Lancaster County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the Northern Neck peninsula near the mouth of the Rappahannock River. It had a population of 10,919 at the 2020 census and covers 231 square miles (600 km2) — 133 square miles (340 km2) of land and 98 square miles (250 km2) of water — centred near 37°43′N 76°25′W.
Lancaster is the county seat, and its postal code is 22503. The county has three incorporated towns (Irvington, Kilmarnock and White Stone), two census-designated places (Lancaster and Weems), and a further scatter of unincorporated communities and landings along the Rappahannock and its tidal creeks. Lancaster County observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Lancaster County
Lancaster County lists more than 40 named places, most of them small waterside communities rather than incorporated towns. Only Irvington, Kilmarnock and White Stone are legally incorporated towns; Lancaster and Weems are Census Bureau-designated places (CDPs); everything else below is an unincorporated community or crossroads.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | CDP · seat | — | 22503 |
| Kilmarnock | Town | — | 22482 |
| Irvington | Town | — | 22480 |
| White Stone | Town | — | 22578 |
| Weems | CDP | — | 22576 |
| Alfonso | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bertrand | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brook Vale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Christ Church | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cove Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Foxwells | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Good Luck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grace Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Griffins Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iberis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lankford Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Litwalton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lively | Unincorp. | — | 22507 |
| McNeals Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Merry Point | Unincorp. | — | 22513 |
| Milestone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Millenbeck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mollusk | Unincorp. | — | 22517 |
| Monaskon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morattico | Unincorp. | — | 22523 |
| Newtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Weems | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nuttsville | Unincorp. | — | 22528 |
| Ocran | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ottoman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palmer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pierces Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pitmans Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Queenstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Regina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Senora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Slabtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Somers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taft | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Irvington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westland | Unincorp. | — | — |
Kilmarnock straddles the Lancaster–Northumberland county line, with part of the town lying in Northumberland County; the profile above covers only its Lancaster County side. North Weems is a distinct locality from the Weems CDP, sitting just north of it along the same shoreline.
ZIP Codes
- 22503 — Lancaster (also serves the county seat area)
- 22482 — Kilmarnock
- 22578 — White Stone
- 22576 — Weems
- 22480 — Irvington
- 22517 — Mollusk (PO Box delivery)
- 22513 — Merry Point (PO Box delivery)
- 22507 — Lively (PO Box delivery)
- 22523 — Morattico (PO Box delivery)
- 22528 — Nuttsville (PO Box delivery)
The remaining crossroads and landings listed above have no ZIP code of their own and are served by mail delivery from the nearest town on the list.
Geography
Lancaster County occupies the tip of the Northern Neck, bounded by the tidal Rappahannock River to the south and Chesapeake Bay tributaries elsewhere, giving it an unusually high share of water — 98 of its 231 square miles. The land is flat, low-lying tidewater terrain cut by numerous creeks and coves, with the Rappahannock forming its southern and western edge.
Lancaster County borders Richmond County to the northwest, Northumberland County to the north, and Middlesex County, across the Rappahannock, to the south and southwest.
Demographics
The county’s population was 10,919 at the 2020 census. Kilmarnock and Lancaster are its two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Virginia median of $89,931, typical of the rural Northern Neck; population density works out to roughly 82 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Service industries employ about 56% of the county’s workforce, concentrated in healthcare, education and retail centered on Kilmarnock, the Northern Neck’s main commercial hub. Construction and manufacturing account for roughly another fifth of jobs. The county is also part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area, and several wineries and vineyards operate on its rural land.
History
Lancaster County was established in 1651, carved from Northumberland and York counties, and is one of Virginia’s oldest counties. Its Northern Neck location put it at the center of early Tidewater tobacco planting and river trade, and the county retains a concentration of colonial-era churches and courthouse buildings from that period.
Getting There
Kilmarnock, the county’s commercial center, sits at the junction of Virginia routes serving the Northern Neck. Nearby reference points:
- Warsaw (Richmond County) — about 20 miles northwest
- Urbanna (Middlesex County) — about 15 miles south, across the Rappahannock
- Reedville (Northumberland County) — about 15 miles north
- Richmond — about 75 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Richmond International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lancaster County, Virginia?
It sits on the Northern Neck peninsula in eastern Virginia, at the mouth of the Rappahannock River where it meets Chesapeake Bay.
What is the population of Lancaster County?
Lancaster County had a population of 10,919 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lancaster County?
The county covers 231 square miles (600 km2), of which 98 square miles (250 km2) is water.
What is the county seat of Lancaster County?
Lancaster is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lancaster County?
The county has three incorporated towns — Irvington, Kilmarnock and White Stone — plus the Lancaster and Weems census-designated places and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lancaster County?
Its main ZIP codes are 22503 (Lancaster), 22482 (Kilmarnock), 22480 (Irvington), 22576 (Weems) and 22578 (White Stone), plus several PO Box-only codes for smaller communities.
What is Lancaster County known for?
It is known as the commercial and cultural hub of Virginia’s Northern Neck, its colonial-era churches, and its wineries within the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.