Prince William County is located 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and 80 miles north of Richmond, Virginia. The county encompasses 348 square miles and stretches from the Potomac River to the Bull Run Mountains.

Prince William was established in 1731 and named for Prince William Augustus of England. The First and Second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run) figured significantly in the Civil War. From the end of the Civil War until after World War II, the county’s rural population grew slowly. Between 1950 and 1960 the population doubled and in the 1960s more than doubled again as housing developments were constructed.

The current population is estimated at 389,052 (as of September 15, 2008), which is approximately 1,151 persons per square mile of land area. The county population has grown 38.5 percent since 2000, when the population was 280,813. The average annual increase since 2000 is approximately 12,804 persons and the average annual growth rate is 3.93 percent. The county is projected to grow to 555,012 persons by 2030. Today,

Prince William County is a suburban community linked to the Washington metropolitan area, yet has an appreciation for its own history, natural features, and rural roots. Click here for more on the Manassas Battlefield.