Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 42,190. Its
county seat is
Charles Town6. Jefferson County was formed from
Berkeley County in
1801 and named for
Thomas Jefferson, author of the
Declaration of Independence and third
President of the United States.
The county's
courthouse was the site of the trial for the
abolitionist John Brown after his
1859 raid on the federal
armory in
Harpers Ferry.
In 1866, during the era of
Reconstruction, the citizens of Jefferson County and
Berkeley County, Virginia chose to join West Virginia. The other counties which initially formed the new state of West Virginia did so during the
American Civil War, three years earlier.
In October
1896, Jefferson became the first county in the United States to begin
Rural Free Delivery service.
Jefferson County is a part of the
Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 548
km² (212
mi²). 543 km² (210 mi²) of it is land and 5 km² (2 mi²) of it (0.96%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
*
Washington County, Maryland (north)
*
Loudoun County, Virginia (southeast)
*
Clarke County, Virginia (southwest)
*
Berkeley County (northwest)
Rivers and streams
*
Potomac River**
Opequon Creek**
Shenandoah RiverMagisterial districts
*
Charles Town*
Harpers Ferry*
Kabletown*
Middleway*
ShepherdstownAs of the
census² of 2000, there were 42,190 people, 16,165 households, and 11,315 families residing in the county. The
population density was 78/km² (201/mi²). There were 17,623 housing units at an average density of 32/km² (84/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.02%
White, 6.09%
Black or
African American, 0.60%
Asian, 0.28%
Native American, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 0.60% from
other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
| Historical populations |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| 1810 | 11,851 |
| 1820 | 13,087 |
| 1830 | 12,927 |
| 1840 | 14,082 |
| 1850 | 15,357 |
| 1860 | 14,535 |
| 1870 | 13,219 |
| 1880 | 15,005 |
| 1890 | 15,553 |
| 1900 | 15,935 |
| 1910 | 15,889 |
| 1920 | 15,729 |
| 1930 | 15,780 |
| 1940 | 16,762 |
| 1950 | 17,184 |
| 1960 | 18,665 |
| 1970 | 21,280 |
| 1980 | 30,311 |
| 1990 | 35,926 |
| 2000 | 42,190 |
| 2005 | 49,206 |
There were 16,165 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were
married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,374, and the median income for a family was $51,351. Males had a median income of $35,235 versus $26,531 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $20,441. About 7.20% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated towns & cities
Unincorporated communities
*
Jefferson County Schools*
Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce*
Jefferson County Commission*
Jefferson County Convention & Visitors Bureau*
Jefferson County Development Authority*
Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission*
Jefferson County Local Emergency Planning Committee*
Jefferson County Public Service District*
Jefferson County Schools*
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office*
Jefferson County Fair*
Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival*
Jefferson County Citizens for Economic Preservation
