Harrison County is a county in West Virginia, United States, in the north-central part of the state along Interstate 79. It had a population of 65,921 at the 2020 census and covers 416 square miles (1,080 km2) of land, centred near 39°17′N 80°23′W.
Clarksburg is the county seat, and its postal code is 26301. The county has 5 incorporated cities, 5 incorporated towns and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and Clarksburg neighborhoods. Harrison County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Harrison County
Harrison County’s settlements split between five cities (Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Salem, Shinnston and Stonewood), five incorporated towns (Anmoore, Lost Creek, Lumberport, Nutter Fort and West Milford) and a long list of unincorporated communities and Clarksburg-area neighborhoods, several of which grew up around now-closed coal mines and glass or clay works. “Unincorp.” below covers both freestanding rural communities and inner-city neighborhoods that never separately incorporated.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksburg | City · seat | 15,743 | 26301 |
| Bridgeport | City | 8,760 | 26330 |
| Nutter Fort | Town | — | 26301 |
| Stonewood | City | — | 26301 |
| Shinnston | City | — | 26431 |
| Salem | City | — | 26426 |
| Lumberport | Town | — | 26386 |
| Anmoore | Town | — | 26323 |
| Lost Creek | Town | — | 26385 |
| West Milford | Town | — | 26451 |
| Adamston | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| Adamsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alliance | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Allied | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arbutus Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arlington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethlehem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bristol | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Broad Oaks | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| Brown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cambria | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chiefton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cook Mine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Courtright | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Craigmoor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Custer Addition | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dawmont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Despard | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| Dixie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enterprise | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Erie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Farnum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flinderation | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Francis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glen Elk | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| Glen Falls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodhope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gypsy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haywood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hepzibah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Industrial | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jarvisville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jimtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Katy Lick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kincheloe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Floyd | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laura Lee Mine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lodgeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Long Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maken | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maple Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Margaret | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marshville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McAlpin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McWhorter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meadowbrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montpelier | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Clare | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Tabor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North View | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| O’Neill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oral Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prospect Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quiet Dell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reynoldsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rider | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rinehart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Robey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Romines Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosebud | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ryanville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saltwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sardis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Seminole | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sheets Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spelter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Hill Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stealey | Unincorp. | — | 26301 |
| Summit Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sun Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tichenal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Viropa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wallace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilsonburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolf Summit | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wyatt | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several “Unincorp.” names above — Adamston, Broad Oaks, Despard, Glen Elk, North View and Stealey among them — are historic neighborhoods that were annexed into the city of Clarksburg and share its 26301 ZIP code rather than standing as separate places today.
ZIP Codes
- 26301 — Clarksburg (also serves Nutter Fort, Stonewood and the annexed Clarksburg neighborhoods)
- 26330 — Bridgeport
- 26431 — Shinnston
- 26426 — Salem
- 26386 — Lumberport
- 26323 — Anmoore
- 26385 — Lost Creek
- 26451 — West Milford
Smaller unincorporated communities away from Clarksburg generally use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Harrison County lies in the hilly, forested Allegheny Plateau of north-central West Virginia. The West Fork River flows north through the county on its way to join the Tygart Valley River at Fairmont, and it is fed locally by Tenmile Creek, Simpson Creek and Elk Creek. The terrain is steep and creek-cut, with settlement concentrated in the narrow river and creek valleys around Clarksburg and Bridgeport.
Harrison County borders Marion County to the north, Taylor County to the east, Barbour County to the southeast, Upshur County to the south, Lewis County to the southwest, Doddridge County to the west and Wetzel County to the northwest.
Demographics
Harrison County had 65,921 residents at the 2020 census, the largest population of any county in north-central West Virginia outside Monongalia County. Clarksburg (15,743) and Bridgeport (8,760) are by far its largest communities; most of the rest of the population lives in smaller cities, towns and unincorporated neighborhoods clustered along I-79 and the West Fork River valley. County median household income runs below the West Virginia median of $55,948, itself the lowest state median in the country, reflecting the region’s decades-long shift away from coal and manufacturing employment. Population density is roughly 158 people per square mile, well above the mostly-rural counties that surround it.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and federal employment anchor the county’s economy: United Hospital Center in Bridgeport is the region’s largest hospital, and the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, one of the agency’s largest facilities outside Washington, D.C., employs thousands in Clarksburg. Aerospace and defense manufacturing add to the base, with Aurora Flight Sciences (a Boeing subsidiary) and Pratt & Whitney operating plants in the county, alongside a long-running graphite-electrode plant. The Bridgeport-Clarksburg corridor along I-79 carries most of the county’s retail and office growth.
History
Harrison County was formed in 1784 from Monongalia County, in what was then Virginia, and named for Benjamin Harrison V, governor of Virginia from 1781 to 1784. Clarksburg, its seat, grew through the 19th and 20th centuries on glass manufacturing, oil and gas, and coal, and was the boyhood home of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson. The county’s coal and glass industries declined sharply in the late 20th century, and federal and health-care employment have since become its economic mainstays.
Getting There
Interstate 79 runs the length of the county north–south, meeting U.S. Route 50 at Clarksburg and U.S. Route 19 through Bridgeport and Salem.
- Morgantown — 35 miles north
- Fairmont — 20 miles north
- Weston — 20 miles south
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — 100 miles north
North Central West Virginia Airport, just outside Bridgeport, offers commercial flights; it is the county’s own commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harrison County, West Virginia?
It is in the north-central part of West Virginia, along Interstate 79 between Morgantown and Weston.
What is the population of Harrison County?
65,921 people, at the 2020 census.
How big is Harrison County?
416 square miles (1,080 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Harrison County?
Clarksburg is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Harrison County?
Five incorporated cities (Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Salem, Shinnston, Stonewood) and five incorporated towns (Anmoore, Lost Creek, Lumberport, Nutter Fort, West Milford), plus dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Harrison County?
Including 26301 (Clarksburg), 26330 (Bridgeport), 26431 (Shinnston), 26426 (Salem), 26386 (Lumberport), 26323 (Anmoore), 26385 (Lost Creek) and 26451 (West Milford).
What is Harrison County’s largest employer?
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg is among the largest single employers in the region, alongside United Hospital Center in Bridgeport.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.