List of counties in West Virginia

Wikimedia list article

There are 55 counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia.

West Virginia county boundaries
County
FIPS code County seat[1] Created[2] Formed from[2][3] Meaning of name[2][3] Population
(2020)[4]
Area[1] Map
Barbour County 001 Philippi 1843 Harrison, Lewis, and Randolph counties Philip P. Barbour
(1783–1841)
United States Speaker of the House
(1821–23)
15,465 341 sq mi
(883 km2)
 
Berkeley County 003 Martinsburg 1772 Frederick County (Virginia) Norborne Berkeley
(1717–70)
Royal Governor of Virginia
(1768–70)
122,076 321 sq mi
(831 km2)
 
Boone County 005 Madison 1847 Cabell, Kanawha, and Logan counties Daniel Boone
(1734–1820)
American frontiersman
21,809 503 sq mi
(1,303 km2)
 
Braxton County 007 Sutton 1836 Kanawha, Lewis, and Nicholas counties Carter Braxton
(1736–97)
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
12,447 514 sq mi
(1,331 km2)
 
Brooke County 009 Wellsburg 1796 Ohio County Robert Brooke
(1761–1800)
Governor of Virginia
(1794–96)
22,559 89 sq mi
(231 km2)
 
Cabell County 011 Huntington 1809 Kanawha County William H. Cabell
(1772–1853)
Governor of Virginia
(1805–08)
94,350 282 sq mi
(730 km2)
 
Calhoun County 013 Grantsville 1856 Gilmer County John C. Calhoun
(1782–1850)
United States Vice President
(1825–32)
6,229 281 sq mi
(728 km2)
 
Clay County 015 Clay 1858 Braxton and Nicholas counties Henry Clay
(1777–1852)
United States Senator Kentucky
(1823–25)
United States Speaker of the House
(1849–52)
8,051 342 sq mi
(886 km2)
 
Doddridge County 017 West Union 1845 Harrison, Lewis, Ritchie, and Tyler counties Philip Doddridge
(1773–1832)
United States Congressman (Virginia)
(1829–32)
7,808 320 sq mi
(829 km2)
 
Fayette County 019 Fayetteville 1831 Kanawha, Greenbrier, Logan, and Nicholas counties Marquis de Lafayette
(1757–1834)
French-born American Revolutionary War General
40,488 664 sq mi
(1,720 km2)
 
Gilmer County 021 Glenville 1845 Kanawha and Lewis counties Thomas Walker Gilmer
(1802–44)
United States Secretary of the Navy
(1844)
Governor of Virginia
(1840–41)
7,408 340 sq mi
(881 km2)
 
Grant County 023 Petersburg 1866 Hardy County Ulysses S. Grant
(1822–85)
United States President
(1869–77)
10,976 477 sq mi
(1,235 km2)
 
Greenbrier County 025 Lewisburg 1778 Montgomery County (Virginia) and Botetourt County (Virginia) Greenbrier River 32,977 1,021 sq mi
(2,644 km2)
 
Hampshire County 027 Romney 1754 Augusta County (Virginia) and Frederick County (Virginia) County of Hampshire in England 23,093 642 sq mi
(1,663 km2)
 
Hancock County 029 New Cumberland 1848 Brooke County John Hancock
(1737–93)
One of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Governor of Massachusetts
(1780–85)
and (1787–93)
29,095 83 sq mi
(215 km2)
 
Hardy County 031 Moorefield 1786 Hampshire County Samuel Hardy
(1758–85)
Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress
(1783–85)
14,299 583 sq mi
(1,510 km2)
 
Harrison County 033 Clarksburg 1784 Monongalia County Benjamin Harrison V
(1726–91)
Governor of Virginia
(1781–84)
65,921 416 sq mi
(1,077 km2)
 
Jackson County 035 Ripley 1831 Kanawha, Mason, and Wood counties Andrew Jackson
(1767–1845)
United States President
(1829–37)
27,791 466 sq mi
(1,207 km2)
 
Jefferson County 037 Charles Town 1801 Berkeley County Thomas Jefferson
(1743–1826)
United States President
(1801–09)
57,701 210 sq mi
(544 km2)
 
