Culpeper, Virginia

Culpeper
Town
Main Street in Downtown Culpeper Historic Culpeper Train Depot Lord Culpeper Hotel Regal Culpeper Theater Downtown Culpeper view
Seal
Motto(s):  "Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future"
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Culpeper Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Culpeper Culpeper (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°28′19″N 77°59′57″W / 38.47194°N 77.99917°W / 38.47194; -77.99917
Government
• Mayor	Frank Reaves Jr. (Ind.)
Area [1]
• Town	7.31 sq mi (18.94 km2)
• Land	7.27 sq mi (18.83 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
• Urban	9.4 sq mi (24 km2)
Elevation	413 ft (126 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Town	20,062
• Estimate  (2025)	21,575
• Density	2,759.56/sq mi (1,065.43/km2)
• Urban	22,834
• Urban density	2,436/sq mi (941/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	22701, 22735
Area code(s)	540, 826
FIPS code	51-20752[3]
Major Roadways
Airport	Culpeper Regional Airport
Website	www.culpeperva.gov

Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It serves as the county seat and is part of the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area according to the 2020 United States Census, the town had a population of 20,062, reflecting growth from 16,379 in 2010, largely driven by its strategic location along U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 29, and U.S. Route 522, and its proximity to Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia’s tech corridor.^[5][6]

Culpeper is located near several major highways and has daily Amtrak service,^[7] along with local and regional bus routes.^[8] It is situated between Northern Virginia and the Piedmont region, and has become a growing residential and transportation center.

The town traces its roots back to 1749, when a 17-year-old George Washington surveyed and laid out the original plan for the community under the direction of Lord Fairfax and the College of William & Mary.^[9][10]

In recent years, the town has also attracted data center development through the creation of the Culpeper Technology Zone, a 950-acre site offering tax incentives to qualifying companies.^[11] Notably, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure plans to develop a 1.4 million-square-foot data center campus in Culpeper.^[12]

After establishing Culpeper County, Virginia in 1748, the Virginia House of Burgesses voted to establish the Town of Fairfax on February 22, 1759. The name honored Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781)^[13] who was proprietor of the Northern Neck peninsula, a vast domain north of the Rappahannock River; his territory was then defined as stretching from Chesapeake Bay to what is now Hampshire County, West Virginia.

The original plan of the town called for ten blocks, which form the core of Culpeper's downtown area today. The original town was surveyed by a young George Washington, who at age 17 was a protege of the 6th Lord Fairfax. In 1795, the town received a U.S. Post Office under the name Culpeper Court House, although most maps continued to show the Fairfax name. The confusion resulting from the difference in official and postal names, coupled with the existence to the northeast of Fairfax Court House and Fairfax Station post offices in Fairfax County, was finally resolved when the Virginia General Assembly formally renamed the town as simply Culpeper in 1869 (Acts, 1869–1870, chapter 118, page 154).

During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), the Culpeper Minutemen, a pro-Independence militia, formed in the town of Culpeper Courthouse. They organized in what was then known as "Clayton's Old Field," near today's Yowell Meadow Park.

During the Civil War (1861-1865), Culpeper was a crossroads for a number of armies marching through central Virginia, with both Union and Confederate forces occupying the town by turn. In the heart of downtown, the childhood home of Confederate General A.P. Hill stands at the corner of Main and Davis streets. One block north on Main Street (present location of Piedmont Realty) was the frame house where "The Gallant Major" John Pelham died after sustaining a wound at the Battle of Kelly's Ford

In 1974, the town had a Choral Society, an Odd Fellows Hall, and an American Legion Hall.^[14]

Culpeper began to grow dramatically in the 1980s, becoming a "bedroom community" of more densely populated Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. suburbs. A growing number of residents of the town and county of Culpeper once lived and continue to work in those areas.

In 2011, East Davis Street in downtown Culpeper was named as a 2011 America's Great Place by the American Planning Association.^[15]

Downtown Culpeper was one of the communities most affected by the August 23, 2011 Virginia earthquake. Several buildings along Main Street and East Davis Street suffered structural damage, and some were later condemned.^[16] The earthquake led to the temporary evacuation of the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, which at the time was hosting a town hall event for U.S. Senator Mark Warner.^[17]

In 2014, the Museum of Culpeper History moved into the town's historic train depot.^[18]

Culpeper is in the Piedmont region of Virginia, approximately 70 miles (113 km) southwest of Washington, D.C. and 50 miles (80 km) north of Richmond, Virginia. The town lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 15, two major highways that provide important access to central and northern Virginia. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Culpeper has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), or 1.52%, is water.^[19]

Culpeper has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with very warm, humid summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant and well spread (although the summer months are usually wetter), with an annual average of 45.19 in (1,148 mm).

