Jefferson County is a county in West Virginia, United States, the easternmost county in the state, set in the Shenandoah Valley where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac at Harpers Ferry. It had a population of 57,701 at the 2020 census and covers 212 square miles (550 km2) centred near 39°19′N 77°52′W.
Charles Town is the county seat, and its postal code is 25414. The county holds two cities, three towns, three census-designated places and a long list of smaller unincorporated communities. It sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 54037.
Towns & Villages in Jefferson County
Jefferson County’s incorporated municipalities are small — two cities, three towns — set against dozens of unincorporated crossroads and rail hamlets that carry the county’s older farming and railroad history. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau statistical community with no town government; “Unincorp.” marks a named place with no formal boundary at all.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Town | City · seat | — | 25414 |
| Ranson | City | — | 25438 |
| Bolivar | Town | — | 25425 |
| Harpers Ferry | Town | — | 25425 |
| Shepherdstown | Town | — | 25443 |
| Middleway | CDP | — | — |
| Shannondale | CDP | — | — |
| Shenandoah Junction | CDP | — | 25442 |
| Aldridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bakerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bardane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belvedere Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blair | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bloomery | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Ridge Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brooke Haven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Browns Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duffields | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egypt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Engle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Franklintown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Halltown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heatherfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jamestown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jefferson Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnsontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kabletown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kearneysville | Unincorp. | — | 25430 |
| Keyes Ferry Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lower Town | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mannings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mechanicstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mechlenberg Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meyerstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Millville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moler Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morgan Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Mission | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reedson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rippon | Unincorp. | — | 25441 |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rose Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Silver Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Skeetersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summit Point | Unincorp. | — | 25446 |
| Uvilla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walpers Cross-Roads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wheatland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wynkoop Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
Bolivar and Harpers Ferry sit side by side at the county’s southeastern tip and share the 25425 ZIP; locally the two are often treated as one town, though they hold separate governments.
ZIP Codes
- 25414 — Charles Town
- 25438 — Ranson
- 25425 — Harpers Ferry (also serves Bolivar)
- 25443 — Shepherdstown
- 25430 — Kearneysville
- 25442 — Shenandoah Junction
- 25446 — Summit Point
- 25441 — Rippon
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Bakerton, Duffields and Middleway are served by a neighbouring town’s post office rather than carrying a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Jefferson County lies at the mouth of the lower Shenandoah Valley, where the Blue Ridge Mountains fold down to meet the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry. The Shenandoah River crosses the county from southwest to northeast before joining the Potomac, and the terrain rises from river-bottom farmland in the east to the Blue Ridge foothills along the Virginia line. Of the county’s 212 square miles, 2.0 square miles are water.
Jefferson County borders Washington County, Maryland to the north, Loudoun County, Virginia to the east, Clarke County, Virginia to the southwest, and Berkeley County, West Virginia to the northwest.
Demographics
Jefferson County had 57,701 residents at the 2020 census, the fourth-most populous of West Virginia’s 55 counties despite its small land area. Charles Town and Ranson, its two cities, hold the largest concentrations of population; the county has grown steadily for decades as commuters to the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas have moved in along the Route 340 and Route 9 corridors. The county’s 2020 median household income was $86,711, well above the West Virginia median of $55,948. Population density works out to roughly 275 people per square mile of land, high for the state.
Economy & Local Life
Government, education and commuting to the Washington-Baltimore metro area drive Jefferson County’s economy. The county hosts Jefferson County Schools and a campus of Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, and Shepherd University sits just across the line in Shepherdstown. Rural Free Delivery mail service began here in October 1896, making Jefferson County the first county in the nation to receive it, and the county still marks that history locally each year.
History
Jefferson County was formed on October 26, 1801, from part of Berkeley County, and was named for Thomas Jefferson. It was part of Virginia until West Virginia’s admission to the Union in 1863. Harpers Ferry, at the county’s tip, was the site of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory, an event that helped precipitate the Civil War; the armory town changed hands repeatedly during the war because of its strategic position at the river confluence.
Getting There
U.S. Route 340 and West Virginia Routes 9, 45, 51, 115 and 230 cross the county, linking it to Interstate 81 at Martinsburg and to the Washington, D.C. beltway via Virginia and Maryland.
- Martinsburg — 15 miles northwest
- Winchester, Virginia — 20 miles southwest
- Frederick, Maryland — 25 miles northeast
- Washington, D.C. — 65 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Washington Dulles International, about an hour’s drive east; MARC commuter rail serves Harpers Ferry with service into Washington, D.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jefferson County, West Virginia?
It is in the far eastern tip of the state, in the Shenandoah Valley where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac at Harpers Ferry.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
57,701 at the 2020 census.
How big is Jefferson County?
212 square miles (550 km2), of which 2.0 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?
Charles Town is the county seat.
How many towns are in Jefferson County?
Two cities (Charles Town, Ranson), three towns (Bolivar, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown), three census-designated places and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
Main ZIPs include 25414 (Charles Town), 25438 (Ranson), 25425 (Harpers Ferry/Bolivar), 25443 (Shepherdstown), 25430 (Kearneysville), 25442 (Shenandoah Junction), 25446 (Summit Point) and 25441 (Rippon).
Why is Harpers Ferry historically significant?
It was the site of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory, an event that helped precipitate the Civil War.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.