Tyler County, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Tyler County
U.S. county
Tyler County Courthouse in Middlebourne
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	December 6, 1814
Named for	John Tyler Sr.
Seat	Middlebourne
Largest city	Paden City
Area
• Total	261 sq mi (680 km²)
• Land	256 sq mi (660 km²)
• Water	4.4 sq mi (11 km²) 1.7%%
Population (2020)
• Total	8,313
• Estimate (2021)	8,155
• Density	31.85/sq mi (12.298/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Tyler County is a county located in the state of West Virginia in the United States. In 2020, about 8,313 people lived here. The main town and government center, called the county seat, is Middlebourne. Tyler County was created in 1814. It is named after John Tyler, Sr., who was the father of U.S. President John Tyler.

History of Tyler County

The first European settlers came to this area around 1792. These early hunters were mostly from Scotland, Ireland, England, and Germany. They settled near where the town of Friendly is today, along the Ohio River. This land used to be a hunting ground for Native American tribes.

Tyler County was officially formed on December 6, 1814. It was created from a part of what was then Ohio County, Virginia. The next year, Middlebourne, which was founded in 1798, became the county seat. Over the years, Tyler County became smaller. In 1845, a small part went to the new Doddridge County. In 1846, the northern half became Wetzel County. Then, in 1851, the southern third became Pleasants County.

During the American Civil War, on June 20, 1863, Tyler County joined 49 other Virginia counties to form the new state of West Virginia. Later that year, counties were divided into civil townships to help local government. This idea didn't work well in rural West Virginia. So, in 1872, these townships became "magisterial districts." Tyler County had six districts: Centreville, Ellsworth, Lincoln, McElroy, Meade, and Union. These districts stayed mostly the same until the 1980s. Then, they were combined into four new districts: Central, North, South, and West. The old district names are still used for things like taxes.

Geography of Tyler County

Tyler County covers a total area of about 261 square miles. Most of this is land (256 square miles), and a small part (4.4 square miles) is water.

Main Roads in Tyler County

WV 2
WV 18
WV 23
WV 74
WV 180

Neighboring Counties

Tyler County shares borders with several other counties:

Wetzel County (to the northeast)
Doddridge County (to the southeast)
Ritchie County (to the southwest)
Pleasants County (to the west)
Washington County, Ohio (to the west)
Monroe County, Ohio (to the northwest)

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located in Tyler County. This refuge helps protect wildlife along the Ohio River.

People and Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	2,314	—
1830	4,104	77.4%
1840	6,954	69.4%
1850	5,498	−20.9%
1860	6,517	18.5%
1870	7,832	20.2%
1880	11,073	41.4%
1890	11,962	8.0%
1900	18,252	52.6%
1910	16,211	−11.2%
1920	14,186	−12.5%
1930	12,785	−9.9%
1940	12,559	−1.8%
1950	10,535	−16.1%
1960	10,026	−4.8%
1970	9,929	−1.0%
1980	11,320	14.0%
1990	9,796	−13.5%
2000	9,592	−2.1%
2010	9,208	−4.0%
2020	8,313	−9.7%
2021 (est.)	8,155	−11.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

What the 2020 Census Shows

In 2020, there were 8,313 people living in Tyler County. There were 2,894 households, which are groups of people living together. Most people (96%) were White. A small number were Native American, African American, Asian, or from other backgrounds. About 3.5% of people were of two or more races. Less than 1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the county was 48.1 years old. About 19.5% of the population was under 18. The average income for a household was $50,601. About 12% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Fun Things to Do and See

Festivals and Events

Sisters Fest, in Sistersville, happens in mid-March.
Tyler County Fair, in Middlebourne, takes place in early August.
Heroes Day, in Sistersville, is celebrated in early September.
West Virginia Oil & Gas Festival, in Sistersville, is in mid-September.
Sistersville Marble Festival, in Sistersville, is held in late September.
Middle Island Harvest Festival, in Middlebourne, happens in early October.

Historical Places

Sistersville Ferry, a historic ferry in Sistersville.
Tyler County Museum, in Middlebourne. This building used to be Tyler County High School.
Wells Inn, a historic hotel in Sistersville.

Natural Spots

Conaway Run Lake Wildlife Management Area, a man-made lake near Centerville.
The Jug Wildlife Management Area, a natural area near Middlebourne.

Other Attractions

Tyler County Speedway, a race track in Middlebourne.

Communities in Tyler County

Magisterial Districts

These are areas used for local government and elections.

Current Districts

Central
North
South
West

Historic Districts

Centreville
Ellsworth
Lincoln
McElroy
Meade
Union

Cities, Towns, and Villages

Friendly
Middlebourne (This is the county seat)
Paden City
Sistersville

Famous People from Tyler County

Wilbur Cooper (1892-1973) — A famous baseball pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Tyler County.
Arthur I. Boreman (1823–96) — West Virginia's very first governor. He moved to Middlebourne as a baby and became a lawyer there.
Cecil H. Underwood (1922-2008) — He served as the Governor of West Virginia two times. He was born in Josephs Mills and went to high school in Middlebourne.

Images for kids

Tyler County Courthouse in Middlebourne

Tyler County, West Virginia facts for kids

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