Calhoun County, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Calhoun County
U.S. county
The Calhoun County Courthouse in Grantsville
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	March 5, 1856
Named for	John C. Calhoun
Seat	Grantsville
Largest town	Grantsville
Area
• Total	281 sq mi (730 km2)
• Land	279 sq mi (720 km2)
• Water	1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.5%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,229
• Estimate  (2021)	6,176
• Density	22.17/sq mi (8.559/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Calhoun County is a special place in the state of West Virginia, USA. It's one of the many counties that make up the state.

In 2020, about 6,229 people lived here. This makes it the third-smallest county in West Virginia when you look at how many people live there. The main town, or 'county seat,' is Grantsville. Calhoun County was created in 1856. It was named after a famous politician from South Carolina called John C. Calhoun.

Exploring Calhoun County's Geography

Calhoun County covers a total area of about 281 square miles (728 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 279 square miles (723 square kilometers). A small part, about 1.4 square miles (3.6 square kilometers), is water.

Main Roads to Know

These are the most important roads that help people travel through Calhoun County:

• U.S. Highway 33 and U.S. Highway 119
• West Virginia Route 5
• West Virginia Route 16

Neighboring Counties

Calhoun County shares its borders with several other counties. These are like its neighbors:

• Ritchie County (to the north)
• Gilmer County (to the east)
• Braxton County (to the southeast)
• Clay County (to the south)
• Roane County (to the west)
• Wirt County (to the northwest)

People of Calhoun County

The number of people living in Calhoun County has changed over many years. Here's a look at the population from different times:

A Look at 2010

In 2010, there were 7,627 people living in Calhoun County. Most people were white (98.4%). A small number were American Indian, Black, Asian, or from other backgrounds. About 0.7% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Families lived in 3,268 homes. About 26.5% of these homes had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in the county was about 45 years old.

Fun Things to See and Do

Calhoun County has some cool places to visit, especially if you love the outdoors!

Parks for Play

There are four public parks in Calhoun County:

• The Upper West Fork Park in Chloe, located on West Virginia Route 16.
• The West Fork Park in Arnoldsburg, found on U.S. Route 33.
• Mt. Zion Park, also on West Virginia Route 16.
• Calhoun County Park, which is another park on West Virginia Route 16.

Local Festivals

Calhoun County is known for its yearly events:

• The [West Virginia Wood Festival] is a popular event.
• The West Virginia Molasses Festival happens every September.

Other Interesting Spots

Calhoun County used to have one of the last drive-in movie theaters in the country, but it is now closed. The Calhoun County Library has one of the biggest collections of family history records in West Virginia. It also has a special "West Virginia Room" filled with books about the state and by authors from West Virginia.

Communities in Calhoun County

Calhoun County has one main town and many smaller communities.

The Main Town

• Grantsville (This is the county seat, meaning it's the center of the county's government.)

Local Districts

The county is divided into five areas for local government:

• District 1
• District 2
• District 3
• District 4
• District 5

Smaller Communities

Many smaller communities are spread throughout Calhoun County. These are places where people live but are not officially towns.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Calhoun (Virginia Occidental) para niños