Southampton County is a county located on the southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. North Carolina is to the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,996. Its county seat is Courtland.

In the early 17th century, the explorer Captain John Smith founded the settlement of Jamestown; in the next decades of the colony's history, Jamestown settlers explorer and began settling the regions adjacent to Hampton Roads. The Virginia Colony was divided into eight shires (or counties) with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants in 1634. Most of Southampton County was originally part of Warrosquyoake Shire. The shires were soon to be called counties. In 1637 Warrosquyoake Shire was renamed Isle of Wight County.

In 1749, the portion of Isle of Wight County west of the Blackwater River was organized as Southampton County. Later, part of Nansemond County, which is now the Independent City of Suffolk, was added to Southampton County. This area was cultivated for tobacco and later for mixed crops, dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans after a relatively short period when many white indentured servants came to the colony.

In August 1831, an enslaved preacher named Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Southampton County against local white residents, killing about 60 people (mainly women and children). The rebellion was crushed, and Turner and his rebels were tried, convicted, and executed. Meanwhile, white mobs had seized and lynched nearly 200 black residents of Southampton County, most of them enslaved.

Southampton County may have been named by Virginian settlers for Southampton, a major port city in Hampshire. Alternatively, it may have been named for Henry Wriothesley, one of the founders of the Virginia Company.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 602 square miles (1,560 km), of which 599 square miles (1,550 km) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km) (0.5%) is water.

Southampton County is bounded by the Blackwater River on the east and the Meherrin River on the west. The Nottoway River flows through the center of the county. All three rivers are tributaries of the Chowan River, which flows south into Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. The Blackwater River separates Southampton County from Isle of Wight County, and the Meherrin River separates it from Greensville County.

Surry County – north Isle of Wight County – northeast City of Franklin – east City of Suffolk – southeast

Hertford County, North Carolina – south Northampton County, North Carolina – southwest Greensville County – west Sussex County – northwest

• US 58
• US 258
• US 460
• SR 35
• SR 186
• SR 189

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	12,864		—
1800	13,925		8.2%
1810	13,497		−3.1%
1820	14,170		5.0%
1830	16,074		13.4%
1840	14,525		−9.6%
1850	13,521		−6.9%
1860	12,915		−4.5%
1870	12,285		−4.9%
1880	18,012		46.6%
1890	20,078		11.5%
1900	22,848		13.8%
1910	26,302		15.1%
1920	27,555		4.8%
1930	26,870		−2.5%
1940	26,442		−1.6%
1950	26,522		0.3%
1960	27,195		2.5%
1970	18,582		−31.7%
1980	18,731		0.8%
1990	17,550		−6.3%
2000	17,482		−0.4%
2010	18,570		6.2%
2020	17,996		−3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

Southampton County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	11,138	10,959	59.98%	60.90%
Black or African American alone (NH)	6,893	5,908	37.12%	32.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	52	56	0.28%	0.31%
Asian alone (NH)	46	67	0.25%	0.37%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5	20	0.03%	0.11%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	13	50	0.07%	0.28%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	220	604	1.18%	3.36%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	203	332	1.09%	1.84%
Total	18,570	17,996	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the census of 2010, there were 18,570 people, 6,279 households, and 4,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11 people/km). There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (4.6/km). The racial makeup of the county was 60.4% White, 37.2% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,279 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 111.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,995, and the median income for a family was $41,324. Males had a median income of $32,436 versus $20,831 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,930. About 11.70% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 14.50% of those age 65 or over.

Blackwater Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Southampton.

• Boykins
• Branchville
• Capron
• Courtland
• Ivor
• Newsoms

• Sedley
• Southampton Meadows

• Berlin
• Black Creek
• Drewryville
• Vicksville

United States presidential election results for Southampton County, Virginia

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	5,730	58.55%	3,969	40.56%	87	0.89%
2016	5,035	56.75%	3,595	40.52%	242	2.73%
2012	4,733	51.09%	4,437	47.90%	94	1.01%
2008	4,583	50.55%	4,402	48.55%	82	0.90%
2004	4,018	53.63%	3,431	45.80%	43	0.57%
2000	3,293	49.05%	3,359	50.03%	62	0.92%
1996	2,275	33.88%	3,454	51.44%	986	14.68%
1992	2,844	41.37%	3,199	46.54%	831	12.09%
1988	3,439	52.96%	3,000	46.20%	54	0.83%
1984	4,669	57.99%	3,300	40.99%	82	1.02%
1980	2,997	45.50%	3,347	50.81%	243	3.69%
1976	2,366	40.18%	3,399	57.72%	124	2.11%
1972	3,225	67.09%	1,498	31.16%	84	1.75%
1968	1,376	26.15%	1,803	34.26%	2,083	39.59%
1964	1,520	37.16%	2,566	62.74%	4	0.10%
1960	1,263	30.62%	2,804	67.98%	58	1.41%
1956	1,290	35.29%	2,039	55.79%	326	8.92%
1952	1,166	36.70%	2,000	62.95%	11	0.35%
1948	339	16.14%	1,462	69.62%	299	14.24%
1944	284	14.99%	1,599	84.38%	12	0.63%
1940	213	12.29%	1,508	87.02%	12	0.69%
1936	148	8.11%	1,673	91.62%	5	0.27%
1932	182	11.69%	1,357	87.15%	18	1.16%
1928	648	43.43%	844	56.57%	0	0.00%
1924	203	14.46%	1,119	79.70%	82	5.84%
1920	250	15.80%	1,314	83.06%	18	1.14%
1916	128	10.91%	1,045	89.09%	0	0.00%
1912	95	9.38%	861	85.00%	57	5.63%

• Bill Bailey, tap dancer who was the first person recorded doing the moonwalk dance and older brother of actress and singer Pearl Bailey
• John Brown, fugitive slave
• Samuel Butts, US Army officer
• Anthony W. Gardiner, ninth president of Liberia, established as a US colony in West Africa for free blacks; emigrated there from Southampton County
• S. Bernard Goodwyn, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
• William Mahone, railroad builder, U.S. Senator, and Confederate general
• Dred Scott, slave immortalized by the Dred Scott Decision of the US Supreme Court, which limited the rights of African Americans
• George Henry Thomas, US Army general
• Nat Turner, leader of a rebellion of enslaved people

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Southampton County, Virginia

• Southampton County Website
• Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance – serving Southampton County
• Newsoms Peanut Shop
• Turtle Creek Horse Transportation

36°46′15″N 77°09′38″W / 36.77083°N 77.16056°W / 36.77083; -77.16056