Sinkhole risk in Hanover County, VA: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 11%
At or near the surface: 11%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 53 of Hanover County's 468 square miles on soluble rock, 53 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 115,309 residents (247 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 404 map points about 1.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Hanover County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Waynesboro city, VA, about 80 miles west. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Richmond city, VA 16 mi south · 9% at surface
Caroline County, VA 20 mi north · 48% at surface
King William County, VA 22 mi east · 37% at surface
Goochland County, VA 23 mi west · 0% at surface
Henrico County, VA 25 mi southeast · 7% at surface
Chesterfield County, VA 27 mi south · 2% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Chesapeake Group (sand), Tertiary in age, covering about 10% of the county. Next is the Newark Supergroup; Conglomerate, mixed clasts at 1%.

Against the rest of Virginia

Hanover County ranks 55 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 69% of US counties on that measure.