From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prince William County, Virginia

Website: www.pwcgov.org

Prince William County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of Sept. 15, 2007, the estimated population of the county was 383,644. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas⁶. It is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

History

Prince William County was created by an act of the General Assembly of the colony of Virginia in 1731, largely from the western section of Stafford County as well as a section of King George County [1]. The area encompassed by the Act creating Prince William County originally included all of what later became Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park (and the various incorporated towns therein). The County was named for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, a son of King George II.

 Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles (902 kmē), of which, 338 square miles (875 kmē) of it is land and 11 square miles (27 kmē) of it (3.04%) is water. It is bounded on the north by Loudoun and Fairfax counties; on the south by Stafford County; on the east by the Potomac River, across the river is Charles County, Maryland; and on the west by Fauquier County.