Powhatan County, Virginia

Powhatan County
County
Powhatan County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°33′N 77°55′W / 37.55°N 77.92°W / 37.55; -77.92
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1777
Named for	Powhatan
Seat	Powhatan
Area
• Total	262 sq mi (680 km2)
• Land	260 sq mi (700 km2)
• Water	2.1 sq mi (5 km2)  0.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,033
• Density	110/sq mi (44/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.powhatanva.gov

Powhatan County (/ˈpaʊ.həˈtæn/) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033.^[1] Its county seat is Powhatan.^[2]

Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.

The James River forms the county's northern border, and the Appomattox River is on the south side. The county is named for the paramount chief of the powerful confederacy of tribes of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans in the Tidewater in 1607, when the British settled at Jamestown. Historically this Piedmont area had been occupied by the Siouan-speaking Monacan. They moved further west, abandoning villages in this area, under pressure from colonists.

In 1700 French Huguenot refugees settled at a Monacan abandoned village, which they renamed as Manakin Town. It was located about 20 miles above the falls on the James River. French refugees also settled on the other side of the river in two villages now known collectively as Manakin-Sabot in nearby Goochland County to the north.