Emporia is an independent city located within the confines of Greensville County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville county for statistical purposes. It is the county seat of Greensville County. The Town of Hicksford (also sometimes called Hick's Ford) was settled in 1710 in the Virginia Colony, where the Fort Road of eastern Virginia crossed the Meherrin River en route to Fort Christiana. After statehood, the Town of Belfield was established in 1798 on the north bank of the river. The two Greensville County towns merged in 1887 to form the new incorporated town of Emporia, which was named after the town of Emporia, Kansas. The Town Emporia was re-chartered by the Virginia General Assembly as an independent city in 1967. Emporia has long been a transportation crossroads. Currently, a major north-south railroad line of CSX Transportation crosses with an east-west line of Norfolk Southern. U.S. Route 58 crosses east-west and Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 301 crosses north-south. Emporia is the home to MLB player Jamar Walton, NFL player Maurice Hicks, former WNBA player Sharon Manning and NASCAR drivers Elliott Sadler and Hermie Sadler. It is also the hometown of writer Michaelene Robinson. It also the home of Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Henry Jordan of the Green Bay Packers. Unusual for a small town, the Emporia Bicycling Club hosts regular group rides, including the annual Great Peanut ride which attracts hundreds of bicyclists who ride to visit a peanut farm and are treated to hearty meals and live entertainment at camp. A pork festival is held each second Wednesday in June. Located at the north edge of the "cotton belt", soybeans, pine and hardwood lumber, and tobacco are also grown around Emporia. Unfortunately, in 2005 and 2006 the town ranked #2 in crime in Virginia based on incidents per 100,000 population, in the state's annual report "Crime in Virginia 2006" . Emporia and Greensville County has a large speedtrap operation,that fines more than 100 vehicles on Interstate 95 and US 58 daily. The Police Department of Emporia will wait at those locations and ticket as many vehicles as possible. Out-of-State motorists should especially beware.