Sinkhole risk in Middlesex 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: 14%
At or near the surface: 14%
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 19 of Middlesex County's 130 square miles on soluble rock, 19 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 10,949 residents (84 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 401 map points about 0.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Middlesex County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Hertford County, NC, about 89 miles south. 4 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

Lancaster County, VA 9 mi northeast · 4% at surface
Gloucester County, VA 14 mi south · 8% at surface
Mathews County, VA 19 mi southeast · 0% at surface
Northumberland County, VA 19 mi northeast · 12% at surface
King and Queen County, VA 22 mi west · 37% at surface
James City County, VA 24 mi southwest · 10% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Chesapeake Group (sand), Tertiary in age, covering about 14% of the county.

Against the rest of Virginia

Middlesex County ranks 50 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 71% of US counties on that measure.