Belmont County is a county in Ohio, United States, on the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia, in the eastern part of the state. It had a population of 66,497 at the 2020 census and covers 541.27 square miles (1,401.9 km2) of land and water, centred near 40°01′N 80°59′W.
St. Clairsville is the county seat, and its postal code is 43950. Belmont County has about a dozen incorporated villages and one city, plus dozens of unincorporated communities and mining camps, spread across 16 townships. The county keeps Eastern Time year-round with daylight saving observed.
Towns & Villages in Belmont County
Belmont County’s largest city is Martins Ferry, on the Ohio River opposite Wheeling. St. Clairsville, the county seat, sits a few miles inland along I-70. The rest of the list below is a mix of incorporated villages along the river and old coal- and glass-town names scattered through the hills; most of the smallest entries are unincorporated communities (Unincorp.) rather than places with their own local government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martins Ferry | City | — | 43935 |
| St. Clairsville | City · seat | — | 43950 |
| Bellaire | Village | — | 43906 |
| Barnesville | Village | — | 43713 |
| Bridgeport | Village | — | 43912 |
| Bethesda | Village | — | 43719 |
| Flushing | Village | — | 43977 |
| Morristown | Village | — | 43759 |
| Powhatan Point | Village | — | 43942 |
| Shadyside | Village | — | 43947 |
| Yorkville | Village | — | 43971 |
| Belmont | Village | — | 43718 |
| Holloway | Village | — | 43985 |
| Lafferty | Village | — | 43951 |
| Aetnaville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alledonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Armstrongs Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Avondale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Badgertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baileys Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bannock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belmont Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blaine | Unincorp. | — | 43911 |
| Blainesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boydsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Businessburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cabinet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Captina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Centerville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claremont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clover Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colerain | Unincorp. | — | 43916 |
| Crabapple | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crescent | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dilles Bottom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Donnersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Richland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egypt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairpoint | Unincorp. | — | 43938 |
| Farmington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Florence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glencoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Golda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Great Western | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heath | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hendrysburg | Unincorp. | — | 43965 |
| Highland Terrace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hogsink | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Homeside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hunter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jacobsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Key | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kinsman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lamira | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lansing | Unincorp. | — | 43934 |
| Lloydsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loghaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lombardy Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loomis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maynard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McClainville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morningview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Neffs | Unincorp. | — | 43940 |
| New Castle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olivett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Provident | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Joe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sewellsville | Unincorp. | — | 43976 |
| Shepherdstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Somerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Speidel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steinersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stewartsville | Unincorp. | — | 43952 |
| Sunset Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tacoma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Temperanceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terminal Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Uniontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vadis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vallonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Warnock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Webb | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wegee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Wheeling | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wheeling Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolfhurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
Townships
Belmont County is divided into 16 civil townships, which handle local road maintenance, cemeteries and fire service outside the incorporated villages. Populations are not separately confirmed here, so the table below lists the townships and, where confidently known, the incorporated place each contains.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Richland | — | St. Clairsville |
| Pultney | — | Bellaire |
| Warren | — | Barnesville |
| Pease | — | Martins Ferry, Bridgeport |
| Colerain | — | Colerain, Fairpoint |
| Flushing | — | Flushing |
| Goshen | — | Belmont |
| Kirkwood | — | — |
| Mead | — | — |
| Smith | — | Powhatan Point |
| Somerset | — | — |
| Union | — | Morristown |
| Washington | — | — |
| Wayne | — | Bethesda |
| Wheeling | — | Blaine, Bannock |
| York | — | Yorkville |
ZIP Codes
- 43950 — St. Clairsville (also serves the county seat area)
- 43935 — Martins Ferry
- 43906 — Bellaire
- 43713 — Barnesville
- 43912 — Bridgeport
- 43719 — Bethesda
- 43977 — Flushing
- 43942 — Powhatan Point
- 43947 — Shadyside
- 43971 — Yorkville
Smaller unincorporated places such as Colerain, Fairpoint, Lansing, Neffs, Sewellsville and Stewartsville have their own rural-route ZIP codes; the rest use the nearest post office town’s code above.
Geography
Belmont County sits in Ohio’s Appalachian foothills, on the west bank of the Ohio River opposite Wheeling and Moundsville, West Virginia. The terrain is hilly and heavily creased by tributary streams — Wheeling Creek, McMahon Creek and Captina Creek all drain toward the Ohio River — and the county sits within Ohio’s coal belt, with a long history of underground and surface mining. The county borders Harrison County to the north, Jefferson County to the northeast, Guernsey County to the west, and Monroe County and Noble County to the south and southwest; across the Ohio River lie Ohio County and Marshall County, West Virginia, to the east.
Demographics
Belmont County had 66,497 residents at the 2020 census. Martins Ferry and St. Clairsville are its two largest communities. Household income in the county runs well below the Ohio median of $67,769, reflecting the decline of the coal and manufacturing jobs that once anchored the local economy; population density works out to roughly 125 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining and glass manufacturing built Belmont County’s economy in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the county was known as a glassmaking center by the 1880s. Today the mix includes natural gas and shale drilling tied to the Utica and Marcellus formations, healthcare centered on hospitals in St. Clairsville and Martins Ferry, and retail and logistics along the I-70 corridor. The Wheeling, West Virginia metro area across the river remains a major source of jobs and shopping for county residents.
History
Belmont County was established on September 7, 1801, and organized on November 7, 1801, one of the earliest counties formed under the Northwest Territory’s Ohio government. Its name comes from the French for “beautiful mountain,” a nod to the county’s hilly terrain along the Ohio River. The county grew rapidly through 19th-century coal mining and river trade, and its glass factories made it a nationally known “Glass City” by the 1880s. Bridgeport and Martins Ferry, both on the river, industrialized early alongside Wheeling just across the water.
Getting There
Interstate 70 crosses the county east-west, meeting I-470 near Bridgeport and Wheeling; US 40 (the historic National Road) and US 250 also run through the county.
- Wheeling, WV — 5 miles east
- Cambridge, Ohio — 30 miles west
- Steubenville, Ohio — 25 miles north
- Marietta, Ohio — 45 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Pittsburgh International Airport, about 65 miles northeast; Wheeling Ohio County Airport, just across the river, handles general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Belmont County?
Belmont County is in eastern Ohio, on the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia.
What is the population of Belmont County?
Belmont County had a population of 66,497 at the 2020 census.
How big is Belmont County?
The county covers 541.27 square miles (1,401.9 km2), including 9.14 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Belmont County?
St. Clairsville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Belmont County?
Belmont County has one city (Martins Ferry) and about a dozen villages, plus dozens of unincorporated communities, spread across 16 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Belmont County?
Belmont County’s main ZIP codes include 43950 (St. Clairsville), 43935 (Martins Ferry), 43906 (Bellaire) and 43713 (Barnesville).
Why is it called Belmont County?
The name comes from the French for “beautiful mountain,” describing the hilly land along the Ohio River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.