Culpeper, Virginia: Coordinates and Geographic Context
Culpeper is a town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States—situated in the Piedmont region, roughly 70 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and 100 miles northwest of Richmond.
Precise Coordinates
- Latitude: 38.4617° N
- Longitude: -78.0017° W
- Elevation: ~380 ft (116 m) above sea level
Geographic Hierarchy
| Scale | Classification |
|---|
| Planet | Earth → Northern Hemisphere → Western Hemisphere |
| Continent | North America |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Mid-Atlantic / South Atlantic |
| Subregion | Virginia Piedmont |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Culpeper County (county seat) |
| Watershed | Rappahannock River basin (Chesapeake Bay drainage) |
| Physiographic Province | Piedmont (between Blue Ridge and Coastal Plain) |
Strategic Location
- Transport: US-29 (north-south), US-15/29 bypass, US-522; Amtrak Cardinal (3×/week), Northeast Regional (daily)
- Proximity: 45 min to Shenandoah National Park (Skyline Drive); 60 min to Charlottesville; 90 min to DC
- Civil War: Major cavalry battles (Brandy Station, Kelly's Ford); historic district preserves 18th/19th-century architecture
Modern Context
- Population (2020): ~20,000 (town); ~52,000 (county)
- Growth: Fastest-growing county in VA (2010–2020); DC exurban spillover
- Economy: Data centers, logistics, agriculture, tourism, government
Culpeper sits at the geographic hinge between Virginia's mountains and its coastal plain—historically contested, now increasingly connected.
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