Brooke County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brooke County
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Old Main, Bethany College
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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 | November 30, 1797 |
| Named for | Robert Brooke |
| Seat | Wellsburg |
| Largest city | Follansbee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 92.57 sq mi (239.8 km2) |
| • Land | 89.20 sq mi (231.0 km2) |
| • Water | 3.37 sq mi (8.7 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,559 |
| • Density | 252.90/sq mi (97.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Brooke County is a county in the Northern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,559. Its county seat is Wellsburg. The county was created in 1797 from part of Ohio County and named in honor of Robert Brooke, Governor of Virginia from 1794 to 1796. Brooke County is part of the Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-WV-OH Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Brooke County was formed on November 30, 1796, from parts of Ohio County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 93 square miles (240 km2), of which 89 square miles (230 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (3.6%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in West Virginia by area. The highest point of elevation in Brooke County is approximately 1372 ft. and located about 1.5 miles south of Franklin.[1]
Major highways
U.S. Highway 22
West Virginia Route 2
West Virginia Route 27
West Virginia Route 67
West Virginia Route 88
Adjacent counties
- Hancock County (north)
- Washington County, Pennsylvania (east)
- Ohio County (south)
- Jefferson County, Ohio (west)
National protected area
- Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 4,706 | — | |
| 1810 | 5,843 | 24.2% | |
| 1820 | 6,631 | 13.5% | |
| 1830 | 7,041 | 6.2% | |
| 1840 | 7,948 | 12.9% | |
| 1850 | 5,054 | −36.4% | |
| 1860 | 5,494 | 8.7% | |
| 1870 | 5,464 | −0.5% | |
| 1880 | 6,013 | 10.0% | |
| 1890 | 6,660 | 10.8% | |
| 1900 | 7,219 | 8.4% | |
| 1910 | 11,098 | 53.7% | |
| 1920 | 16,527 | 48.9% | |
| 1930 | 24,663 | 49.2% | |
| 1940 | 25,513 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 26,904 | 5.5% | |
| 1960 | 28,940 | 7.6% | |
| 1970 | 29,685 | 2.6% | |
| 1980 | 31,117 | 4.8% | |
| 1990 | 26,992 | −13.3% | |
| 2000 | 25,447 | −5.7% | |
| 2010 | 24,069 | −5.4% | |
| 2020 | 22,559 | −6.3% | |
| 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 24,069 people, 10,020 households, and 6,636 families living in the county. The population density was 269.8 inhabitants per square mile (104.2/km2). There were 10,967 housing units at an average density of 122.9 per square mile (47.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.0% white, 1.2% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.5% were German, 17.5% were Irish, 16.4% were Italian, 11.5% were English, 7.2% were American, 5.9% were Scotch-Irish, and 5.7% were Polish.
Of the 10,020 households, 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 44.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,475 and the median income for a family was $52,528. Males had a median income of $39,065 versus $29,824 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,377. About 7.9% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Follansbee
- Weirton (part)
- Wellsburg (county seat)
Town
Villages
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Miscellaneous topics
Brooke County has paid Emergency Medical Services. Brooke County EMS provides both advanced life support (ALS) and basic life support (BLS) to the majority of Brooke County 24/7/365 with Station 1 located in Wellsburg and Station 2 located in Follansbee.
Education
Brooke County is the home of Bethany College which is the oldest private college in the state.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Brooke para niños
