Caroline County, Virginia

Caroline County
County
Caroline County Courthouse (built 1803–1809) in Bowling Green
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°02′N 77°21′W / 38.03°N 77.35°W / 38.03; -77.35
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1727
Named for	Caroline of Ansbach
Seat	Bowling Green
Largest town	Bowling Green
Area
• Total	537 sq mi (1,390 km2)
• Land	528 sq mi (1,370 km2)
• Water	9 sq mi (20 km2)  1.7%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,887
• Density	58/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.caroline.va.us

Caroline County is a United States county located in the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The northern boundary of the county borders on the Rappahannock River, notably at the historic town of Port Royal. The Caroline county seat is Bowling Green.^[1]

Caroline County was established in 1728 and was named in honor of the British queen Caroline of Ansbach. Developed in the colonial and antebellum years for tobacco and later mixed crops, worked by generations of enslaved African Americans, such agriculture gradually became less important. In the 20th century it was known for thoroughbred horse farms. It is the birthplace of the renowned racehorse Secretariat, winner of the 1973 Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

As of the 2020 census, the county population was 30,887.^[2] It has doubled in the last fifty years.^[3] Caroline is now considered part of the Greater Richmond Region and benefited by suburban and related development.