Fayette County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
. As of 2000, the population was 47,579. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
FayettevilleFayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine....
.
Fayette County was created by Act of the
Virginia General AssemblyThe Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and an upper house, the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members...
, passed February 28, 1831, from parts of
GreenbrierGreenbrier County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 34,453. Its county seat is Lewisburg.-History:...
,
KanawhaKanawha County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia taking its name from the Native term, Kanawha: "place of white stone". As of 2000, the population was 200,073. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital...
,
NicholasNicholas County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 26,562. Its county seat is Summersville. Nicholas County was created in 1818 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Virginia Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and
LoganLogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 37,710. Its county seat is Logan.Logan County was formed in 1824 from parts of Giles, Tazewell, Cabell, and Kanawha counties. It is named for Chief Logan, famous Native American chief of the Mingo...
counties. It was named in honor of the Marquis de la Fayette, who had played a key role assisting the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
.
A substantial portion was subdivided from Fayette County to form
Raleigh CountyRaleigh County, founded in 1850, is located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 79,220. Its county seat is Beckley.-History:Raleigh County was formed on January 23, 1850 from portions of Fayette County....
in 1850.
Fayette County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
. As of 2000, the population was 47,579. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
FayettevilleFayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine....
.
History
Fayette County was created by Act of the
Virginia General AssemblyThe Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and an upper house, the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members...
, passed February 28, 1831, from parts of
GreenbrierGreenbrier County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 34,453. Its county seat is Lewisburg.-History:...
,
KanawhaKanawha County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia taking its name from the Native term, Kanawha: "place of white stone". As of 2000, the population was 200,073. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital...
,
NicholasNicholas County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 26,562. Its county seat is Summersville. Nicholas County was created in 1818 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Virginia Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and
LoganLogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 37,710. Its county seat is Logan.Logan County was formed in 1824 from parts of Giles, Tazewell, Cabell, and Kanawha counties. It is named for Chief Logan, famous Native American chief of the Mingo...
counties. It was named in honor of the Marquis de la Fayette, who had played a key role assisting the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
.
A substantial portion was subdivided from Fayette County to form
Raleigh CountyRaleigh County, founded in 1850, is located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 79,220. Its county seat is Beckley.-History:Raleigh County was formed on January 23, 1850 from portions of Fayette County....
in 1850. Fayette was one of 50 counties that broke off from the rest of Virginia and formed the new state of West Virginia during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
. In 1871, an Act of the West Virginia Legislature severed a small portion was taken to form part of
Summers CountySummers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 12,999. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe counties....
.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the county has a total area of 668 square miles (1,731 km²), of which, 664 square miles (1,720 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (11 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Nicholas County
Nicholas County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 26,562. Its county seat is Summersville. Nicholas County was created in 1818 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Virginia Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas.-Geography:According to the U.S...
(north)
- Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 34,453. Its county seat is Lewisburg.-History:...
(east)
- Summers County
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 12,999. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe counties....
(southeast)
- Raleigh County
Raleigh County, founded in 1850, is located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 79,220. Its county seat is Beckley.-History:Raleigh County was formed on January 23, 1850 from portions of Fayette County....
(south)
- Kanawha County
Kanawha County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia taking its name from the Native term, Kanawha: "place of white stone". As of 2000, the population was 200,073. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital...
(west)
National protected areaProtected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental value, or environmental plus cultural values. Examples include parks, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries...
s
- Gauley River National Recreation Area
The Gauley River National Recreation Area, located near Summersville, West Virginia, protects a 25-mile portion of the Gauley River and a 5½-mile segment of the Meadow River in southern West Virginia. Little of the park is accessible via roads; one must travel via the river...
(part)
- New River Gorge National River
The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
(part)
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 72 people per square mile (28/km²). There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.74%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 5.57%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.30%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.15% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.93% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 18,945 households out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,788, and the median income for a family was $30,243. Males had a median income of $28,554 versus $18,317 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the county was $13,809. About 18.20% of families and 21.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.90% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated cities and towns
- Town of Ansted
Ansted is a town in Fayette County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is situated on high bluffs along U.S. Highway 60 on a portion of the Midland Trail a National Scenic Byway near Hawk's Nest overlooking the New River far below....
- Town of Fayetteville
Fayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine....
