Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia

Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia
A view along Judicial Center Lane in Spotsylvania Courthouse
A view along Judicial Center Lane in Spotsylvania Courthouse
Location of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia
Location of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°12′7″N 77°35′15″W / 38.20194°N 77.58750°W / 38.20194; -77.58750
Country United States
State Virginia
CountySpotsylvania
Area
 • Total
10.8 sq mi (28.0 km2)
 • Land10.7 sq mi (27.8 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
299 ft (91 m)
Population
 • Total
5,610
 • Density520/sq mi (200/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
22551, 22553
FIPS code51-74470[2]
GNIS feature ID1867599[3]

Spotsylvania Courthouse is a census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place (CDP), the population was 5,610 at the 2020 census.[1]

During the American Civil War, the crossroads community became a Union objective during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, fought May 8–21, 1864. The battle, which ended in stalemate,[4] included a brutal 20-hour struggle over a section of the Confederate defenses that became known as the "Bloody Angle". The site of the Bloody Angle and other portions of the battlefield are preserved as part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park and administered by the National Park Service. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park includes three cemeteries. Over 15,000 Union soldiers, many unidentified, are buried in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The other two cemeteries are dedicated to fallen Confederate soldiers.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Spotsylvania Courthouse CDP, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ NPS: ABPP
  5. ^ "Spotsylvania Court House". Colonial Ghosts. Retrieved November 15, 2015.