Climate data for Culpeper, Virginia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	80 (27)	84 (29)	91 (33)	95 (35)	100 (38)	103 (39)	107 (42)	102 (39)	102 (39)	99 (37)	86 (30)	79 (26)	107 (42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	45 (7)	49 (9)	60 (16)	70 (21)	79 (26)	86 (30)	90 (32)	87 (31)	81 (27)	70 (21)	59 (15)	48 (9)	69 (20)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	25 (−4)	28 (−2)	34 (1)	43 (6)	52 (11)	61 (16)	66 (19)	64 (18)	58 (14)	45 (7)	37 (3)	29 (−2)	45 (7)
Record low °F (°C)	−14 (−26)	−9 (−23)	5 (−15)	18 (−8)	28 (−2)	37 (3)	48 (9)	44 (7)	31 (−1)	18 (−8)	6 (−14)	−6 (−21)	−14 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.26 (83)	2.96 (75)	3.55 (90)	3.32 (84)	4.34 (110)	4.39 (112)	4.23 (107)	4.13 (105)	4.36 (111)	3.81 (97)	3.71 (94)	3.13 (80)	45.19 (1,148)
Source: [20]

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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Roads and highways

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Highways directly serving Culpeper include U.S. Route 15 Business, U.S. Route 29 Business, U.S. Route 522, Virginia State Route 3 and Virginia State Route 229.

U.S. Route 15 and U.S. Route 29 pass just southeast of the town limits. US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus and US 522 share the same alignment through downtown, following Main Street. US 29 extends southwest towards Charlottesville and Interstate 64 westbound, while US 15 provides connections southward towards Orange and Gordonsville. US 15 and US 29 are concurrent to the north, providing connections to Warrenton and Washington, D.C. US 522 connects southward to I-64 eastbound, and northward towards Front Royal, Winchester and Interstate 81. SR 3 extends eastward, connecting to Fredericksburg and Interstate 95. SR 229 provides a connection northward towards Rixeyville and U.S. Route 211.

Rail

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Amtrak operates Culpeper Station (code CLP), with daily service by the Cardinal, Northeast Regional and Crescent trains, offering connecting service to New Orleans, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York and Boston. Approximately 17,386 passengers embarked or deboarded the station in 2023.^[21]

Public transportation

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Culpeper is also served by Virginia Regional Transit which operates three bus routes covering northern and southern loops as well as an accessible route for disabled individuals.

Local and regional bus services are operated by Virginia Regional Transit, with additional commuter connections to Washington, D.C. through Academy Bus.^[22][23]

Airport

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Culpeper Regional Airport features a 5,000-foot runway and supports general aviation traffic, enhancing the town's accessibility.^[24]

Economy

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Culpeper's economy is supported by retail, healthcare, government services, and growing technology interests. The town is home to the Library of Congress’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, a major federal facility just outside town limits.^[25]

Recent years have seen proposals for large data center developments, drawing both interest and local opposition.^[26]

Retail hubs like Culpeper Colonnade also contribute significantly to local employment.^[27]

Culpeper has experienced growth in its technology sector, supported by improvements in broadband infrastructure and local government initiatives aimed at encouraging digital innovation.^[28]

In 2022, Amazon Web Services, via its subsidiary Marvell Developments, purchased land in Culpeper for eventual data center construction.^[29] The news caused concern among residents because of the project's potential environmental effect and alteration of the town's rural nature.^[30] A number of public meetings and protests were organized, with citizens speaking out against noise, light pollution, and pressure on public utilities.

