Dope that I am, I read WINA‘s weekly notices of speed trap locations around town, and figure I know where the police will be and where they won’t. In this week’s Hook, Lisa Provence explains how the system works, with a little help from Sgt. Mike Farruggio.
My favorite bit in the piece is an offhand mention by Albemarle Lieutenant John Teixeira, who describes Albemarle as nearly as big as Rhode Island. Wha? So I checked the Census. Lo and behold, Rhode Island is 1,045 sq. mi. (counting only dry land), and Albemarle is 723 sq. mi. I don’t know if “nearly as big” is the phrase, but it’s not bad. Augusta County, however, is 970 sq. mi., and Rockingham is 851 sq. mi. I’d say if anybody around these parts of Virginia gets to claim that they’re nearly as big as Rhode Island, it’s the folks to the west of us.
At 983 square miles, I think Pittsylvania is pretty close.