History of Prince William County, Virginia in Timeline

Prince William County, Virginia, is located along the Potomac River and is the second most populous county in Virginia, with a population of 482,204 as of 2020. Its county seat is Manassas, an independent city. As part of Northern Virginia, it's included in the Washington metropolitan area. Notably, in 2020, it ranked as the 24th highest-income county in the United States.

1936: Establishment of Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area in 1936

In 1936, Prince William Forest Park was established as Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area.

1944: Largest Share of Vote for Democratic Candidate Since 1944

In 2020, Prince William County voted for Joe Biden with 62.6% of the vote, the largest share of the vote for a Democratic candidate since 1944.

1948: Opening of Old Dominion Speedway in 1948

The historic Old Dominion Speedway was opened in 1948 and was the location of the first commercial drag race held on the East Coast.

1960: Population in 1960

In 1960, the population of Prince William County was 50,164.

1964: First Democrat to Carry County Since 1964

In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democrat to carry Prince William County since 1964.

1975: Manassas and Manassas Park Became Independent Cities in 1975

In 1975, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park became independent cities.

1988: Largest Margin of Victory Since 1988

In 2016, Hillary Clinton's victory represented the largest margin of victory for any presidential candidate in Prince William County since 1988.

1990: Decrease in Family Occupied Households since 1990

According to the Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey, the percentage of households occupied by families decreased by 4.6 percentage points since 1990.

1994: Disney's America Theme Park Proposal in 1994

In 1994, The Walt Disney Company bought land in Haymarket for a proposed Disney's America theme park. Local resistance led to the project's demise. William B. Snyder bought the property from Disney and sold most of it to developers, except for 405 acres donated to the Boy Scouts for Camp Snyder.

2000: County Changes from 2000 to 2010

Between 2000 and 2010, Prince William County's population increased by 121,189 persons (43.2%) and changed from a primarily white, rural county.

2000: Prince William County Population in 2000

By 2000, Prince William County became the third-most populous local jurisdiction in Virginia.

2005: Tim Kaine Wins County in 2005

In 2005, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine won Prince William County with 49.95% of the vote.

2006: Jim Webb Carries County in 2006

In 2006, Democratic U.S. Senator candidate Jim Webb carried Prince William County with 50.51% of the vote.

2007: School System Size in 2007

Circa 2007, Prince William County Public Schools became the second largest school system in Virginia.

2008: Narrowly Beating 2008 Margin

In 2012, Obama narrowly beat his 2008 margin.

2008: Obama Carries County in 2008

In the 2008 United States presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama carried Prince William County with 57.51% of the vote. Obama held his final rally at the Prince William County Fairgrounds.

2009: Demographics of Prince William County in 2009

According to the 2009 American Community Survey, 29.3% of the total Prince William County population is under 18 years of age, approximately 6.5% is aged 65 and over, and the median age of the population is 33.2 years.

2009: Income and Poverty Levels in 2009

According to the 2009 American Community Survey, the 2009 median household income in Prince William County was $89,785, and the per capita income was $35,890. Also in 2009, 6.0% of the population was living below the poverty line.

2009: Family Occupied Households in 2009

According to the Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey, 76.1% of Prince William County's households are occupied by families.

April 1, 2010: Households in Prince William County as of April 1, 2010

As of April 1, 2010, there were 130,785 households in Prince William County.

2010: Census of 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 402,002 people, 137,115 housing units, and 130,785 households residing in Prince William County.

2010: County Population Increase from 2000 to 2010

Between 2000 and 2010, Prince William County's population increased by 121,189 persons (43.2%).

2012: Wealthiest County in 2012

In 2012, Prince William County was the seventh-wealthiest county in the country.

2012: Obama's Success in 2012

In the 2012 United States presidential election, demographic changes contributed to Barack Obama's success in Prince William County, defeating Romney by 16 percentage points with a margin of 57%-41%.

2012: Closure of Old Dominion Speedway in 2012

Old Dominion Speedway closed in the Fall of 2012 because of noise complaints.

2014: Estimated Population in 2014

The estimated population of Prince William County in 2014 was more than 437,000.

2016: Clinton's Victory in 2016

In the 2016 United States presidential election, Prince William County voted 57.6% for Hillary Clinton. Clinton's victory represented the largest margin of victory for any presidential candidate in the county since 1988.

2017: Legislative Election in 2017

In the 2017 legislative election, the number of Republican Delegates from Prince William County was reduced from six to one. Marshall, Lingamfelter, Miller, and Anderson lost to Democratic challengers Danica Roem, Elizabeth Guzmán, Lee Carter, and Hala Ayala respectively. Dudenhefer retired and was replaced by Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy.

2019: Hugo Defeated in 2019 Election

In the 2019 election, Tim Hugo was defeated by Democrat Dan Helmer, resulting in Democrats holding all eight House seats.

2020: Biden's Victory in 2020

In 2020, Prince William County voted for Joe Biden with 62.6% of the vote, the largest share of the vote for a Democratic candidate since 1944.

2020: Population and Income in 2020

In 2020, Prince William County's population was 482,204, making it Virginia's second most populous county. Also, in 2020, the county had the 24th highest income of any county in the United States.

2020: Election Fraud Concerns in 2020

Prince William County was a focal point for right-wing conspiracy theories about illegitimate votes during the 2020 presidential election, citing the prosecution of Michele White. The case was dropped, and errors favored Trump, with no evidence of intentional fraud.