Northern Neck | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Map of Virginia with the Northern Neck region shown in red | |
| Coordinates: 37°58′N 76°38′W / 37.967°N 76.633°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The Potomac River forms the northern boundary of the peninsula; the Rappahannock River demarcates it on the south. The land between these rivers was formed into Northumberland County in 1648, prior to the creation of Westmoreland County and Lancaster County.[1]
The Northern Neck encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond,and Westmoreland;[2] it had a total population of 50,158 as of the 2020 census.[3]
Commentators vary as to whether to include King George County in the Northern Neck.[4] Historically, Charles II's grant for the Northern Neck included all land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, including far upstream of King George County comprising some five million acres. The boundaries of King George and Westmoreland counties have changed radically since their establishment, with significant exchanges of territory. Significant portions of the early King George County lie in present-day Westmoreland County.[5]
- ^ Mason, George Carrington. “The Colonial Churches of Westmoreland and King George Counties, Virginia: Part I.” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 56, no. 2, 1948, pp. 154–72. JSTOR website Retrieved 26 Aug. 2023.
- ^ Founded in 1951 by The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society
- ^ "QuickFacts: Virginia, United States". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ The Official Guide of Virginia's Northern Neck (2007), Northern Neck Tourism Council
- ^ King George County Courthouse Wall Map.