Elkins, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elkins, West Virginia
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Davis Avenue in downtown Elkins in 2006
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Location of Elkins in Randolph County, West Virginia.
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| Country | United States | |
| State | West Virginia | |
| County | Randolph | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.63 sq mi (9.41 km2) | |
| • Land | 3.63 sq mi (9.41 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,926 ft (587 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,950 | |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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6,895 | |
| • Density | 1,923.50/sq mi (742.65/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Code |
26241
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| Area code(s) | Area codes 304 and 681 | |
| FIPS code | 54-24580 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1551037 | |
| Website | City Website | |
Elkins is a city in West Virginia, USA. It's the main town of Randolph County and sits by the Tygart Valley River. The city started in 1890 and was named after Stephen Benton Elkins, who was a US Senator from West Virginia.
In 2020, about 6,950 people lived in Elkins. The city is home to Davis and Elkins College and hosts the fun Mountain State Forest Festival each October.
Contents
Discover Elkins' Past
Before Elkins became a city, the area was known as Leadsville. It was a simple place where farmers loaded their corn onto boats to send down the Tygart Valley River.
The city of Elkins was developed by two important US Senators: Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen Benton Elkins. Stephen Elkins was Henry Davis's son-in-law, and the city was named after him. They built railroad lines, coal mines, and timber businesses starting in 1889. This helped the area grow a lot by the late 1890s.
Elkins became the main town (county seat) of Randolph County in 1899. This happened after a big disagreement with the nearby town of Beverly. There were many votes and court decisions, and even groups of armed people in both towns. Luckily, no one was hurt.
In 1904, the new Randolph County Courthouse was finished in Elkins. It was built in a special style called Richardsonian Romanesque. As the railroad grew, Elkins had many passenger trains coming and going. By 1930, 18 passenger trains arrived and left Elkins every day! However, all passenger train service stopped in 1958.
The city's founders, Davis and Elkins, built beautiful homes here. Davis built Graceland in 1893, and Elkins built Halliehurst in 1890.
Today, Elkins is a busy city with groups working to help it grow. Many social groups also hold yearly events, like the Mountain State Forest Festival. This festival brings thousands of people to Elkins every year.
Where is Elkins?
Elkins is located where the Tygart Valley River meets Leading Creek. The city is about 1,926 feet (587 meters) above sea level. The city covers about 3.63 square miles (9.41 square kilometers) of land.
Elkins is also the main office for the Monongahela National Forest. This huge forest covers over 910,000 acres (3,683 square kilometers) in the "High Alleghenies" mountains to the east of the city.
In 1995, a book called The 100 Best Small Towns in America featured Elkins. The book quoted Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum, a local newspaper editor, who said, "You can stand on any street in Elkins and turn in all directions and see forest covered mountains rimming the city. It is unbelievable."
Weather in Elkins
Elkins has a varied climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.
| Climate data for Elkins, West Virginia (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
77 (25) |
86 (30) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
99 (37) |
97 (36) |
87 (31) |
82 (28) |
76 (24) |
99 (37) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.0 (3.9) |
42.8 (6.0) |
51.7 (10.9) |
62.8 (17.1) |
70.7 (21.5) |
77.9 (25.5) |
81.0 (27.2) |
80.2 (26.8) |
73.7 (23.2) |
64.0 (17.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
42.3 (5.7) |
61.6 (16.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.4 (−7.0) |
21.5 (−5.8) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
36.6 (2.6) |
45.5 (7.5) |
54.6 (12.6) |
59.0 (15.0) |
58.0 (14.4) |
50.7 (10.4) |
38.4 (3.6) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
38.7 (3.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −24 (−31) |
−22 (−30) |
−15 (−26) |
3 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
34 (1) |
26 (−3) |
11 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−28 (−33) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.22 (82) |
3.09 (78) |
3.95 (100) |
3.79 (96) |
5.12 (130) |
4.39 (112) |
5.36 (136) |
3.84 (98) |
3.63 (92) |
2.85 (72) |
3.38 (86) |
3.26 (83) |
45.88 (1,165) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 25.2 (64) |
18.5 (47) |
12.1 (31) |
5.5 (14) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
5.2 (13) |
16.8 (43) |
83.8 (213) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 17.9 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 15.2 | 15.4 | 14.8 | 14.4 | 12.8 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 13.2 | 16.7 | 174.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 12.7 | 10.5 | 6.9 | 3.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .5 | 3.8 | 10.0 | 47.7 |
| Source: NOAA (extremes 1899–present) | |||||||||||||
Here are some weather records for Elkins:
- The hottest temperature ever recorded was 99°F (37°C) on July 16, 1988, and August 6, 1918.
