Warwick County, Virginia

Warwick County is a now extinct political subdivision in. It was created as, one of eight created in the in. It was located on the on the northern shore of the  between  and.

During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. By 1634, the English colony of Virginia consisted of eight s or with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants.

Warwick River Shire took its name from, second and a prominent member of the  who was proprietor of. Warwick River Shire became Warwick County in. The first courthouse and jail were located at Warwick Towne. In, Warwick County recorded 1,690 persons in the Federal Census, making it the third smallest county in Virginia. After the, Warwick Towne was abandoned, and the county seat was moved to the area of Denbigh Plantation, near Stoney Run.

The new county seat was at, where in Warwick's first brick courthouse was built. It also served as clerk's office and jail. In, a large courthouse was erected on the same tract, the clerk retaining the old building. Both served until the merger with the city of Newport News in 1958.

Immediately after the end of the in, land agents began acquiring land in Warwick County for , the railroad magnate, for "future enterprise". On the basis of these land purchases, the original city of Newport News was to be built at the southern end of the county. In, Newport News was chosen as the Atlantic deep water terminus of the (C&O), which was controlled by Collis P. Huntington. In, Huntington established in Warwick County.

Virginia has had an political subdivision since. Newport News became an independent city in by an act of the, one of the few cities in Virginia to have never been incorporated as a town.

In, Warwick County was the site of a new military installation, Camp , later renamed. The base was constructed near the mouth of the  and included. was the closest railroad station, and handled great volumes of troop traffic, especially during.

The leaders of Warwick successfully fought off an annexation attempt by Newport News in 1949, but only by ceding 4 square miles to in a clever legal maneuver which was seen as a narrowly-won technical victory. In Virginia, status guarantees protection against annexation of territory by adjacent communities, so in, the county successfully petitioned the  to amend its charter so that the remaining area (71 sq mi/184 km²) of Warwick County became an , putting it on an equal footing with Newport News annexation-wise. However, six years later, the citizens voted by to be consolidated with Newport News, and this took place in, creating Virginia's third largest city in population, and largest in area at the time.

''For history between 1952 and 1958, see. For history since 1958, see .''