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County · code 51057

Essex CountyVirginia

Essex County is a county in Virginia, located in the eastern part of the state with Tappahannock as its county seat. The county was created in 1692 from Rappahannock County.

  • Founded1692
  • County seatTappahannock
  • Named forEssex, England
  • Land area257 sq mi + 29 sq mi water
  • Population10,599 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped10,252 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Essex County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

RichmondWestmorelandKing and QueenKing GeorgeCarolineMiddlesexLancaster Tappahannock Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Essex on the map of Virginia

Virginia has 133 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Accomack CountyAlbemarle CountyAlleghany CountyAmelia CountyAmherst CountyAppomattox CountyArlington CountyAugusta CountyBath CountyBedford CountyBland CountyBotetourt CountyBrunswick CountyBuchanan CountyBuckingham CountyCampbell CountyCaroline CountyCarroll CountyCharles City CountyCharlotte CountyChesterfield CountyClarke CountyCraig CountyCulpeper CountyCumberland CountyDickenson CountyDinwiddie CountyFairfax CountyFauquier CountyFloyd CountyFluvanna CountyFranklin CountyFrederick CountyGiles CountyGloucester CountyGoochland CountyGrayson CountyGreene CountyGreensville CountyHalifax CountyHanover CountyHenrico CountyHenry CountyHighland CountyIsle of Wight CountyJames City CountyKing and Queen CountyKing George CountyKing William CountyLancaster CountyLee CountyLoudoun CountyLouisa CountyLunenburg CountyMadison CountyMathews CountyMecklenburg CountyMiddlesex CountyMontgomery CountyNelson CountyNew Kent CountyNorthampton CountyNorthumberland CountyNottoway CountyOrange CountyPage CountyPatrick CountyPittsylvania CountyPowhatan CountyPrince Edward CountyPrince George CountyPrince William CountyPulaski CountyRappahannock CountyRichmond CountyRoanoke CountyRockbridge CountyRockingham CountyRussell CountyScott CountyShenandoah CountySmyth CountySouthampton CountySpotsylvania CountyStafford CountySurry CountySussex CountyTazewell CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWestmoreland CountyWise CountyWythe CountyYork CountyAlexandria cityBristol cityBuena Vista cityCharlottesville cityChesapeake cityColonial Heights cityCovington cityDanville cityEmporia cityFairfax cityFalls Church cityFranklin cityFredericksburg cityGalax cityHampton cityHarrisonburg cityHopewell cityLexington cityLynchburg cityManassas cityManassas Park cityMartinsville cityNewport News cityNorfolk cityNorton cityPetersburg cityPoquoson cityPortsmouth cityRadford cityRichmond cityRoanoke citySalem cityStaunton citySuffolk cityVirginia Beach cityWaynesboro cityWilliamsburg cityWinchester cityEssex County Essex
Counties of Virginia · Essex highlighted

History

Formed in 1692 from Rappahannock County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Essex County was created on April 26, 1692, from the original Rappahannock County, which was then eliminated. The county lost territory in 1721 when Spotsylvania County was created, and again in 1728 when Caroline County was created.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1692
    Essex County created Essex created from Rappahannock (original); original Rappahannock County eliminated.
    from Rappahannock
    · Hening, 3:104-105; Robinson, 49, 66
  2. 1721
    Lost territory Essex lost to creation of Spotsylvania.
    to Spotsylvania
    · Hening, 4:77-79; Robinson, 77; Winfree, 179-185
  3. 1728
    Lost territory Essex lost to creation of Caroline.
    to Caroline
    · Winfree, 319-320

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Essex

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Essex by the Census

Population
10,599 2020 Census count
Housing units
5,742 2020 Census count
Land area
257 square miles
Water area
29 square miles
People per sq mi
41 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Essex County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Essex County

When was Essex County founded?
Essex County was founded in 1692, formed from Rappahannock County, and named after Essex, England.
What is the county seat of Essex County?
The county seat of Essex County is Tappahannock.
Is there an online parcel map for Essex County?
Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 10,252 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Essex County's boundary or name changed?
Essex County was created in 1692 from Rappahannock County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Caroline County and Spotsylvania County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Essex County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door