Randolph is a county in West Virginia, United States, the largest county in the state by land area, straddling the Allegheny Mountains between the Tygart Valley and the Cheat and Greenbrier watersheds. It had a population of 27,932 at the 2020 census and covers 1,040 square miles (2,694 km2), centred near 38°45′N 79°50′W.
Elkins is the county seat, and its postal code is 26241. The county has one city, six towns and eight census-designated places, plus dozens of unincorporated crossroads and former railroad communities. Randolph County observes Eastern time and lies almost entirely within the Monongahela National Forest and the National Radio Quiet Zone.
Towns & Villages in Randolph County
Randolph County’s settlements fall into three groups: Elkins is the only incorporated city; Beverly, Coalton, Harman, Huttonsville, Mill Creek and Montrose are incorporated towns; the rest are census-designated places (CDP) or unincorporated communities without their own government. Many of the smaller names below were logging camps or rail sidings tied to the old Coal & Iron Railway and West Virginia Central lines, and some no longer have year-round residents.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkins | City · seat | — | 26241 |
| Beverly | Town | — | 26253 |
| Harman | Town | — | 26270 |
| Huttonsville | Town | — | 26273 |
| Mill Creek | Town | — | 26280 |
| Montrose | Town | — | 26283 |
| Bowden | CDP | — | 26254 |
| Dailey | CDP | — | 26259 |
| East Dailey | CDP | — | — |
| Helvetia | CDP | — | 26224 |
| Pickens | CDP | — | 26230 |
| Valley Bend | CDP | — | 26293 |
| Valley Head | CDP | — | 26294 |
| Whitmer | CDP | — | 26296 |
| Coalton | Town | — | 26257 |
| Kerens | Unincorp. | — | 26276 |
| Ellamore | Unincorp. | — | 26267 |
| Mabie | Unincorp. | — | 26278 |
| Norton | Unincorp. | — | 26285 |
| Dryfork | Unincorp. | — | 26263 |
| Monterville | Unincorp. | — | 26282 |
| Glady | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Adolph | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alpena | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arnold Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arvondale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bemis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Rock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bruxton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canaan Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cassity | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cheat Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crystal Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cubana | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Czar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elk River Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elkins Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elkwater | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Faulkner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gandy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gilman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenbrier Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harding | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harpertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hazelwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jimtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Job | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leadsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lee Bell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Italy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meadows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Middlebrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mingo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newlonton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orr | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osceola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pumpkintown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Read | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roaring Creek Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Silica | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spangler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sullivan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sully | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suncrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tigheville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upper Mingo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weaver | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weese | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whyte | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wymer | Unincorp. | — | — |
Randolph County has nine magisterial districts — Beverly, Dry Fork, Huttonsville, Leadsville, Middle Fork, Mingo, New Interest, Roaring Creek and Valley Bend — which handle assessment and voting precincts rather than local government; none of the small communities above have their own municipal services beyond a post office and volunteer fire department.
ZIP Codes
- 26241 — Elkins
- 26253 — Beverly
- 26254 — Bowden
- 26257 — Coalton
- 26259 — Dailey
- 26263 — Dryfork
- 26267 — Ellamore
- 26268 — Glady
- 26270 — Harman
- 26273 — Huttonsville
- 26276 — Kerens
- 26278 — Mabie
- 26280 — Mill Creek
- 26282 — Monterville
- 26283 — Montrose
- 26285 — Norton
- 26224 — Helvetia
- 26230 — Pickens
- 26293 — Valley Bend
- 26294 — Valley Head
- 26296 — Whitmer
Communities without a post office of their own, such as East Dailey and most of the crossroads listed above, use the ZIP code of the nearest larger post town.
Geography
Randolph County spans the crest of the Allegheny Front, where the Tygart Valley River, Shavers Fork and Laurel Fork cut parallel north-south valleys between Cheat Mountain, Laurel Mountain and Shavers Mountain. Much of the eastern and southern county lies inside the Monongahela National Forest, including part of the Otter Creek Wilderness, and the whole county falls within the National Radio Quiet Zone that restricts radio transmissions near the Green Bank Observatory. Randolph borders Tucker County to the northeast, Pendleton County to the east, Pocahontas County to the south, Webster County to the southwest, Upshur County to the west and Barbour County to the northwest.
Demographics
Randolph County had 27,932 residents at the 2020 census, spread thinly across the state’s largest land area at roughly 27 people per square mile. Elkins and Beverly are its largest and oldest incorporated communities; most other residents live in unincorporated hollows and along the river valleys rather than in any town. Median household income in the county runs below the West Virginia median of $55,948, reflecting the decline of the timber and rail industries that built most of the smaller communities on the list above.
Economy & Local Life
Health care, education and government are the county’s largest employers, anchored by Davis Medical Center and Davis & Elkins College in Elkins. Forestry, outdoor recreation and tourism tied to the Monongahela National Forest, Elkins area ski resorts and the Cass Scenic Railroad corridor also support local jobs. The Mountain State Forest Festival, held in Elkins each fall, is the county’s best-known annual event and one of West Virginia’s oldest continuously running festivals.
History
Randolph County was formed October 16, 1787, from part of Harrison County while West Virginia was still part of Virginia, and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph, then governor of Virginia. European settlement in the Tygart Valley began in the 1750s, interrupted by conflict with the region’s Native inhabitants during the French and Indian War. Randolph was one of the fifty counties that broke from Virginia to form West Virginia, admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863. The county’s rail and timber boom, driven by the West Virginia Central and Coal & Iron Railway from the 1880s onward, founded most of the small communities on the settlement list above; many were abandoned once the old-growth timber was cut out by the mid-20th century.
Getting There
US Routes 33, 48, 219 and 250 all cross Randolph County, along with State Routes 15, 32, 55 and 92, converging on Elkins.
- Buckhannon — 30 miles west
- Beverly — 4 miles south of Elkins
- Marlinton — 45 miles south
- Morgantown — 65 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport; Elkins-Randolph County Airport offers general-aviation service within the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Randolph County, West Virginia?
It sits in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, along the Allegheny Front, bordering Pendleton, Pocahontas, Webster, Upshur, Barbour and Tucker counties.
What is the population of Randolph County?
27,932 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Randolph County?
1,040 square miles (2,694 km2), the largest county in West Virginia by land area.
What is the county seat of Randolph County?
Elkins is the county seat.
How many towns are in Randolph County?
One city (Elkins) and six incorporated towns — Beverly, Coalton, Harman, Huttonsville, Mill Creek and Montrose — plus eight census-designated places and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Randolph County?
21 ZIP codes serve the county, from 26241 in Elkins to 26296 in Whitmer; see the ZIP Codes section above.
What is the Mountain State Forest Festival?
An annual fall festival held in Elkins celebrating the region’s forestry heritage, among West Virginia’s oldest continuously held festivals.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.