Tappahannock, Virginia

Tappahannock, Virginia
Town
Location in Virginia
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Essex
Founded	1608
Government
• Mayor	Roy Gladding
Area
• Total	2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2)
• Land	2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	2,068
• Density	793.6/sq mi (306.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	22560
Area code	804
FIPS code	51-77568Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1498542Template:GR
Website	http://www.tappahannock-va.gov

Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census. Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex CountyTemplate:GR. Its name comes from the Algonquian language word lappihanne (also noted as toppehannock), meaning "Town on the rise and fall of water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows."

Geography

Tappahannock is located at Segen 37°55′20″N 76°51′47″W (37.922180, -76.863158)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.99%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,068 people, 857 households, and 495 families residing in the town. The population density was 793.6 people per square mile (305.9/km²). There were 946 housing units at an average density of 363.0/sq mi (139.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 54.60% White, 41.60% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 857 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 78.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,688, and the median income for a family was $41,579. Males had a median income of $28,409 versus $20,431 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,862. About 10.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Tappahannock in 2006 ranked #1 in crime in Virginia based on incidents per 100,000 population, according to the state's annual crime report, "Crime in Virginia 2006" (source: www.vancnews.com).

Places

• The Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is located approximately 4 miles outside of Tappahannock and opened in 2007. Prior to the opening of the new airport, the old Tappahannock Municipal Airport was located inside town limits.

• Lowery's, a seafood restaurant which has been open since 1938.

• Tappahannock is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River. People traveling on U.S. Highway 360 from the northeast cross the Rappahannock via the Thomas Downing Bridge.

• The town is home to St. Margaret's School, a private boarding school.

Notable Residents

• Chris Brown - Grammy award nominated R&B singer, dancer. He mentions Tappahannock in his single "Kiss Kiss". He says "I'm just a country boy from Tappahannock."
• Stacy Tutt - New York Jets running back.
• Lorenzo Bundy - Former Minor league baseball player and MLB coach.
• Darryl Hammond - Arena Football league player.
• Nathan Reece - Former Long Island Priest