Randolph County, West Virginia

Randolph County, West Virginia
Randolph County Courthouse and Jail in Elkins
Location in the state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded	October 16, 1787
Named for	Edmund Jennings Randolph
Seat	Elkins
Largest city	Elkins
Area
• Total	1,040 sq mi (2,694 km2)
• Land	1,040 sq mi (2,694 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (1 km2), 0.03%
Population (est.)
• (2014)	29,429
• Density	28/sq mi (11/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	.orgrandolphcountycommissionwv

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,405.^[1] Its county seat is Elkins.^[2] The county was founded in 1787 and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph.^[3]

Randolph County comprises the Elkins, West Virginia, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Wildflowers add a splash of color to grazing fields near Osceola in July.

Fall in the forest

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,040 square miles (2,700 km²), of which 1,040 square miles (2,700 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.03%) is water.^[4] It is the largest county in West Virginia by area.

Rivers

• Tygart Valley River
• Shavers Fork
• Laurel Fork

Mountains

• Point Mountain
• Cheat Mountain
  • White Top, a knob of Cheat Mountain
• Laurel Mountain
• Rich Mountain
• Shavers Mountain
  • Gaudineer Knob, a knob of Shavers Mountain

Caves and caverns

• Bowden Cave
• Sinks of Gandy

National Natural Landmarks

• Blister Run Swamp
• Gaudineer Scenic Area
• Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock Stand

Major highways

Adjacent counties

• Tucker County (northeast)
• Pendleton County (east)
• Pocahontas County (south)
• Webster County (southwest)
• Upshur County (west)
• Barbour County (northwest)

National protected area

• Monongahela National Forest (part)
• United States National Radio Quiet Zone (part)

Demographics

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 28,262 people, 11,072 households, and 7,661 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 13,478 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,072 households out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% 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 22.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,299, and the median income for a family was $32,632. Males had a median income of $24,751 versus $17,819 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,918. About 13.40% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.30% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

View from atop Yokum Knob, Randolph County, West Virginia

City

• Elkins (county seat)

Towns

• Beverly
• Harman
• Huttonsville
• Mill Creek
• Montrose
• Womelsdorf (Coalton)

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Registered historic places

Notable people

• Herman Ball, football player
• Lemuel Chenoweth, master covered bridge builder
• William Wallace Barron, former governor who was indicted for bribery and jury tampering.
• Dellos Clinton "Sheriff" Gainer, major league baseball player
• Marshall Goldberg, football player
• Wilma Lee Cooper Grand Ole Opry and WWVA Jamboree star
• Stoney Cooper, Grand Ole Opry and WWVA Jamboree star
• Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum, American newspaper editor and interviewer of U.S. Presidents

See also

• Becky Creek Wildlife Management Area
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Randolph County, West Virginia

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2014. 
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ http://www.wvculture.org/history/counties/randolph.html
4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2015. 
5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015. 
6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2014. 
7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 11, 2014. 
8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2014. 
9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2014. 
10. ^ "American FactFinder".