King George County is located at the gateway to the Northern Neck, between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Named for King George I of England, King George County was formed by an act of assembly passed on November 24, 1720, by dividing Richmond County into two distinct counties to be known as Richmond County and King George County, as of April 23, 1721.

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In 1608, Captain John Smith explored the Northern Neck area including the area known today as King George County. He found a land occupied by Native Americans of the Powhatan nation and rich in game, fowl, and fish. By the mid 1600’s, the area was occupied by English settlers.

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In March 1751/52, James Madison, fourth President of the United States, was born at Port Conway in King George County.

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George Washington grew up in Ferry Farm, then in King George County, and had many family connections to King George County. He often visited his brother Samuel Washington of Chotank. He attended church at St. Paul’s Parish on several occasions. The will of Augustine Washington, father of the first president, is recorded in King George County Courthouse.

William Extra Billy Smith, twice governor of Virginia, was born in King George County in 1797. Smith was governor of Virginia when Richmond fell in 1865.

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The first Union naval officer, Commander James Harman Ward, was killed off of Mathias Point, King George County, on June 10, 1861.

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The daughters of General Robert E. Lee spent some of the civil war with their mother’s cousin Julia Stuart, wife of Dr. Richard Stuart, at Cleydael in King George County.

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In April 1865, after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices made their escape route to King George County. He entered Gambo Creek, at the present-day Naval Surface Warfare Center, stopping near the home of Mrs. Elizabeth R. Quesenberry. He also spent the night in a cabin at Cleydael, the summer home of Dr. Richard Stuart. Booth proceeded to Port Conway, where he crossed into Caroline County and the Garrett farm.

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In 1918, the Navy established the Naval Proving Grounds located at Dahlgren in King George County. This base was designed to test naval guns and offered an ideal shooting range on the Potomac River. Dahlgren was named for Admiral John Adolphus Dahlgren, the father of Naval ordnance. Today the Naval Surface Warfare Center is an essential part of the navy’s defense program.