- The coldest temperature ever recorded was -28°F (-33°C) on December 30, 1917.
- The most snow in one day was 19.9 inches (50.5 cm) on December 19, 2009.
People of Elkins
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 737 | — | |
| 1900 | 2,016 | 173.5% | |
| 1910 | 5,260 | 160.9% | |
| 1920 | 6,788 | 29.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,345 | 8.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,133 | 10.7% | |
| 1950 | 9,121 | 12.1% | |
| 1960 | 8,307 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 8,287 | −0.2% | |
| 1980 | 8,536 | 3.0% | |
| 1990 | 7,420 | −13.1% | |
| 2000 | 7,032 | −5.2% | |
| 2010 | 7,094 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 6,950 | −2.0% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 6,895 | −2.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate |
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What the 2020 Census Shows
In 2020, there were 6,934 people living in Elkins. Most residents (90.5%) were White. About 2.7% were African American, and 1% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.7% of the population.
There were 2,500 households in the city. About 30.8% of these were married couples. The average age of people in Elkins was 38.1 years old.
What the 2010 Census Showed
In 2010, Elkins had 7,094 people. Most people (96.5%) were White. About 1.2% were African American, and 0.8% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.1% of the population.
The average age in Elkins was 39.6 years. About 20.9% of residents were under 18 years old.
Fun Events
- Augusta Heritage Festival: This is a music and culture festival held at Davis & Elkins College and around town. It lasts for five weeks every summer, usually in July and August. People come from all over the world to learn about different types of music like Old Time, Bluegrass, and Irish music. They also learn skills like woodworking and metalworking. There are also special events in October and spring.
Getting Around Elkins
Main Roads
Elkins is where three important US highways meet: US 33, US 219, and US 250. West of the city, US 33 becomes a big four-lane highway called Corridor H. This road connects Elkins to Buckhannon and Interstate 79 at Weston. There are plans to extend Corridor H even further in the future.
Airport
Elkins has its own airport called Elkins–Randolph County Airport (also known as Jennings Randolph Airfield). It has two runways, each about 4,500 feet (1,372 meters) long.
Walking and Biking Trails
The Allegheny Highlands Trail starts in Elkins. This is a great place for walking, running, and biking.
Famous People from Elkins
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Many interesting people have connections to Elkins:
- James E. Allen, Jr.: An educator.
- Randy Armstrong: A musician who plays many instruments.
- Herman Ball: A football player.
- William Wallace "Wally" Barron: A former governor of West Virginia.
- Henry Gassaway Davis: A US Senator and one of the founders of Elkins.
- Stephen Benton Elkins: A US Senator and the person Elkins is named after.
- Dellos Clinton Gainer: An American baseball player.
- Marshall Goldberg: An NFL All-Pro football player.
- Katherine Hoover: A composer and flutist.
- Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum: The first female editor of a daily newspaper in West Virginia.
- John Ochsendorf: A professor at MIT and a MacArthur Fellow.
- Jae Spears: A West Virginia state legislator.
- Tre Smith: A running back in the Canadian Football League.
- Doug Van Gundy: A musician and poet.
See also
In Spanish: Elkins (Virginia Occidental) para niños
