History of Prince William County, Virginia in Timeline

Prince William County, Virginia, located in Northern Virginia along the Potomac River, is the second most populous county in the state with a population of 482,204 as of 2020. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas. A part of the Washington metropolitan area, Prince William County boasted the 24th highest income among all U.S. counties in 2020.

1936: Prince William Forest Park Established

In 1936, Prince William Forest Park was established as Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area. It is the largest protected natural area in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.

1944: Democratic candidate largest share of the vote

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: Old Dominion Speedway Opens

In 1948, the historic Old Dominion Speedway opened in Manassas. It hosted the first commercial drag race on the East Coast and NASCAR Grand National events.

1960: Population Statistics

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

1964: Previous Democratic Win

In 1964, before Barack Obama's victory in 2008, was the last time a Democrat had carried Prince William County.

1975: Manassas and Manassas Park Become Independent Cities

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

1988: Clinton's Victory: Largest Margin Since 1988

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

1990: Family Household Numbers

In 1990, 80.7% of households in Prince William County were families.

1994: Disney's America Theme Park Proposal and Land Sale

In 1994, The Walt Disney Company bought land in Haymarket for a proposed Disney's America theme park. Due to local resistance, the idea was abandoned, and William B. Snyder bought the property, later selling most of it to developers, except for 405 acres donated for Camp Snyder.

2000: Population Changes Between 2000 and 2010

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

2000: Prince William County becomes third-most populous jurisdiction in Virginia

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

2005: Tim Kaine wins the county

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

2006: Jim Webb Carries the County

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

2007: School System Size

Around 2007, Prince William County Public Schools became the second largest school system in Virginia, overtaking Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

2008: Obama Wins By 16 Percentage Points

In 2008, Obama won the county by 16 percentage points.

2008: Obama Carries Prince William County

In the 2008 United States presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama carried Prince William County with 57.51% of the vote. Obama's final rally the night before the election was held at the Prince William County Fairgrounds. He was the first Democrat to carry the county since 1964.

2009: Population Demographics

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

2009: Income and Poverty Statistics

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

2009: Family Household Occupancy

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

April 1, 2010: Household Statistics

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

2010: Population Statistics

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: Population Increase and Demographic Shift

From 2000 to 2010, the population of Prince William County increased by 43.2%. During this period, the county became minority-majority, composed of Hispanic, African American, and Asian residents.

2012: Wealthiest County Ranking

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

2012: Obama's Success in Presidential Election

In the 2012 United States presidential election, Barack Obama's success in Prince William County was attributed to demographic changes. By 2012, it was the first county in Virginia to be composed of a majority of minorities.

2012: Old Dominion Speedway Closes

In the Fall of 2012, Old Dominion Speedway closed due to noise complaints.

2013: Top Employers

According to the county's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county were listed.

2014: Estimated Population

In 2014, the estimated population of Prince William County was more than 437,000.

2016: Hillary Clinton Victory

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: Democratic Gains in Legislative Election

In the 2017 legislative election, Prince William County saw its number of Republican Delegates in the Virginia House of Delegates reduced from six to one, with multiple Democratic challengers winning seats.

2019: Democrats Gain All House Seats

In the 2019 election, Democrat Dan Helmer defeated Tim Hugo, resulting in Democrats holding all eight House seats that include parts of Prince William County.

2020: Vote Count Fraud Allegations

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

2020: Joe Biden's Victory

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

2020: Population and Income Statistics

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