Sussex County, Virginia

Sussex County, Virginia
Sussex County Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1754
Named for	Sussex, England
Seat	Sussex
Largest town	Waverly
Area
• Total	493 sq mi (1,277 km2)
• Land	490 sq mi (1,269 km2)
• Water	2.6 sq mi (7 km2), 0.5%
Population (est.)
• (2015)	11,715
• Density	24/sq mi (9/km²)
Congressional district	4th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.sussexcountyva.gov

Sussex County is a rural county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,087. Its county seat is Sussex. It was formed in 1754 from Surry County. The county is named after the county of Sussex, England.

Sussex County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.

Native Americans may have settled near Cactus Hill along the Nottoway River in what became Sussex county 10,000 years ago. The Nottoway people, speaking an Iroquoian language, were later part of the Powhatan Confederacy.

When colonists arrived from England in 1607, some traveled along the Nottoway River, but when they established the first counties, James City County included both sides of the James River all the way to the North Carolina line. The south side of the James River became Surry County in 1652. Virginia's General Assembly formed Sussex County from the southwestern end of Surry County in 1754.

Sussex County has maintained a predominantly agricultural economy, as well as its historic heritage for over four centuries. It includes the Sussex County Courthouse Historic District and the Waverly Downtown Historic District, the Nottoway Archeological Site and six historic homes on the National Register.