- Town of Gauley Bridge
Gauley Bridge is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 738 at the 2000 census. The Kanawha River is formed at Gauley Bridge by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers...
- Town of Meadow Bridge
Meadow Bridge is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 321 at the 2000 census. Historically, the town was also known as Beelick Knob, a coal mining operation.-Geography:...
- City of Montgomery
Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,942 ....
(part) |
City of Mount Hope Mount Hope is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,487 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mount Hope is located at ....
City of Oak HillOak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The micropolitan area is also included in the Beckley-Oak Hill, WV Combined Statistical Area. The population was 7,589 at the 2000 census...
Town of PaxPax is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 174 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pax is located at ....
City of SmithersSmithers is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Almost all of the city is in Fayette County, with a very small part in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 904...
(part)
Town of ThurmondThurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River. The population was 7 at the 2000 census. During the heyday of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a prosperous town with a number of businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway...
|
Unincorporated communities
- Agnew
- Alloy
- Alta
- Beards Fork
Beards Fork is an unincorporated village in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States that was founded as a coal mining company town.-Geography:Beards Fork is located at . Its elevation is 1,253 feet ....
- Boomer
- Carlisle
- Charlton Heights
- Clifftop
Clifftop is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States.It is the home of historic Camp Washington-Carver, which hosts the Appalachian String Band Music Festival the first weekend in August....
- Deep Water
- Dothan
- Elkridge
- Fayette
Fayette is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Its elevation is 919 feet , and it is located at . It is the major take-out for the lower section of the New River Gorge National River....
- Glen Ferris
Glen Ferris is an unincorporated village on the western bank of the Kanawha River in Fayette County, West Virginia. It is situated approximately one mile south of the town of Gauley Bridge. The sole highway linking Glen Ferris to the area is U.S. Route 60, known also as the Midland Trail. The...
- Glen Jean
Glen Jean is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, near Oak Hill.The area had been originally known was White Oaks, but when the town was founded in the early 1870s the community was named for Jean McKell, the wife of landowner Thomas G. McKell...
|
Kimberly Kimberly is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. It is located along Armstrong Creek shortly before it enters the Kanawha River.- External links :...
Kincaid
MindenMinden is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. It has possessed a post office since 1905.-External links:* * *...
Montgomery Heights
Mount Carbon
North Page
Nutall
PagePage is an unincorporated town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. It was named for William Nelson Page , a civil engineer and industrialist who lived in nearby Ansted, where he managed Gauley Mountain Coal Company and many iron, coal, and railroad enterprises.William N...
Pine GrovePine Grove is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, USA. It lies off U.S. Highway 19 on County Route 5/3.- External links :...
PowelltonPowellton is a census-designated place in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,796 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Powellton is located at ....
PrincePrince is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Located at an altitude of 1,263 feet , it is served by an Amtrak station.-External links:*...
RobsonRobson is an unincorporated village in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, situated primarily on the banks of Loup Creek. Robson is served by State Highway 61, and is located from Montgomery and to from Oak Hill. Robson's Post Office serves the smaller communities of Beards Fork and...
Scarbro
Toney Creek |
Politics
The county had traditionally been Democratic in the Presidential election, but had been shifting Republican since at least 2000. In 2008
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
became the first Republican to win the county since
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
in 1972.
See also
- Babcock State Park
Babcock State Park is a state park located along the New River Gorge on wooded in Fayette County, West Virginia. Located near the park headquarters, the Glade Creek Grist Mill is among the most photographed tourist sites in the state of West Virginia....
- Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located on near Babcock State Park in Fayette County, West Virginia. The Beury Mountain sloping terrain is covered with mixed hardwoods and oak-hickory second growth woodlands overlooking New River Gorge...
- Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area
Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area, is located near Pax, West Virginia in Fayette county. Located on land that varies from wetlands to steeply forested woodlands, the Pleasant Creek WMA rises to an elevation of .
Access to Plum Orchard Lake WMA is from the Mossy or Pax exits of...
- Hawks Nest State Park
Hawks Nest State Park is located on in Fayette County near Ansted, West Virginia. The park's clifftop overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet below. The hydro-electric project tunnel that passes underneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the...
- Bridge Day
Bridge Day is an annual one-day festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia and sponsored by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, that commemorates the 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. It is always held on the third Saturday in October. On this day, all four lanes of the bridge are...
External links