Floyd County, Virginia

Floyd County is a located in the  &mdash; officially, "" &mdash; of. As of the, the population was 13,874. Its is.

History
Floyd County's recorded history begins with the arrival of traders, trappers and hunters in Southwest Virginia in the 1700s. The earliest known travel way through present day Floyd County was the Trader's Path, running from East to West across the where Back Creek enters the river, by John Mason's, R. Poage's, the headwaters of Back Creek and Southwest over Bent Mountain. The trail continued westward through the Little River area to the Lead Mines.

The first known attempts to settle the area appear to have been made during the 1740s. In 1745 the Virginia Council granted James Patton, of Augusta County among others, 100,000 acres (400 km²) on the New River and the westward flowing waters, including the area. In 1749 the Royal Company of Virginia also received a grant on the westward flowing waters, putting the two companies in competition with one another to settle the area. The first surveying of the land occurred in the late 1740s.

On January 15, 1831, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act creating the present county of Floyd out of the county Montgomery. The new county was named for the then Governor of Virginia,. The new county's courthouse was completed in 1834.

The of Floyd County was first called Jacksonville for, seventh President of the United States (1829-1837). Jacksonville was first incorporated in 1858 and then re-incorporated on February 19, 1892 to expand the town boundaries. On January 23, 1896, the General Assembly passed an Act officially changing the name of the Town of Jacksonville to the town of Floyd.

Floyd County's rugged terrain and relative inaccessibility, which persists now as there are no four lane roads in the county, have historically drawn those seeking to live outside the mainstream of society. During the, from the  used the county as a hideaway to  minimize the chances of retribution. The county became a destination for those involved in the during the 1960s and 1970s particularly those who wanted to live in closer contact with nature. In the late 1990s, the community was established by a group of  so they could practice a lifestyle consistent with their interpretations of the  and also, in part, to be isolated from possible societal disruptions caused by the  computer problem. Nonetheless, the county's location directly adjacent to both the and the s have contributed to modest population growth in contrast to most rural counties in Southwest Virginia. Several live in the county and frequently post observations about the community and its rural setting.

Floyd County also has a strong music scene for a rural county. Three establishments in Floyd regularly offer a variety of live music during the weekends ranging from traditional styles such as to contemporary and alternative acts. Best known is the Friday Night Jamboree held at The Floyd Country Store. The has profiled Floyd's music scene as a tourist destination three times in the past two years.

The Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia wineries have been established since the 1980s.

Geography
Floyd County has a land area of 987 square kilometers/383 square miles according to the in the  of southwestern Virginia. The county seat, the town of Floyd, is 40 miles southwest of Roanoke on US 221. Buffalo Mountain, at 3,971 feet, is the highest point in the county.

Floyd County is located south of, southeast of , northeast of , northwest of , and southwest of.

Floyd County is situated atop a high plateau of the Blue Ridge Mountains which divides the eastward flowing from the westward flowing waters. With the high topography, no streams flow into Floyd County. The county is drained primarily by and its tributaries which flow into New River below the Claytor Lake Dam and, in turn, by way of the Kanawha, the Ohio and the Mississippi, into the. The headwaters of the south fork of the are in the northeastern part of the county.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 13,874 people, 5,791 households, and 4,157 families residing in the county. The was 14/km² (36/mi²). There were 6,763 housing units at an average density of 7/km² (18/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.71%, 2.00% or , 0.09% , 0.09% , 0.01% , 0.36% from , and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 5,791 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.20% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,585, and the median income for a family was $38,128. Males had a median income of $30,886 versus $20,466 for females. The for the county was $16,345. About 8.50% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the, including 12.70% of those under age 18 and 15.30% of those age 65 or over.