Prince William County was formally established in 1730. Captain John Smith first discovered Prince William County during an expedition in up the Potomac River in 1608. Smith found the region inhabited by Anacostan, Doeg, Iroquois, and Piscataway Indians. The first known colonial settlement was founded in 1722. In 1730, the Virginia General Assembly carved out an area approximately 2,000 square miles in size and named it Prince William County. At that time - all of Northern Virginia was known as Prince William. In the late 1700s, the county was divided into what today is Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Fauquier Counties. Manassas became a town in 1873. In 1892 Manassas became the County Seat for Prince William. |
As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county.
The county was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the third son of King George II
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles, of which 336 square miles is land and 12 square miles (3.5%) is water.
The Prince William County Department of Parks & Recreation operates fifty parks, two water parks, two recreation centers (Birchdale Rec. Center and Sharron Baucom Dale City Rec. Center), two community centers, six sports complexes, and an ice skating rink.
Managed by Alliance Community Management