Tucker County is a county in West Virginia, United States, tucked into the highlands of the Allegheny Front around Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley. It had a population of 6,762 at the 2020 census and covers 419 square miles (1,090 km2) of land centred near 39°05′N 79°20′W.
Parsons is the county seat and its postal code is 26287. The county has two incorporated cities, three incorporated towns and around 30 unincorporated communities, no civil townships (West Virginia counties do not use townships), and runs on Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Tucker County
Tucker County has five incorporated municipalities — two cities and three towns — plus close to thirty unincorporated communities scattered through its river valleys and mountain hollows. The table below covers every place carried in the county’s records; Unincorp. marks a place with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons | City · seat | 1,322 | 26287 |
| Thomas | City | 623 | 26292 |
| Davis | Town | 595 | 26260 |
| Hambleton | Town | — | 26269 |
| Hendricks | Town | — | 26271 |
| Auvil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benbush | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bretz | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canaan Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coketon | Unincorp. | — | 26292 |
| Cortland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Davisville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Douglas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gatzmer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gladwin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hannahsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Meadows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hovatter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jenningston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laneville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lead Mine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Location | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mackeyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pierce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Vale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Porterwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Creek | Unincorp. | — | 26289 |
| Rosendorf | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint George | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shafer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| William | Unincorp. | — | — |
Saint George is the county’s original seat, lost to Parsons after the 1889–1893 Tucker County Seat War, and it remains a small unincorporated community rather than a town today.
ZIP Codes
- 26287 — Parsons
- 26260 — Davis
- 26269 — Hambleton
- 26292 — Thomas (also serves Coketon)
- 26271 — Hendricks
- 26289 — Red Creek
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Tucker County sits on the Allegheny Front in the Potomac Highlands, where the Blackwater River and Shavers Fork cut deep valleys between ridgelines that top 4,000 feet. Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Resort State Park and the Dolly Sods Wilderness cover much of its high country, and the Fernow Experimental Forest occupies its eastern edge. The county has 419 square miles of land and 2.1 square miles of water.
Tucker County borders Preston County to the north, Grant County to the east, Randolph County to the south and Barbour County to the west.
Demographics
Tucker County had 6,762 residents at the 2020 census, making it West Virginia’s fourth-least populous county. Parsons and Thomas are its two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs well below the West Virginia median of $55,948, reflecting the decline of its historic timber and coal-mining economy. Density works out to roughly 16 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism and outdoor recreation now drive much of the county’s economy, anchored by Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Resort State Park and the ski areas around Davis and Thomas. Timber and wood-products work continues on a smaller scale than the county’s early-1900s lumber boom. Thomas, once a coal-and-rail town, has rebuilt itself around galleries, breweries and outdoor tourism drawing visitors from the wider Mid-Atlantic region.
History
Tucker County was formed on March 7, 1856, from a portion of Randolph County, then still part of Virginia, and was later enlarged by a small transfer of land from Barbour County in 1871. It is named for Henry St. George Tucker, Sr., a Williamsburg, Virginia judge and congressman. Saint George served as the original county seat until the Tucker County Seat War of 1889–1893 moved government functions to Parsons. Large-scale industrial logging by the Babcock Lumber Company between 1907 and 1914 stripped much of the county’s original forest, leaving erosion and flooding problems that took decades to recover from.
Getting There
U.S. Route 219 runs north–south through the county, with West Virginia Routes 32, 38, 72, 90 and 93 connecting its towns and state parks.
- Elkins — 25 miles south
- Morgantown — 55 miles north
- Cumberland, Maryland — 60 miles northeast
- Winchester, Virginia — 90 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is North Central West Virginia Airport near Clarksburg, roughly an hour’s drive west.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tucker County, West Virginia?
It sits in the Potomac Highlands of eastern West Virginia, on the Allegheny Front, bordering Preston, Grant, Randolph and Barbour counties.
What is the population of Tucker County?
6,762 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Tucker County?
419 square miles (1,090 km2) of land, plus 2.1 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Tucker County?
Parsons is the county seat.
How many towns are in Tucker County?
Five incorporated municipalities — the cities of Parsons and Thomas, and the towns of Davis, Hambleton and Hendricks — plus around thirty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Tucker County?
26287 (Parsons), 26260 (Davis), 26269 (Hambleton), 26271 (Hendricks), 26289 (Red Creek) and 26292 (Thomas).
What is Tucker County known for?
Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Resort State Park and the town of Thomas, a former coal-and-rail town now known for its arts and outdoor-tourism scene.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in West Virginia.