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Bolivar, West Virginia
Corporation of Bolivar
Bolivar, West Virginia.jpg
Location of Bolivar in Jefferson County, West Virginia.
Location of Bolivar in Jefferson County, West Virginia.
Bolivar, West Virginia is located in Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia
Location in Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia is located in West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia is located in the United States
Bolivar, West Virginia
Bolivar, West Virginia
Location in the United States
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Jefferson
Area
 • Total 0.43 sq mi (1.12 km2)
 • Land 0.43 sq mi (1.12 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
499 ft (152 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 1,045
 • Density 2,360.28/sq mi (910.98/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-08932
GNIS feature ID 1556734
Website http://www.bolivarwv.org/

Bolivar ( rhymes with Oliver) is a town in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 1,045 at the 2010 census. The citizens of Bolivar chose to name their town for the South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar (July 24, 1783 – December 17, 1830).

The Appalachian Trail passes directly through nearby Harpers Ferry, which some consider the psychological midpoint of the trail, although the physical midpoint is further north, in Pennsylvania. Uniquely, the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar partnered with the ATC to be declared a united Appalachian Trail Community.

Geography

Bolivar is located at 39°19.4′N 77°45.1′W / 39.3233°N 77.7517°W / 39.3233; -77.7517 (39.3241, -77.7515). It is contiguous with, and immediately up-hill from, the famous historic town Harpers Ferry

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.44 square miles (1.14 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 1,054
1860 1,130 7.2%
1880 822
1890 804 −2.2%
1900 781 −2.9%
1910 687 −12.0%
1920 585 −14.8%
1930 616 5.3%
1940 628 1.9%
1950 637 1.4%
1960 754 18.4%
1970 943 25.1%
1980 672 −28.7%
1990 1,013 50.7%
2000 1,045 3.2%
2010 1,045 0.0%
2020 1,072 2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,045 people, 498 households, and 266 families living in the town. The population density was 2,375.0 inhabitants per square mile (917.0/km2). There were 565 housing units at an average density of 1,284.1 per square mile (495.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.4% White, 4.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 498 households, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.6% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the town was 43.7 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 32.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

Transportation

2016-09-27 09 58 02 View south along U.S. Route 340 (William L. Wilson Freeway) between Union Street and U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia
US 340 southbound in Bolivar

The only significant highway providing access to Bolivar is U.S. Route 340. Although signed north–south, the road runs generally eastward from Bolivar. It briefly passes through Harpers Ferry, then traverses the northern tip of Loudoun County, Virginia after crossing the Shenandoah River, quickly crosses the Potomac River into Maryland and eventually reaches its terminus at Frederick. To the west, U.S. Route 340 passes through Charles Town before turning southwest and traversing the eastern edge of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Bolivar and neighboring Harpers Ferry also host an unsigned alternate route of U.S. Route 340, which follows Washington Street through Bolivar.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bolívar (Virginia Occidental) para niños

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