Washington (Va.)

The town of Washington, commonly known as Little Washington (in relation to the larger city of Washington, D.C., nearby), is a historic town located in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park. The entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, Washington Historic District. It is the county seat of Rappahannock County, Virginia, United States. Washington, Virginia, is considered part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The town was established by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1796 and as the county seat of Rappahannock County, Virginia, in 1833. The town was incorporated in 1894 and was rechartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1985. A large portion of the town was designated as the Washington Historic District on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and is considered to be the best preserved of county-seat communities in the Piedmont. The town is led by a 7-member elected Town Council composed of a mayor, a treasurer, and five other members, all of whom serve 4-year terms. The internationally recognized The Inn at Little Washington is located in the town. The town combines a mixture of open spaces, residences, village commerce, tourism facilities, historic buildings, cultural offerings, and local government activities. As of the 2020 census, Washington had a population of 86. The area of the town is 182 acres (74 ha).