Webster County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,378. Its county seat is Webster Springs. The county was founded in 1860 and named for Daniel Webster.
History
Webster County was formed from parts of Nicholas, Braxton, and Randolph counties in Virginia through the approval of an act of the Virginia General Assembly during its 1859-1860 session. Movement toward the formation of this county began in 1851.
Webster became part of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. When the state was formed, each county was divided into multiple civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, so in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.
Webster County's three original townships, subsequently magisterial districts, were Fork Lick, Glade, and Holly. A fourth district, Hacker Valley, was formed from part of Holly District in 1876. The four historic magisterial districts remained largely unchanged until the 1990s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: Central, Northern, and Southern.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Major highways
- 20px West Virginia Route 15
- 20px West Virginia Route 20
- 20px West Virginia Route 82
Adjacent counties
- Lewis County (north)
- Upshur County (north)
- Randolph County (east)
- Pocahontas County (southeast)
- Greenbrier County (south)
- Nicholas County (southwest)
- Braxton County (west)
National protected area
- Monongahela National Forest (part)
Streams
- Cougar Fork