Kanawha County 039 Charleston 1789 Greenbrier and Montgomery County (Virginia) Kanawha River 180,745 903 sq mi
(2,339 km2)
 
Lewis County 041 Weston 1816 Harrison County Charles Lewis
(1736–74)
American Colonel killed at the
Battle of Point Pleasant[5]
17,033 389 sq mi
(1,008 km2)
 
Lincoln County 043 Hamlin 1867 Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, and Putnam counties Abraham Lincoln
(1809–65)
United States President
(1861–65)
20,463 438 sq mi
(1,134 km2)
 
Logan County 045 Logan 1824 Cabell and Kanawha counties, Giles County (Virginia), and Tazewell County (Virginia) Chief Logan
(c.1723-80)
Mingo leader
32,567 454 sq mi
(1,176 km2)
 
Marion County 049 Fairmont 1842 Harrison and Monongalia counties Francis Marion
(1732–95)
American Revolutionary War General
(1757–82)
56,205 310 sq mi
(803 km2)
 
Marshall County 051 Moundsville 1835 Ohio County John Marshall
(1755–1835)
United States Secretary of State
(1800–01)
Chief Justice of the United States
(1801–35)
30,591 307 sq mi
(795 km2)
 
Mason County 053 Point Pleasant 1804 Kanawha County George Mason
(1725–92)
United States Constitutional Convention
"Father of the Bill of Rights"
25,453 432 sq mi
(1,119 km2)
 
McDowell County 047 Welch 1858 Tazewell County (Virginia) James McDowell
(1795–1851)
Governor of Virginia
(1843–46)
19,111 535 sq mi
(1,386 km2)
 
Mercer County 055 Princeton 1837 Giles County (Virginia) and Tazewell County (Virginia) Hugh Mercer
(1726–77)
American Revolutionary War General
(1775–76)
59,664 420 sq mi
(1,088 km2)
 
Mineral County 057 Keyser 1866 Hampshire County abundant mineral resources 26,938 328 sq mi
(850 km2)
 
Mingo County 059 Williamson 1895 Logan County Mingo Native Americans 23,568 423 sq mi
(1,096 km2)
 
Monongalia County 061 Morgantown 1776 Augusta County (Virginia) Latin derivation for Monongahela River 105,822 361 sq mi
(935 km2)
 
Monroe County 063 Union 1799 Greenbrier County James Monroe
(1758–1831)
United States Senator (Virginia)
(1790–94)
Governor of Virginia
(1799–1802)
and (1811)
United States President
(1817–25)
12,376 473 sq mi
(1,225 km2)
 
Morgan County 065 Berkeley Springs 1820 Berkeley and Hampshire counties Daniel Morgan
(1736–1802)
United States Congressman (Virginia)
(1797–99)
17,063 229 sq mi
(593 km2)
 
Nicholas County 067 Summersville 1818 Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph counties Wilson Cary Nicholas
(1761–1820)
United States Senator (Virginia)
(1799–1804)
Governor of Virginia
(1814–16)
24,604 649 sq mi
(1,681 km2)
 
Ohio County 069 Wheeling 1776 Augusta County (Virginia) Ohio River 42,425 106 sq mi
(275 km2)
 
Pendleton County 071 Franklin 1788 Augusta County (Virginia), Rockingham County (Virginia), and Hardy Edmund Pendleton
(1721–1803)
First Continental Congress
(1774)
6,143 698 sq mi
(1,808 km2)
 
Pleasants County 073 Saint Marys 1851 Ritchie, Tyler, and Wood counties James Pleasants, Jr.
(1769–1836)
United States Senator (Virginia)
(1819–22)
Governor of Virginia
(1822–25)
7,653 131 sq mi
(339 km2)
 
Pocahontas County 075 Marlinton 1821 Bath County (Virginia), Pendleton, and Randolph Pocahontas
(c. 1595–1617)
Powhatan Native American who assisted early English settlers
7,869 940 sq mi
(2,435 km2)
 
Preston County 077 Kingwood 1818 Monongalia County James Patton Preston
(1774–1843)
Governor of Virginia
(1816–19)
34,216 648 sq mi
(1,678 km2)
 
