Mason County is a county in West Virginia, United States, on the Ohio River across from Gallia and Meigs counties, Ohio. It had a population of 25,453 at the 2020 census and covers 431 square miles (1,120 km2) of land centred near 38°46′N 82°01′W.
Point Pleasant is the county seat, and its postal code is 25550. The county has one city, four incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities. Mason County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Mason County
Mason County has five incorporated municipalities — one city and four towns — plus roughly 50 unincorporated communities scattered along the Ohio and Kanawha rivers and the surrounding hill country. The table below carries over the county’s named places; unincorporated communities are labelled Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Pleasant | City · seat | — | 25550 |
| New Haven | Town | — | 25265 |
| Mason | Town | — | 25260 |
| Hartford City | Town | — | 25247 |
| Leon | Town | — | 25123 |
| Ambrosia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Apple Grove | Unincorp. | — | 25502 |
| Arbuckle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arlee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ash | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ashton | Unincorp. | — | 25503 |
| Baden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bellmeade | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Board | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brighton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Capehart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clifton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Couch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elmwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fivemile | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flatrock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gallipolis Ferry | Unincorp. | — | 25515 |
| Glenwood | Unincorp. | — | 25520 |
| Greer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grimms Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gunville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hallwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Henderson | Unincorp. | — | 25106 |
| Hogsett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Letart | Unincorp. | — | 25253 |
| Longdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maggie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meadowbrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mercers Bottom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mohrtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pike Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pondlick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rayburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Redmond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rollins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Santown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sassafras | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Southside | Unincorp. | — | 25187 |
| Tribble | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upper Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Waterloo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Columbia | Unincorp. | — | 25287 |
| Wood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wyoma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| York | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list also carried a place called “Gallipolis” — that is the city across the Ohio River in Gallia County, Ohio, not a Mason County place, and has been dropped here. Gallipolis Ferry, the unincorporated Mason County community across from it, is kept.
ZIP Codes
- 25550 — Point Pleasant (also serves nearby unincorporated communities)
- 25265 — New Haven
- 25260 — Mason
- 25123 — Leon
- 25247 — Hartford (serves Hartford City)
- 25515 — Gallipolis Ferry
- 25520 — Glenwood
- 25502 — Apple Grove
- 25503 — Ashton
- 25187 — Southside
- 25106 — Henderson
- 25253 — Letart
- 25287 — West Columbia
Most of the smaller unincorporated communities in the table above share the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Mason County lies in the Ohio River valley of western West Virginia, where the Kanawha River meets the Ohio near Point Pleasant. The terrain rises from river bottomland along the Ohio into rolling, forested hill country toward the county’s interior. It borders Jackson County to the east, Putnam County to the southeast, and Cabell County to the southwest, all in West Virginia. Across the Ohio River to the north and west lie Meigs County and Gallia County, Ohio.
Demographics
Mason County had 25,453 residents at the 2020 census. Point Pleasant, the county seat, is the largest community, followed by New Haven. The county’s median household income runs below the West Virginia median of $55,948, consistent with other river counties in the southwestern part of the state. Population density is roughly 59 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Mason County’s economy centers on the Ohio River corridor: barge traffic and river-dependent industry around Point Pleasant, agriculture in the county’s rural interior, and public-sector and healthcare employment tied to the county seat. Point Pleasant draws visitors each year for its riverfront and its Mothman lore, tied to sightings reported in the mid-1960s.
History
Mason County was formed in 1804 from part of Kanawha County, when the area was still part of Virginia; it became part of West Virginia when the state split off in 1863. It is named for George Mason, the Virginia delegate who drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights and influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights. Point Pleasant was the site of the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, often cited as an opening engagement of the American Revolutionary era conflicts with Native nations, and later the county witnessed the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River, one of the deadliest bridge disasters in U.S. history.
Getting There
U.S. Route 35 runs through Mason County along the Ohio River, connecting Point Pleasant north toward Ohio and south toward Interstate 64. West Virginia Routes 2, 62, and 87 serve the county’s river towns and interior communities.
- Huntington, WV — 35 miles south
- Charleston, WV — 50 miles east
- Gallipolis, OH — across the Ohio River from Point Pleasant
- Ripley, WV — 25 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Tri-State Airport (HTS) in Huntington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mason County, West Virginia?
It is in western West Virginia along the Ohio River, bordering Ohio to the north and west.
What is the population of Mason County?
25,453 at the 2020 census.
How big is Mason County?
431 square miles (1,120 km2) of land, plus 14 square miles (36 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Mason County?
Point Pleasant is the county seat.
How many towns are in Mason County?
One city, Point Pleasant, and four incorporated towns: Hartford City, Leon, Mason, and New Haven, plus roughly 50 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Mason County?
Point Pleasant uses 25550; other towns include New Haven (25265), Mason (25260), Leon (25123), and Gallipolis Ferry (25515).
Why is Point Pleasant known for Mothman?
A series of sightings of an unexplained winged figure were reported around Point Pleasant in 1966–67, before the Silver Bridge collapse; the town now has a Mothman Museum and an annual Mothman Festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.