Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County on the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,599. Its county seat is Tappahannock.

Cities: Tappahannock
Population: 10,630 (2022)
Area: 286 mi²
County seat: Tappahannock
Congressional district: 1st
Founded: 1692