Webster County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Webster County
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Webster County Courthouse
in Webster Springs, 2007 |
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Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
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 West Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia |
| Founded | January 10, 1860 |
| Named for | Daniel Webster |
| Seat | Webster Springs |
| Largest town | Webster Springs |
| Area | |
| • Total | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
| • Land | 553 sq mi (1,430 km2) |
| • Water | 2.8 sq mi (7 km2) 0.5%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,378 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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8,249  |
| • Density | 15.068/sq mi (5.818/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Webster County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,378. Its county seat is Webster Springs. The county was founded in 1860 and named for Daniel Webster.
Contents
History
Webster County was formed from parts of Nicholas, Braxton, and Randolph counties in Virginia through the approval of an act of the Virginia General Assembly during its 1859-1860 session. Movement toward the formation of this county began in 1851.
Webster became part of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. When the state was formed, each county was divided into multiple civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, so in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.
Webster County's three original townships, subsequently magisterial districts, were Fork Lick, Glade, and Holly. A fourth district, Hacker Valley, was formed from part of Holly District in 1876. The four historic magisterial districts remained largely unchanged until the 1990s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: Central, Northern, and Southern.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 556 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 553 square miles (1,430 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.5%) is water.
Major highways
West Virginia Route 15
West Virginia Route 20
West Virginia Route 82
Adjacent counties
- Lewis County (north)
- Upshur County (north)
- Randolph County (east)
- Pocahontas County (southeast)
- Greenbrier County (south)
- Nicholas County (southwest)
- Braxton County (west)
National protected area
- Monongahela National Forest (part)
Streams
- Cougar Fork
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,555 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,730 | 11.3% | |
| 1880 | 3,207 | 85.4% | |
| 1890 | 4,783 | 49.1% | |
| 1900 | 8,862 | 85.3% | |
| 1910 | 9,680 | 9.2% | |
| 1920 | 11,562 | 19.4% | |
| 1930 | 14,216 | 23.0% | |
| 1940 | 18,080 | 27.2% | |
| 1950 | 17,888 | −1.1% | |
| 1960 | 13,719 | −23.3% | |
| 1970 | 9,809 | −28.5% | |
| 1980 | 12,245 | 24.8% | |
| 1990 | 10,729 | −12.4% | |
| 2000 | 9,719 | −9.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,154 | −5.8% | |
| 2020 | 8,378 | −8.5% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 8,249 | −9.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 9,154 people, 3,792 households, and 2,595 families living in the county. The population density was 16.5 inhabitants per square mile (6.4/km2). There were 5,428 housing units at an average density of 9.8 units per square mile (3.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.6% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.8% were American, 15.7% were Irish, 12.6% were German, and 8.9% were English.
Of the 3,792 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 44.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,025 and the median income for a family was $35,448. Males had a median income of $44,277 versus $19,292 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,268. About 19.9% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
- Camden-on-Gauley
- Cowen
- Webster Springs (county seat; legally Town of Addison)
Magisterial districts
Current
- Central
- Northern
- Southern
Historic
- Fork Lick
- Glade
- Hacker Valley
- Holly
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Notable person
- Josh Stewart, actor
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Webster (Virginia Occidental) para niños
