King George County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the Northern Neck peninsula between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. It had a population of 26,723 at the 2020 census and covers 188 square miles (490 km2) centred near 38°16′N 77°09′W.
King George is the county seat and its postal code is 22485. The county has no incorporated cities or towns — its population lives in five census-designated places and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities — and observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in King George County
King George County has five census-designated places and roughly fifty named unincorporated communities, crossroads and waterfront neighborhoods. None of the CDPs are incorporated towns; local government is countywide, with the Board of Supervisors elected by magisterial district.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| King George | CDP · seat | 4,970 | 22485 |
| Dahlgren | CDP | 2,946 | 22448 |
| Fairview Beach | CDP | — | 22485 |
| Dahlgren Center | CDP | — | 22448 |
| Passapatanzy | CDP | — | 22485 |
| Acodale | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Alden | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Allnut | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Ambar | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Arnolds Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Belvedere Beach | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Berthaville | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Carruthers Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Chestnut Hill | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Comorn | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Dickinsons Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Dogue | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Edgehill | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Gayles | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Gera | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Goby | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Graves Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Gulvey | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Hampstead | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Hooes | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Hop Yard Landing | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Jersey | Unincorp. | — | 22448 |
| Johnsons Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Lambs Creek | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Milbank | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Montague | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Ninde | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Office Hall | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Osso | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Owens | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Park | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Port Conway | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Presidential Lakes | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Purkins Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Rollins Fork | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Sealston | Unincorp. | — | 22448 |
| Shiloh | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Somerset Beach | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Tetotum | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Weedons Fork | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Weedonville | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Welcome | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Whites Corner | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
| Wilmot | Unincorp. | — | 22485 |
Two waterfront communities, Fairview Beach and Somerset Beach, sit a few miles apart on the Potomac shoreline in the county’s northeast; neither should be confused with the Fairview community near King George village itself.
ZIP Codes
- 22485 — King George (also serves most of the county’s central and southern communities)
- 22448 — Dahlgren (also serves the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren area)
Nearly every community in the county shares one of these two ZIP codes; only a handful of far-northern points near the Potomac use a Fredericksburg-area code.
Geography
King George County occupies the middle of Virginia’s Northern Neck, the peninsula between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. The Potomac forms its entire northern boundary, separating it from Charles County, Maryland; the Rappahannock forms its southern boundary. Inland, the terrain is gently rolling coastal-plain farmland and pine woods, with Machodoc Creek and Rosier Creek draining north into the Potomac and Rock Creek draining south into the Rappahannock.
King George County borders Stafford County to the west and Westmoreland County to the east; Charles County, Maryland lies across the Potomac to the north.
Demographics
King George County had 26,723 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 148 people per square mile. King George CDP (4,970) and Dahlgren CDP (2,946) are the two largest population centers, together holding roughly a third of the county’s people. Household income in King George County runs above the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting the concentration of federal civilian and military jobs at Dahlgren.
Economy & Local Life
The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, a federal research and weapons-testing installation on the Potomac shoreline, is the county’s largest employer and the anchor of its economy; a large share of the workforce also commutes north on U.S. 301 into the Fredericksburg area and the Washington, D.C. exurbs. Away from Dahlgren, the county remains largely agricultural and forested, with row crops, hay and timber on its inland farmland and a growing base of waterfront and retirement housing along the Potomac and Rappahannock.
History
King George County was formed in 1720 from part of Richmond County and named for King George I of Great Britain. James Madison, the fourth U.S. president, was born in the county in 1751 at Belle Grove plantation on the Rappahannock. During the Civil War, Confederate batteries were installed at Mathias Point on the Potomac in 1861, and in 1865 John Wilkes Booth crossed the county while fleeing after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Getting There
U.S. Route 301 crosses the county north–south over the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Maryland, and Virginia Route 3 runs east–west through King George village toward Fredericksburg. Nearby anchors:
- Fredericksburg, Virginia — 18 miles west
- Colonial Beach, Virginia — 15 miles southeast
- Washington, D.C. — 55 miles north
- Richmond, Virginia — 60 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, about an hour’s drive north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is King George County, Virginia?
It sits on the Northern Neck peninsula in eastern Virginia, between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, roughly 55 miles south of Washington, D.C.
What is the population of King George County?
26,723 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is King George County?
188 square miles (490 km2), of which about 8 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of King George County?
King George, an unincorporated census-designated place.
How many towns are in King George County?
None are incorporated; the county has five census-designated places (King George, Dahlgren, Fairview Beach, Dahlgren Center and Passapatanzy) plus dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in King George County?
Mainly 22485 (King George) and 22448 (Dahlgren).
What is King George County’s largest employer?
The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, a U.S. Navy research and weapons-testing facility on the Potomac.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.