Despite public concern, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors approved the zoning changes required for the project.^[31] As of 2025, construction has not yet begun.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the town of Culpeper had a population of 20,062.^[32] The racial makeup was 49.3% White (non-Hispanic), 17.3% Black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.8% Native American or other races, and 5.4% identifying as two or more races. Individuals of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 24.9% of the total population.^[33]

The age distribution in Culpeper showed 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% aged 65 and older, with a median age of 34 years.^[34]

According to the 2019–2023 American Community Survey, the median household income in Culpeper was $88,702, and the per capita income was $36,327. Approximately 12.4% of residents were living below the poverty line.^[35]

Culpeper hosts several arts and cultural programs, particularly centered in its downtown area. Culpeper Renaissance, Inc., a nonprofit organization, has coordinated public art initiatives such as the Culpeper Downtown Walls Mural Program. Murals include “The Surveyor,” depicting George Washington, and “The Trailblazers,” featuring African American community leaders. In 2024, the initiative expanded to include painted utility boxes throughout the historic district.^[36][37]

The Pitts Theatre, an Art Deco structure built in the late 1930s, was reopened in 2013 as a performing arts venue but closed again in 2016. Its facade remains preserved.^[38]

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio‑Visual Conservation, located outside town, offers free film screenings to the public.^[39][40]

Annual events in the area include Culpeperpalooza, a music and vendor festival held in April at Mountain Run Winery. The 2025 event featured multiple bands and supported regional nonprofits.^[41] Other recurring events include farmers’ markets and concerts held in the downtown district.^[42]

The Museum of Culpeper History, located in the town's historic train depot, provides exhibits and tours on local history, including the colonial period and the Civil War.^[43] Additional historical sites include the Burgandine House and Culpeper Battlefields State Park.^[44]

Culpeper hosts a range of organized sports activities, from youth leagues to summer collegiate baseball and regional tournaments.

Culpeper County Parks & Recreation oversees both youth and adult league sports programming, operating at facilities such as the Culpeper Sports Complex and the Fieldhouse. Offerings include baseball, softball, soccer, football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, pickleball and cheerleading, with clinics and youth camps available year‑round.^[45][46]

The Culpeper Sports Complex, which opened in 2006, receives over 350,000 visitors annually and features multiple athletic fields, including soccer, football, little league baseball, softball and lacrosse. In 2022, LED lighting was installed for enhanced evening use of 14 athletic fields.^[47]

Youth football and cheerleading are organized on a recreational basis by the Culpeper Football Association (CFA), which began operations in 2004 and has grown from approximately 250 participants to over 700 in later years.^[48]

At the high school level, Culpeper County High School athletic teams known as the Blue Devils compete in basketball, football, baseball, volleyball, soccer, softball, wrestling, lacrosse and other sports within the Virginia High School League’s Battlefield District (Class 3). The basketball team regularly participates in postseason play, including matchups in the Class 3 Region B tournament.^[49][50]

In summer collegiate baseball, the Culpeper Cavaliers joined the Valley Baseball League in 2023. The league, sanctioned by the NCAA and supported by Major League Baseball, features college-level athletes competing across the Shenandoah Valley region.^[51][52]

Recreational sports are also supported by facilities such as PATH Recreation & Fitness Center (Fieldhouse) and Culpeper Recreation Club. The Fieldhouse includes indoor courts for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, as well as batting cages.^[53] Culpeper Recreation Club operates a pool and courts for tennis, volleyball, baseball, soccer, and a summer swim team known as the Barnstormers.^[54]

The Culpeper Star-Exponent is a long-running newspaper, founded in 1881 as the Culpeper Exponent and merged with the Virginia Star in 1953. As of 2023, it is published three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) in broadsheet format and is owned by Lee Enterprises.^[55] A Lee Enterprises annual filing reported a print circulation of approximately 2,986 daily and 2,917 Sunday before the change.^[56]

Another notable publication is the Culpeper Times, a weekly tabloid founded in 1889. It is owned by Rappahannock Media LLC, with a print circulation around 5,000 copies, and digital availability through the InsideNoVa platform.^[57]

Local radio is anchored by several stations. WJMA (103.1 FM) is a country music station licensed to Culpeper, operated by Piedmont Communications since its debut on December 4, 1971.^[58] WCVA (1490 AM / 95.3 FM) broadcasts classic hits and was first launched in 1949, also under Piedmont Communications ownership.^[59] Additionally, WVCV (1340 AM), though licensed to Orange, Virginia, simulcasts WJMA’s country format and serves Culpeper listeners.^[60]

