Summers County, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Summers County

U.S. county

The Summers County Courthouse in Hinton

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia

West Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

West Virginia

Founded

February 27, 1871

Named for

George W. Summers

Seat

Hinton

Largest city

Hinton

Area

• Total

368 sq mi (950 km²)

• Land

360 sq mi (900 km²)

• Water

7.3 sq mi (19 km²) 2.0%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

11,959

• Estimate

(2021)

11,908

• Density

32.50/sq mi (12.547/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

1st

Summers County is a place in West Virginia, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 11,959 people lived there. Its main town, called the county seat, is Hinton.

The county was started on February 27, 1871. It was made from parts of other counties: Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, and Monroe. It was named after a person called George W. Summers.

About the Land in Summers County
People Living in Summers County
Schools in Summers County
Places in Summers County
Images for kids
See also

About the Land in Summers County

Summers County covers about 368 square miles. Most of this area, about 360 square miles, is land. The rest, about 7.3 square miles, is water.

When West Virginia became a state in 1863, it tried to divide its counties into smaller areas called townships. This was to help with local government. But it was hard to do in a state with many rural areas. So, in 1872, these townships became "magisterial districts."

Summers County first had five of these districts: Forest Hill, Greenbrier, Green Sulphur, Jumping Branch, and Pipestem. Later, in 1879, a sixth district called Talcott was added. In the 1970s, these six districts were combined into three new ones: Bluestone River, Greenbrier River, and New River.

Main Roads in the County

These are the important roads that go through Summers County:

Interstate 64 sign

Interstate 64
West Virginia Route 3 sign

West Virginia Route 3
West Virginia Route 12 sign

West Virginia Route 12
West Virginia Route 20 sign

West Virginia Route 20
West Virginia Route 107 sign

West Virginia Route 107

Neighboring Counties

Summers County shares borders with these other counties:

Greenbrier County (to the northeast)
Monroe County (to the east)
Mercer County (to the southwest)
Raleigh County (to the west)
Fayette County (to the northwest)
Giles County, Virginia (to the south)

Special Protected Areas

Parts of these beautiful natural areas are in Summers County:

People Living in Summers County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	9,033	—
1890	13,117	45.2%
1900	16,265	24.0%
1910	18,429	13.3%
1920	19,092	3.6%
1930	20,469	7.2%
1940	20,409	−0.3%
1950	19,183	−6.0%
1960	15,640	−18.5%
1970	13,213	−15.5%
1980	15,875	20.1%
1990	14,204	−10.5%
2000	12,999	−8.5%
2010	13,927	7.1%
2020	11,959	−14.1%
2021 (est.)	11,908	−14.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

In 2010, there were 13,927 people living in Summers County. About 93% of the people were white, and almost 5% were black or African American. A small number of people were American Indian or Asian. About 1.4% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in the county was about 45.7 years old. The average income for a family was about $39,235 per year. About 21.6% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included about 23.4% of kids under 18.

Schools in Summers County

Public schools in Summers County are managed by the Summers County Schools district. All school districts in West Virginia follow county borders.

About 1,548 students go to the five public schools in Summers County.

Summers County High School teaches students in grades 9-12. It has about 458 students.
Summers Middle School teaches students in grades 5-8. It has about 334 students.
Hinton Area Elementary School teaches Pre-K through 4th grades. It has about 469 students.
Jumping Branch Elementary School and Talcott Elementary School teach Pre-K through 5th grades. They have about 132 and 155 students, respectively.

Summers County also has one private school called Pipestem Christian Academy. It has about 89 students from Pre-K to 11th grade. Greenbrier Academy, a special school for girls, is also in Summers County.