Wood County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wood County
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The Wood County Courthouse in Parkersburg
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Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
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 West Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia |
| Founded | December 21, 1798 |
| Named for | James Wood |
| Seat | Parkersburg |
| Largest city | Parkersburg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 377 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Land | 367 sq mi (950 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 2.8%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 84,296 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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83,624  |
| • Density | 223.60/sq mi (86.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Wood County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,296, making it West Virginia's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Parkersburg. The county was formed in 1798 from the western part of Harrison County and named for James Wood, governor of Virginia from 1796 to 1799.
Wood County is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Wood County was formed on December 21, 1798, from portions of Harrison County. It was named for the then Governor of Virginia (1796–99), James Wood, formerly a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War.
In 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government and seceded from the Confederate state of Virginia. West Virginia was granted statehood in 1863.
Later that year, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Wood County was divided into ten districts: Clay, Harris, Lubeck, Parkersburg, Slate, Steele, Tygart, Union, Walker, and Williams.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 377 square miles (980 km2), of which 366 square miles (950 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.8%) is water.
Wood County's northern and western boundary is the Ohio River. The Little Kanawha River flows northwestward through the county to its mouth at the Ohio River in Parkersburg. Tributaries of the Little Kanawha River in Wood County include Worthington Creek, Tygart Creek, and Walker Creek.
Major highways
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Adjacent counties
- Washington County, Ohio (north)
- Pleasants County (northeast)
- Ritchie County (east)
- Wirt County (southeast)
- Jackson County (south)
- Meigs County, Ohio (southwest)
- Athens County, Ohio (west)
National protected area
- Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 1,217 | — | |
| 1810 | 3,036 | 149.5% | |
| 1820 | 5,860 | 93.0% | |
| 1830 | 6,429 | 9.7% | |
| 1840 | 7,923 | 23.2% | |
| 1850 | 9,450 | 19.3% | |
| 1860 | 11,046 | 16.9% | |
| 1870 | 19,000 | 72.0% | |
| 1880 | 25,006 | 31.6% | |
| 1890 | 28,612 | 14.4% | |
| 1900 | 34,452 | 20.4% | |
| 1910 | 38,001 | 10.3% | |
| 1920 | 42,306 | 11.3% | |
| 1930 | 56,521 | 33.6% | |
| 1940 | 62,399 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 66,540 | 6.6% | |
| 1960 | 78,331 | 17.7% | |
| 1970 | 86,818 | 10.8% | |
| 1980 | 93,648 | 7.9% | |
| 1990 | 86,915 | −7.2% | |
| 2000 | 87,986 | 1.2% | |
| 2010 | 86,956 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 84,296 | −3.1% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 83,624 | −3.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 86,956 people, 36,571 households, and 24,262 families living in the county. The population density was 237.4 inhabitants per square mile (91.7/km2). There were 40,215 housing units at an average density of 109.8 units per square mile (42.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.4% white, 1.1% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.3% were German, 19.6% were American, 13.7% were English, and 13.6% were Irish.
Of the 36,571 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.7% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 42.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,146 and the median income for a family was $52,058. Males had a median income of $42,497 versus $27,893 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,890. About 12.3% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Parkersburg (county seat)
- Vienna
- Williamstown
Town
Magisterial districts
- Clay
- Harris
- Lubeck
- Parkersburg
- Slate
- Steele
- Tygart
- Union
- Walker
- Williams
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wood (Virginia Occidental) para niños
