 23876 — Rawlings
• 23873 — Meredithville (PO box only)

Most of the county’s smaller crossroads and rural subdivisions share a ZIP code with the nearest post office town rather than having their own.

Geography

Brunswick County sits in Virginia’s Southside region, a belt of gently rolling piedmont and coastal-plain transition land between the James and Roanoke river basins. The Meherrin River crosses the county’s southern half, and Lake Gaston, formed by a dam on the Roanoke River, laps the county’s southwestern corner near Bracey and the Lake Gaston Estates subdivision. Most of the county remains in pine and hardwood forest and row-crop farmland.

Brunswick County borders Dinwiddie County to the north, Nottoway County and Lunenburg County to the northwest, Mecklenburg County to the west, Greensville County to the east, and Warren County, North Carolina and Northampton County, North Carolina to the south.

Demographics

Brunswick County had 15,849 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 28 people per square mile of land. Lawrenceville, the county seat, is the largest single community, followed by Alberta. Brunswick County’s median household income runs well below the Virginia median of $89,931; the county is one of the lower-income jurisdictions in Southside Virginia, reflecting its rural, agriculture- and corrections-dependent economy.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture and forestry remain central to Brunswick County’s economy, with tobacco, soybeans, and timber among the leading crops historically grown here. The county is also home to two Virginia Department of Corrections facilities, the Lawrenceville Correctional Center and Meherrin River Regional Jail area, which are among the area’s largest employers. St. Paul’s College, a historically Black college founded in Lawrenceville in 1888, operated in the town for over a century before closing in 2013; its campus remains a local landmark. The county is closely associated with Brunswick stew, the slow-cooked meat-and-vegetable dish that Brunswick County residents maintain originated here in 1828, a claim long disputed by Brunswick, Georgia.

History

Brunswick County was formed in 1720 from parts of Prince George, Surry, and Isle of Wight counties, making it one of Virginia’s older Southside counties. It was named for the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the German territory that was the ancestral home of Britain’s Hanoverian monarchs, then reigning as King George I. Fort Christanna, a fortified trading post and mission built in 1714 to relocate and educate Siouan-speaking tribes under the Virginia Indian Company, stood in what is now the county before Brunswick’s formal organisation, and its site is a state-designated historic landmark. St. Paul’s College’s founding in 1888 and its 2013 closure both remain significant local milestones in the county’s more recent history.

Getting There

Interstate 85 runs the length of the county, with US Routes 1 and 58 crossing it as well, making Lawrenceville a highway junction town.

• Petersburg, Virginia — 30 miles north
• South Hill, Virginia — 25 miles west
• Emporia, Virginia — 25 miles east
• Henderson, North Carolina — 35 miles south

The nearest commercial airport is Richmond International Airport, roughly 65 miles north of Lawrenceville.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Brunswick County, Virginia?
It is in the Southside region of south-central Virginia, on the North Carolina line, roughly halfway between Petersburg and the North Carolina towns of Henderson and Roanoke Rapids.

What is the population of Brunswick County?
It had a population of 15,849 at the 2020 census.

How big is Brunswick County?
The county covers 569 square miles (1,474 km2), of which 566 square miles is land.

What is the county seat of Brunswick County?
Lawrenceville is the county seat.

How many towns are in Brunswick County?
The county has three incorporated towns — Lawrenceville, Alberta, and Brodnax — plus three census-designated places and dozens of unincorporated rural communities.

What ZIP codes are in Brunswick County?
The county has 12 ZIP codes, led by 23868 (Lawrenceville), 23920 (Brodnax), and 23821 (Alberta).

Why is Brunswick County known for Brunswick stew?
Local tradition holds that the dish was first cooked here in 1828 for a hunting party, a claim the county has long promoted against the rival origin story from Brunswick, Georgia.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.