Putnam County 079 Winfield 1848 Cabell, Kanawha, and Mason counties Israel Putnam
(1718–90)
American Revolutionary War General
57,440 346 sq mi
(896 km2)
 
Raleigh County 081 Beckley 1850 Fayette County Sir Walter Raleigh
(1554–1618)
English explorer and poet
74,591 607 sq mi
(1,572 km2)
 
Randolph County 083 Elkins 1787 Harrison County Edmund Jennings Randolph
(1753–1813)
Governor of Virginia
(1786–88)
First United States Attorney General
(1789–94)
27,932 1,040 sq mi
(2,694 km2)
 
Ritchie County 085 Harrisville 1843 Harrison, Lewis, and Wood counties Thomas Ritchie
(1778–1854)
nationally influential Virginia newspaper publisher
8,444 454 sq mi
(1,176 km2)
 
Roane County 087 Spencer 1856 Gilmer, Jackson, and Kanawha counties Spencer Roane
(1762–1822)
Virginia Supreme Court Justice
(1794–1822)
14,028 484 sq mi
(1,254 km2)
 
Summers County 089 Hinton 1871 Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, and Monroe counties George W. Summers
(1804–68)
United States Congressman (Virginia)
(1843)
11,959 361 sq mi
(935 km2)
 
Taylor County 091 Grafton 1844 Barbour, Harrison, Marion counties John Taylor of Caroline
(1753–1824)
United States Senator (Virginia)
(1792–94) and
(1803) and
(1822–24)
16,705 173 sq mi
(448 km2)
 
Tucker County 093 Parsons 1856 Randolph County Henry St. George Tucker
(1780–1848)
United States Congressman (Virginia)
(1815–19)
Virginia Supreme Court
(1831–41)
6,762 419 sq mi
(1,085 km2)
 
Tyler County 095 Middlebourne 1814 Ohio County John Tyler, Sr.
(1747–1813)
Governor of Virginia
(1808–11)
8,313 258 sq mi
(668 km2)
 
Upshur County 097 Buckhannon 1851 Barbour, Lewis, and Randolph counties Abel Parker Upshur
(1790–1844)
United States Secretary of the Navy
(1841–43)
United States Secretary of State
(1843–44)
23,816 355 sq mi
(919 km2)
 
Wayne County 099 Wayne 1842 Cabell County "Mad" Anthony Wayne
Major General
(1745–96)
American Revolutionary War
(1775–83)
and (1792–96)
United States Congressman Georgia
(1791)
38,982 506 sq mi
(1,311 km2)
 
Webster County 101 Webster Springs 1860 Braxton, Nicholas, and Randolph counties Daniel Webster
(1782–1852)
United States Senator Massachusetts
(1827–41) and
(1845–50)
United States Secretary of State
(1841–53) and
(1850–52)
8,378 556 sq mi
(1,440 km2)
 
Wetzel County 103 New Martinsville 1846 Tyler County Lewis Wetzel
(1763–1808)
noted frontiersman
14,442 359 sq mi
(930 km2)
 
Wirt County 105 Elizabeth 1848 Jackson and Wood counties William Wirt
(1772–1834)
United States Attorney General
(1817–29)
5,194 233 sq mi
(603 km2)
 
Wood County 107 Parkersburg 1798 Harrison County James Wood
(1741–1813)
Governor of Virginia
(1796–99)
84,296 367 sq mi
(951 km2)
 
Wyoming County 109 Pineville 1850 Logan County derived from Lenape Native American term for "wide plain" 21,382 501 sq mi
(1,298 km2)
 

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 "Find A County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved February 4, 2013. (Find a county)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lewis, Virgil (1896). History and Government of West Virginia (1st ed.). New York: Werner School Book Company. pp. 264–270. (WV County Founding Dates and Etymology). Other editions available at ASIN B009CI6FRI and Google Books.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "West Virginia Counties". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on September 23, 2001. Retrieved February 4, 2013. (WV County Formation)
  4. "West Virginia QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2021. (2020 Census)
  5. McCulloch, Delia (1908). American Historical Magazine Volume 3. New York NY: Americana Society. pp. 628–629. Available at ISBN 1144825210 and Google Books.