Monroe County, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Monroe County
U.S. county
Main Building at Sweet Springs Resort, designed by Thomas Jefferson.
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	January 14, 1799
Named for	James Monroe
Seat	Union
Largest town	Peterstown
Area
• Total	474 sq mi (1,230 km²)
• Land	473 sq mi (1,230 km²)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2 km²) 0.2%%
Population (2020)
• Total	12,376
• Density	26.11/sq mi (10.08/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,376. Its county seat is Union.

Monroe County was the home of Andrew Summers Rowan of Spanish–American War fame, who is immortalized in Elbert Hubbard's classic A Message to Garcia. The county was also the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond by Grover C. Jones and William "Punch" Jones.

Monroe County celebrates its own holiday, Farmers' Day, and is known for its close community.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Natural Landmarks
Historic Landmarks
Farmers' Day
Communities
- Towns
- Unincorporated communities
Education
See also

History

Monroe County was formed on January 14, 1799 from portions of Greenbrier County. It was named after James Monroe, a Virginia statesman and senator, and the future fifth President of the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,230 km²), of which 473 square miles (1,230 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 219
West Virginia Route 3
West Virginia Route 12
West Virginia Route 122
West Virginia Route 311

Adjacent counties

Watersheds

Tributaries of the James River, part of the Chesapeake Bay

Potts Creek

Tributaries of the New River

Tributaries of the Greenbrier River

Second Creek
Sinks Grove

National Natural Landmark

Greenville Saltpeter Cave

National protected areas

George Washington National Forest
Jefferson National Forest

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	4,188	—
1810	5,444	30.0%
1820	6,620	21.6%
1830	7,798	17.8%
1840	8,422	8.0%
1850	10,204	21.2%
1860	10,757	5.4%
1870	11,124	3.4%
1880	11,501	3.4%
1890	12,429	8.1%
1900	13,130	5.6%
1910	13,055	−0.6%
1920	13,141	0.7%
1930	11,949	−9.1%
1940	13,577	13.6%
1950	13,123	−3.3%
1960	11,584	−11.7%
1970	11,272	−2.7%
1980	12,873	14.2%
1990	12,406	−3.6%
2000	14,583	17.5%
2010	13,502	−7.4%
2019 (est.)	13,275	−1.7%
US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,502 people, 5,655 households, and 3,915 families in the county. The population density was 28.5/sqmi (11.0/km²). There were 7,601 housing units at an average density of 16.1/sqmi (6.20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.5% were Irish, 16.7% were English, 16.3% were German, 10.4% were American, and 5.7% were Scotch-Irish.

Of the 5,655 households, 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 45.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,574 and the median income for a family was $45,106. Males had a median income of $35,709 versus $23,782 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,927. About 10.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Natural Landmarks

One of Monroe County's geological features is Haynes Cave, a former saltpeter mine. Strange bones were discovered by the miners at the end of the 18th Century, and mailed to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's study of the animal, the Megalonyx jeffersonii was arguably the birth of American paleontology. It is now the official West Virginia state fossil.

However, other saltpeter caves are in private ownership and limited for tourism due to ecological risks. One such is the Greenville Saltpeter Cave, designated a national natural landmark in 1973, and very important during the War of 1812.

Historic Landmarks

Indian Creek Covered Bridge
Rehoboth Church
Laurel Creek Covered Bridge

Farmers' Day

Farmers' Day is held every year on the first Saturday in June in Union. Founder Louie H. Peters, held in honor of the countless farming families in the surrounding area, the event is stretched out over the entire weekend, including the Friday evening dance held in the local grocery store's parking lot, the Pancake Breakfast and Farmers' Day Parade on Saturday, and the numerous shows, games, and activities that take place well into Sunday evening.

Fresh food produced by the citizens of Monroe County, is sold along the sidewalks, games for children can be found in the various parking lots, and live music by one of the local bands is played throughout the weekend. Popular events include the annual horse show, car show, and fire works.

Communities

Towns

Alderson (partially)
Peterstown
Union (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Education

Monroe County Schools operates public schools:

James Monroe High School
Mountain View Elementary/Middle School
Peterstown Middle School
Peterstown Elementary School

Monroe County, West Virginia facts for kids

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