Wyoming County, West Virginia

Wyoming County is a county in West Virginia, United States, in the southern coalfields near the Virginia border. It had a population of 21,382 at the 2020 census and covers 502 square miles (1,300 km2) centred near 37°37′N 81°32′W.

Pineville is the county seat, and its postal code is 24874. The county has one city (Mullens), two incorporated towns (Oceana and Pineville) and roughly three dozen unincorporated communities. Wyoming County sits in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Wyoming County

Wyoming County has three incorporated municipalities — Mullens is the only city, Oceana and Pineville are towns — plus dozens of small unincorporated coal-camp communities scattered along Route 10 and the Guyandotte and Sandy River branches. Type key: City = incorporated city, Town = incorporated town, Unincorp. = unincorporated community with its own ZIP code.

Two names on the county’s community list can be confused with the county itself: the unincorporated hamlet of Wyoming and the historic Mullensville settlement, absorbed into the city of Mullens, are both distinct from the county-wide place name.

ZIP Codes

Wyoming County has 36 ZIP codes, most of them serving a single small post office town rather than a whole ZCTA:

• 24874 — Pineville (county seat)
• 25882 — Mullens
• 24870 — Oceana
• 24818 — Brenton
• 24822 — Clear Fork
• 24823 — Coal Mountain
• 24827 — Cyclone
• 24834 — Fanrock
• 24839 — Hanover
• 24845 — Ikes Fork
• 24847 — Itmann
• 24849 — Jesse
• 24854 — Kopperston
• 24857 — Lynco
• 24859 — Marianna
• 24860 — Matheny
• 24867 — New Richmond
• 24869 — North Spring
• 24880 — Rock View
• 24882 — Simon
• 24898 — Wyoming
• 24716 — Bud
• 24719 — Covel
• 24726 — Herndon
• 25810 — Allen Junction
• 25811 — Amigo
• 25826 — Corinne
• 25845 — Glen Fork
• 25848 — Glen Rogers
• 25870 — Maben
• 25875 — McGraws
• 25876 — Saulsville
• 25913 — Ravencliff
• 25916 — Sabine
• 25928 — Stephenson
• 25943 — Wyco

Smaller communities without a listed ZIP of their own, such as Alpoca, Basin, Black and Guyan, are served by the nearest post office town above.

Geography

Wyoming County lies in West Virginia’s southern coalfields, a rugged landscape of steep ridges and narrow hollows drained by branches of the Guyandotte River and the Sandy River. Of its 502 square miles, 499 square miles are land and 2.4 square miles are water. Elevations run from valley floors along the Guyandotte to ridgelines above 3,000 feet, and most settlement follows the narrow bottomland along creeks and railroad grades built for the coal industry.

Wyoming County borders Boone County to the north, Raleigh County to the northeast, Mercer County to the southeast, McDowell County to the south, Mingo County to the west, and Logan County to the northwest.

Demographics

Wyoming County’s population was 21,382 at the 2020 census, continuing a long decline from a peak of 37,540 in 1950 as coal employment contracted. Mullens is the county’s largest incorporated place, followed by Oceana. Median household income in the county runs well below the West Virginia median of $55,948, reflecting the area’s dependence on a shrinking coal sector. Population density is about 43 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Coal mining has shaped Wyoming County’s economy for more than a century, and surface and underground mines still operate in communities such as Kopperston, Itmann and Glen Rogers. Public-sector employment through the county school system and local government, plus healthcare and retail centred on Mullens and Pineville, round out the job base. Timber and small-scale agriculture persist in the county’s hollows, and Twin Falls Resort State Park, near Mullens, is a local recreation draw and seasonal employer.

History

Wyoming County was formed on January 26, 1850, from Logan County. Its name derives from the Lenape word for “large plains,” a name transplanted from Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley rather than describing local terrain. Coal was discovered in commercial quantities in the late 19th century, and railroad branches built by the Virginian and Norfolk & Western railways in the early 20th century opened the county to large-scale mining, drawing thousands of workers to newly built coal camps like Glen Rogers and Itmann. The county’s population peaked at 37,540 in the 1950 census before mechanization and the long decline of Appalachian coal employment cut it by more than 40 percent.

Getting There

U.S. Route 52 and West Virginia Routes 10 and 16 are the county’s principal highways, linking Pineville and Mullens to the rest of the southern coalfields.

• Beckley — 25 miles northeast
• Welch — 20 miles south
• Logan — 30 miles northwest
• Bluefield — 35 miles southeast

The nearest commercial airport is Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wyoming County, West Virginia?
It is in the southern coalfields of West Virginia, bordering Virginia’s coal region to the south.

What is the population of Wyoming County?
21,382, according to the 2020 census.

How big is Wyoming County?
502 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 499 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Wyoming County?
Pineville is the county seat.

How many towns are in Wyoming County?
One city (Mullens) and two incorporated towns (Oceana and Pineville), plus dozens of unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Wyoming County?
36 ZIP codes, including 24874 (Pineville), 25882 (Mullens) and 24870 (Oceana).

What is Wyoming County’s economy based on?
Coal mining, along with public-sector employment, healthcare and retail centred on Mullens and Pineville.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.