• Culpeper was the location of the main encampment for the Army of the Potomac during the winter of 1863-64 during the Civil War. It was from Culpeper that General Ulysses S. Grant began the Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
• During the presidential election campaign of 1960, vice presidential nominee Lyndon B. Johnson began his whistle-stop campaign of the South by giving a speech at Culpeper. As the train was pulling away from the station, Johnson yelled out a phrase that would become a battle cry of the campaign: "What did Dick Nixon ever do for Culpeper?!"^[61][62]
• In 1967, it was the site of a one-day standoff between members of the American Nazi Party and police and military personnel over the group's attempt to bury their leader George Lincoln Rockwell in the local National Cemetery.
• In 1995, former Superman star Christopher Reeve lost his balance during a horse competition and fell, resulting in severe spinal injury and permanent quadriplegic paralysis.
• Culpeper was featured in the nineteenth episode of the Small Town News Podcast, an improv comedy podcast that takes listeners on a fun and silly virtual trip to a small town in America each week. The hosts improvise scenes inspired by local newspaper stories.^[63]

On June 14, 2025, during a "No Kings" protest in Culpeper a motorist drove into a crowd of demonstrators. According to police reports, at least one person was struck by the vehicle; however, no serious injuries were confirmed at the time, and the individual was not immediately located.^[64] The incident led to the arrest of the driver and drew local attention to tensions surrounding the protest movement.^[65]

Culpeper is governed by a nine-member Town Council, consisting of a Mayor and eight Council Members, all elected at-large to four-year terms.^[66] The Council appoints a Town Manager, who serves as the chief administrative officer and oversees the daily operations of the town. The Council also appoints the Town Attorney and Town Clerk.

Council meetings are held regularly on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors Meeting Room.^[66]

As of 2025, the members of the Town Council are:^[67]

Culpeper County, including the Town of Culpeper, has historically leaned Republican in state and federal elections. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was in 1964.^[68] In the 2020 presidential election, approximately 62% of county voters supported Donald Trump, while about 36% supported Joe Biden.^[69]

Culpeper is part of Virginia's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat Eugene Vindman as of 2025. In the Virginia General Assembly, the town is represented by Republicans in both the House of Delegates and State Senate.^[70]

Culpeper is served by the Culpeper County Public Schools district, which covers all public K–12 education in Culpeper County.^[71] Within the town limits are several public elementary and middle schools such as Floyd T. Binns Middle, Farmington, Sycamore Park, and Yowell Elementary, while county residents outside town attend schools including A.G. Richardson, Emerald Hill, and Pearl Sample elementary schools, along with Culpeper Middle School.

High school students attend one of two public high schools: Culpeper County High School or Eastern View High School, depending on zoning. The Culpeper Technical Education Center (CTEC) opened in 2021 adjacent to Germanna Community College’s Daniel Technology Center provides vocational and technical programs to students from both high schools, offering hands‑on training and industry credentials in fields like automotive, carpentry, cybersecurity, culinary arts, healthcare, HVAC/R, EMT, and emergency services.^[72][73]

In addition to public schooling, Culpeper County has several private and faith-based institutions such as Culpeper Christian School and Epiphany Catholic School serving pre‑K through high school students with religious-based curricula and smaller class sizes.^[74]

• William T. Amiger (1870–1929), educator, college president, Baptist minister; born in Culpeper^[75][76]
• Nell Arthur (1837–1880), wife of Chester A. Arthur, who became the 21st president of the United States after her death
• Kenny Alphin, of the country music group Big & Rich
• John S. Barbour Jr., U.S. congressman (1881–1887) and U.S. senator (1889-1892)
• Andrew J. Boyle, U.S. Army lieutenant general, resided in Culpeper during his retirement^[77]
• Robert Young Button, Attorney General of Virginia (1962-1970) and Virginia State Senator (1945-1961)
• Cary Travers Grayson, highly decorated U.S. Navy surgeon, onetime chairman of the American Red Cross, and personal aide to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
• A. P. Hill (1825–1865), Confederate general during the American Civil War, commander of "Hill's Light Division," under Stonewall Jackson
• John Preston "Pete" Hill, Negro league baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, born in nearby Buena, Virginia
• John Jameson (1751–1810), Colonel in the American Revolutionary War
• Ann Jarvis, for whom Mother's Day was established by her daughter Anna Jarvis
• Keith Jennings, former NBA point guard, Golden State Warriors
• William Morgan, whose 1826 disappearance in New York state sparked a powerful anti-Freemasonry movement
• Waller T. Patton, Confederate colonel during the American Civil War, great-uncle of World War II General George S. Patton
• John Pendleton, American diplomat
• Eppa Rixey, major league pitcher and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
• D. French Slaughter Jr., former U.S. Congressman
• Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle
• J. Loren Wince, lead singer/songwriter for the band Hurt

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Culpeper, Virginia.

• Official website
• Culpeper Chamber of Commerce