Berkeley County is a county in West Virginia, United States, in the Eastern Panhandle along the Potomac River. It had a population of 122,076 at the 2020 census, the second-most of any of West Virginia’s 55 counties, and covers 321.6 square miles (832.8 km2) centred near Martinsburg at 39°27′N 77°59′W.
Martinsburg is the county seat and its postal code is 25401. The county has one incorporated city, one incorporated town, two census-designated places and roughly 40 other unincorporated communities, all in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Berkeley County
Berkeley County has just two incorporated municipalities — the city of Martinsburg and the town of Hedgesville — plus two Census Bureau-designated places (Falling Waters and Inwood) and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and crossroads. The table below carries a Type legend: City · seat, Town, CDP and Unincorp. for places with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsburg | City · seat | 18,777 | 25401 |
| Hedgesville | Town | — | 25427 |
| Falling Waters | CDP | — | 25419 |
| Inwood | CDP | — | 25428 |
| Bunker Hill | Unincorp. | — | 25413 |
| Gerrardstown | Unincorp. | — | 25420 |
| Glengary | Unincorp. | — | 25421 |
| Ridgeway | Unincorp. | — | 25440 |
| Adam Stephen Homes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Allensville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baker Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baxter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bedington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berkeley Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bessemer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blairton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boydville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darkesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Douglas Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Files Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ganotown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goose Nest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greensburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grubbs Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hainesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Irish Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnsontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jones Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marlowe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nipetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nollville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pikeside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosemont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scrabble | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shanghai | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swan Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tablers Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tarico Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tomahawk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Van Clevesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vanville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winebrenners Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
Spring Mills, Inwood and Falling Waters form a nearly continuous corridor of suburban growth along U.S. Route 11 north of Martinsburg, and several of the smaller crossroads on this list (Georgetown and Little Georgetown, for instance) sit close enough together that mail and directions often treat them as one place.
ZIP Codes
- 25401 — Martinsburg (also serves Baker Heights, Berkeley Place, Boydville)
- 25403 — Martinsburg (west side)
- 25404 — Martinsburg (east side, the county’s most populous ZIP)
- 25427 — Hedgesville
- 25428 — Inwood
- 25419 — Falling Waters
- 25413 — Bunker Hill
- 25420 — Gerrardstown
- 25421 — Glengary
- 25440 — Ridgeway (PO Box only)
Most of the small unincorporated communities and crossroads listed above have no ZIP code of their own and are served by whichever of these post office towns is nearest.
Geography
Berkeley County sits at the northern tip of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, a limestone valley between the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian ridge-and-valley country, drained by the Potomac River along its northern edge and Opequon Creek through its interior. The terrain is rolling farmland and low ridges rather than mountains, which is part of why the county has grown quickly as a commuter base within reach of Washington, D.C.
It borders Washington County, Maryland to the north, Jefferson County, West Virginia to the southeast, Frederick County, Virginia to the south, and Morgan County, West Virginia to the west.
Demographics
Berkeley County had 122,076 residents at the 2020 census. Martinsburg (18,777) is by far the largest community, with the Inwood-Falling Waters corridor along U.S. 11 the county’s next largest population concentration. Median household income runs below the West Virginia median of $55,948 in parts of the county and above it in the Martinsburg-area suburbs, reflecting a mix of long-established farming communities and newer commuter neighborhoods. At roughly 380 people per square mile, Berkeley is one of the more densely settled counties in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Berkeley County’s economy has shifted from agriculture and rail toward logistics, healthcare and federal employment. The county is home to major distribution and manufacturing operations along the I-81 corridor, Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, and a substantial share of workers who commute northeast toward the Washington-Baltimore region by car or MARC-adjacent rail connections through neighboring Jefferson County. Martinsburg’s downtown, built around its 19th-century rail and textile-mill history, hosts the county’s courthouse and its main annual events calendar.
History
Berkeley County was formed on May 15, 1772, from part of Frederick County, Virginia, and is most likely named for Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, a royal governor of colonial Virginia. Morgan Morgan, credited with the first permanent English settlement in what is now West Virginia, settled here in 1726, and a young George Washington surveyed land in the county in 1748. During the Civil War the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through Martinsburg made the county a repeatedly contested strategic point; Berkeley voted with the rest of the Eastern Panhandle to join the newly formed West Virginia in 1863.
Getting There
Interstate 81 runs the length of Berkeley County north-south, crossed by U.S. Route 11 and West Virginia Routes 9 and 45; it is the county’s main connection to both the Shenandoah Valley and the Washington-Baltimore metro area.
- Winchester, Virginia — 20 miles south
- Hagerstown, Maryland — 15 miles north
- Charles Town, West Virginia — 15 miles east
- Washington, D.C. — 75 miles east
The nearest sizeable commercial airport is Hagerstown Regional Airport in Maryland, with fuller service available at Washington Dulles International, about 60 miles southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Berkeley County, West Virginia?
It is in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, bordering Maryland to the north and Virginia to the south, about 75 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
What is the population of Berkeley County?
122,076 at the 2020 census, the second-highest of West Virginia’s 55 counties.
How big is Berkeley County?
321.6 square miles (832.8 km2), most of it land.
What is the county seat of Berkeley County?
Martinsburg is the county seat.
How many towns are in Berkeley County?
The county has one city (Martinsburg), one incorporated town (Hedgesville), two census-designated places, and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Berkeley County?
Martinsburg uses 25401, 25403 and 25404; other ZIPs cover Hedgesville (25427), Inwood (25428), Falling Waters (25419), Bunker Hill (25413), Gerrardstown (25420) and Glengary (25421).
What river runs through Berkeley County?
The Potomac River forms the county’s northern boundary with Maryland, with Opequon Creek draining the interior.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.