Isle of Wight County, Virginia

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Isle of Wight County
County
Isle of Wight Courthouse and Confederate Monument (removed May 8, 2021).[1]
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°55′N 76°43′W / 36.91°N 76.71°W / 36.91; -76.71
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1634
Named for	Isle of Wight, England
Seat	Isle of Wight
Largest town	Smithfield
Area
• Total	363 sq mi (940 km2)
• Land	316 sq mi (820 km2)
• Water	47 sq mi (120 km2)  13.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	38,606
• Density	110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us

Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was named after the Isle of Wight, England, south of the Solent, from where many of its early colonists had come.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,606.^[3] Its county seat is Isle of Wight, an unincorporated community.^[4]

Isle of Wight County is located in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its northeastern boundary is on the coast of Hampton Roads waterway.

Isle of Wight County features two incorporated towns, Smithfield and Windsor. The first courthouse for the county was built in Smithfield in 1750. The original courthouse and its associated tavern (The Smithfield Inn) are still standing.

As the county population developed, leaders thought they needed a county seat near the center of the area. They built a new courthouse near the center of the county in 1800. The 1800 brick courthouse and its associated tavern (Boykin's Tavern) are still standing, as are the 1822 clerk's offices nearby. Some additions have been made. The 1800 courthouse is used daily, serving as the government chambers for the Board of Supervisors, as well as the meeting hall for the school board. The chambers are sometimes used as a court for civil trials if the new courthouse is fully in use. The new courthouse opened in 2010; it is across the street from the sheriff's office and county offices complex.