Roane County is a county in West Virginia, United States, about 35 miles northeast of Charleston. It had a population of 14,028 at the 2020 census, an estimated 13,317 by 2025, and covers 484 square miles (1,250 km2) centred near 38°43′N 81°22′W.
Spencer is the county seat and the county’s only city; its postal code is 25276. The county holds 1 city, 1 incorporated town and 12 unincorporated communities across four magisterial districts, and it runs on Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Roane County
Roane County has 14 named places on record: one city, one incorporated town and 12 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal municipal boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | City · seat | 2,063 | 25276 |
| Reedy | Town | 150 | 25270 |
| Amma | Unincorp. | — | 25005 |
| Looneyville | Unincorp. | — | 25259 |
| Walton | Unincorp. | — | 25286 |
| Billings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cotton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elana | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gandeeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lattimer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Left Hand | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peniel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newton | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 25276 — Spencer (the county’s post office town and most populous ZIP)
- 25270 — Reedy
- 25005 — Amma
- 25259 — Looneyville
- 25286 — Walton
Billings, Cotton, Elana, Gandeeville, Lattimer, Left Hand, Linden, Peniel and Newton have no ZIP code of their own; mail to these communities is delivered under the nearest post office town’s code.
Geography
Roane County sits in west-central West Virginia, on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, a landscape of steep hollows and narrow ridgetops rather than open farmland. Of its 484 square miles, about 0.2 square miles is water — roughly 0.03 percent — and the county has no natural lake of any size; Charles Fork Lake, an impoundment near Spencer, is the county’s main reservoir. Spring Creek, a tributary of the Little Kanawha River, flows through Spencer; Reedy Creek’s headwater forks meet at the town of Reedy; and the West Fork of the Pocatalico River drains the county’s southern arm past Walton and Looneyville.
Wirt County lies to the north, Calhoun County to the northeast, Clay County to the southeast, Kanawha County — home to the state capital, Charleston — to the south, and Jackson County to the west. Wirt County, Calhoun County, Clay County, Kanawha County and Jackson County all border Roane directly.
Demographics
Roane County had a population of 14,028 at the 2020 census, and the Census Bureau’s most recent estimate puts the county near 13,317, a decline of roughly 5 percent. Spencer, at 2,063 residents, is by far the largest named community; most of the county’s remaining population lives outside any incorporated place. Median household income runs about $45,778 (2024), well below West Virginia’s statewide figure of $55,948 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to about 29 people per square mile of land, among the lower densities in the state and typical of Roane’s hollow-and-ridge terrain.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance is the county’s largest employment sector, with about 780 workers, followed by manufacturing at 451 and retail trade at 448, out of roughly 4,350 jobs countywide. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction pays the highest average wages in the county, reflecting Roane’s position over part of West Virginia’s natural gas fields. Spencer holds the county’s civic institutions and is the trading center for the surrounding rural communities. The county’s biggest annual event is the West Virginia Black Walnut Festival in Spencer each October, running since the mid-1950s and now marking more than 70 years of black-walnut cracking contests, a carnival and a parade.
History
Virginia’s General Assembly created Roane County on 11 March 1856 and named it for Spencer Roane, a Virginia jurist. Spencer, the county seat, took the jurist’s given name; the town was originally called California before receiving its charter in 1858. On 20 June 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Roane became one of fifty Virginia counties admitted to the Union as part of the newly formed West Virginia. The county was first divided into seven magisterial districts; these were consolidated into three in the 1980s, with a fourth added in the 1990s, leaving the current Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western districts.
Getting There
The county is served by Interstate 79, US 33, US 119, WV 14 and WV 36.
- Charleston — about 35 miles south
- Parkersburg — about 35 miles north
- Ripley — about 20 miles west
- Sutton — about 35 miles east
Yeager Airport in Charleston, roughly 35 miles south of Spencer, is the nearest commercial airport. Amtrak’s Cardinal line stops at Charleston’s station, the nearest passenger rail service to the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Roane County located?
It sits in west-central West Virginia, about 35 miles northeast of Charleston, bordered by Wirt, Calhoun, Clay, Kanawha and Jackson counties.
What is the population of Roane County?
14,028 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 13,317.
How big is Roane County?
484 square miles (1,250 km2), of which about 0.2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Roane County?
Spencer, the county’s only incorporated city, is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Roane County?
Two incorporated places — Spencer and Reedy — plus 12 unincorporated communities: Amma, Billings, Cotton, Elana, Gandeeville, Lattimer, Left Hand, Linden, Looneyville, Peniel, Walton and Newton.
What ZIP codes does Roane County use?
25276 for Spencer, 25270 for Reedy, 25005 for Amma, 25259 for Looneyville and 25286 for Walton.
What is Roane County known for?
The West Virginia Black Walnut Festival, held in Spencer every October since the mid-1950s.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.